United Travel soccer

The MUSC "United Travel" program is  the “town” travel arm of the Morris United Soccer Club.  However, unlike most town travel programs, all Morris United teams are coached and  trained by a licensed professional.  United Travel teams primarily play in Morris and adjacent counties and the commitment level is flexible enough to accommodate players who participate in other sports and activities.  MUSC only requires that players give an equal commitment to soccer that they do to another sport or activity.  

All players wishing to play for a United Travel team are required to attend a player evaluation (tryouts) held each spring (and fall for younger and older teams).    Players are evaluated by professional trainers and are extended offers to play based upon performance at tryouts and conduct during the season for existing players.  The United Travel program is focused on having players of comparable skills  playing with and against players of comparable skills to ensure an  environment focused on player development. 

“There is no magic formula or short cut to successful development. Coaching at youth levels is all  about working with players to improve performance, not about recruiting  players to build teams to win championships. Soccer is a player’s game  and players should be considered first when political, administrative and coaching decisions are made.” -- Bobby Howe, US Soccer, Former director of coaching, professional and National Team coach

“The  problem in the U.S.A. is they start travel soccer at too early an age.  That’s totally detrimental. It becomes more about winning and about collecting hardware than about having the kids play and learning from playing.” -- Alfonso Mondelo, Major League Soccer, director of player development

The  Morris United Soccer Club is focused on a philosophy of player  "development over winning" to ensure each player meets her/his maximum  soccer potential.  Our goal as a club is to improve the quality of play  at every level and develop well rounded, technically competent players  who learn to play and enjoy the game as a lifetime sport.   Winning is  the end result of good training, teamwork and intensity.  A misdirected  focus on winning, results in players not focusing on the fundamentals of  the game at an early age and exploits the raw physical abilities of a  few players and leaves late developers behind.  This may result in more  wins at younger ages, but leaves players lacking the fundamental skills  necessary to play at higher levels of competition as they age. 

As  part of the Morris United Soccer club philosophy on development, we  focus on player development over team development.  Soccer is a team  sport, and team chemistry is a huge factor in winning at the highest  levels.  However, every player at the highest levels is there because  they have the requisite technical skills.  The focus of our energies in  the United Travel program is to ensure players are learning the  requisite individual technical skills to develop as a complete player.    The impulse to win encourages early specialization and locking players  into roles on a team that hinder their development as a complete and  rounded player.  This does not mean we don't encourage and expect  players to act as part of a team.  We understand and help players learn  cooperation and trust of their teammates as important aspects of the  team experience.  But the concept of "sacrifice for the team" is not  appropriate for the youth athlete who should expect his/her coaches and  club to focus on their individual development needs to ensure he/she  becomes a well rounded player at the youth level.  

To meet our player development philosophy the MUSC United Travel program will:

• Never isolate players into  individual roles or positions at the youth level, but encourage players  to become well rounded artisans of the game by playing multiple  positions and experiencing all aspects of the game of soccer in their  early development years.  Specialization in particular positions will  develop over time as players advance from developmental, to small sided  and finally to full sided play.
• Ensure players play at least 50% of the time during a given season.  Players  will never sit an entire game or play only meaningful minutes because a  team must win games.  Players come to play, and they will be given the  opportunity to reach their potential by playing the game they love.
• Never discourage players from advancing to a more competitive team because  they are needed on the current team to win games.  Each player needs to be able to rise as far as their ability takes them, even if they leave the team or club.  It may hurt when a player leaves for a higher level of play, but that also opens up an opportunity for other players to step in and fill the void

The MUSC United Travel program is  committed to helping every player full-fill their full soccer potential, but this requires a commitment on behalf of each player.  Players are expected to follow the Morris United Soccer Club Players' code of Conduct at  all times.   Players who are unable or unwilling to meet this  commitment may see more limited playing time, or be required to leave  the program in extreme situations.