Freeport United
Soccer Club

The principal difference at young ages is the degree of competition and hence preparation. Club soccer teams typically play more games, participate in competitive leagues with teams from similar soccer clubs in the Casco Bay and Mid-Coast regions, and practice two or more times a week.
    Recreational soccer teams play games only against teams formed within their immediate town, do not compete against teams from other areas, and have shorter seasons. At older age levels (Under-14 and above), club teams aim to participate in the State Cup whereas recreational teams do not. To this end, soccer clubs actively develop players for competition at increasingly difficult levels of play. One last difference is that soccer clubs often are selective. They hold tryouts for spots on the roster and choose which players will make the team as opposed to taking every player who registers.

Freeport United teams generally are not selective, especially at younger age groups. The club attempts  to accommodate as many players interested in the greater challenges of club soccer as possible. To this end, Freeport United will even make an effort to field two teams at an age level rather than turn any players away.

    Freeport United encourages parents to consider carefully whether the club soccer environment will be the best fit for their child, as opposed to recreational soccer. This consideration becomes more significant at older age levels. 

The Director of Coaching and team coaches will take a flexible approach if an age group has too many interested players for one team but not enough to form two teams. Options include, but are not limited to, player evaluations, developmental squads, shifting players to a higher age level, player rotations, and other methods. Freeport United will strive to create the best soccer experience possible for capable and interested players.

There really is no distinction between the two. Soccer teams that play in competitive leagues, travel outside their local area for league play, and/or compete in tournaments and State Cups, are known as club soccer teams in most other regions of the country. In Maine, where “travel” hockey team programs existed first, the “travel” label moved from competitive ice hockey to competitive soccer.

The range of possible experiences as a soccer player are vast. For now, Freeport United’s teams concentrate on playing competitively against other soccer clubs of similar philosophy and abilities. In that context, player development refers to teaching the skills and knowledge for club level games.
    Many levels of soccer exist beyond Freeport United. Older players might try out for a "Premier" level team, the next level above "Classic." Premier teams compete with other Premier teams in Maine and often throughout New England in the USYS Region 1 league. Older players also might participate in the Olympic Development Program (ODP) run by Soccer Maine. The ODP program identifies and nurtures players to move on to state, regional, and national level teams. Other possibilities as teenagers and young adults include high school or college soccer and professional soccer at Division I, II, or III levels. Although Freeport United’s teams are a long way, both in terms of age and intensity, from the highest levels of soccer, the club aims, through a planned program of player development, to help each player reach their full potential as soccer players.

Most of Freeport United’s teams are in age groups where children are just beginning their athletic careers, whether in soccer or any other sport.  The ages of 9 to 14 clearly represent an enormous span of child development. As a club, Freeport United hopes to build a love of soccer, friendship and comradeship amongst one’s teammates, and the necessary soccer abilities for those latter teenage years (ages 16-19) when commitment to improving and expectations rise accordingly. Although each coach will communicate to his or her team the expectations for a successful season, Freeport United hopes that each player and his/her family will have such an enjoyable experience this season that they will want to return for the next.

Most Freeport United teams practice twice per week. However, players should spend significant time beyond the organized sessions practicing on their own.

One could think of team practice as similar to a music lesson, such as a piano lesson. After instruction at practice, then every player must spend individual time outside of soccer practice working on what they have learned, just like they would practice the piano at home. When players improve their individual soccer skills by practicing at home, their team can train at a higher level at team practices.