Our Travel Program is designed to meet the needs of athletes who seek a more challenging environment than recreational soccer, and we strive to provide an environment where each player can reach their highest potential. Each session combines fast-paced circuit training geared toward individual player development (the current club juggling record is 964!!) with small-sided games, providing players with the repetition, consistency, and pace to develop confidence and awareness.

Our teams travel as-needed, but generally play locally (and rarely outside a 2-3 hour drive time). While our Western culture pushes players to play more games, we follow the science. A common American reality is 4-8 tournaments per year, 45-60+ games per year, and the perception that youth players need more “exposure.” Often, parents feel high club fees equal a better experience, and sometimes clubs add tournaments to their calendars to justify the higher costs.

The reality is that research published in the Journal of Science and Medicine for Sport found that youth players who participate in two matches per week have a 6.2-fold higher injury rate than those who play in one. Additionally, the science shows that it takes approximately 72 to 96 hours for a young athlete’s body to fully recover from the physical insults of a high-intensity soccer game. In fact, top international academies aim for a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of practices to games, because they understand the science suggests that game-heavy schedules actually slow down (or stall) player development.

At ETFC, we try to play one game per week. At top international academies, the game is considered a reward and is used as a tool to gauge player and team development. We share this philosophy. In addition, we value the social bonding that comes with tournaments. As a result, we try to limit our teams to one tournament per season so players can still experience hotel stays, team dinners, and “hangout time” between games. We believe in team chemistry and schedule team-building events and activities throughout the course of the year to foster that kind of environment for our athletes. Ultimately, a team that loves each other and fosters togetherness will play better, and players who have fun generally play longer and reach higher levels than those who experience “burnout.”

As an organization run by parents, we recognize that the greatest asset to child development is the child’s parent/guardian. In our Travel Program, we host bi-annual town hall meetings and encourage regular scheduled parent meetings. Additionally, we provide tangible tools to parents and coaches to assist with player development with the use of online club resources and Player Assessments, along with fitness and injury prevention interventions developed by our Licensed Physical Therapist.