What does MUSA stand for?
Marshall United Soccer Association
What does MYSA stand for?
Minnesota Youth Soccer Association
What color shorts and socks for the uniform?
New for 2017 we have full game kits that include both orange and white jersey, shorts and socks.
Are shin guards required?
Yes, please be sure to choose the correct size. Players often prefer shin guards that do not have a cloth backer. This style can absorb sweat and start to irritate skin.
Are cleats required?
Yes. No metal cleats and no cleats with a toe cleat at the tip of the toe. A toe cleat is common on rubber baseball/football cleats and needs to be removed for soccer. Soccer cleats are designed to provide great ball control and players can definitely feel a difference in "touch" on the ball.
What opportunities are there in Marshall for my child to play soccer?
Marshall Community Services, the Marshall Area YMCA and Marshall United Soccer all provide soccer opportunities. In a typical year there is:
MCS indoor for grades K-8 - January-February
YMCA Indoor for grades K-2 - March-April
MCS (SMSU camp) for grades K-2 - April
MUSA Indoor Jamboree U12-U16 - April
MUSA Summer Rec+ & Competitive U8-U17 (Travel Season) - April - July (Registration in February)
YMCA Outdoor - July
MCS/MUSA Outdoor Rec League -September-October
YMCA Indoor for Grades K-8 - November-December
When can players register to play?
Player registration for our Summer travel team season for Rec+ teams opens mid February and closes mid April. Competitive (C3) team tryouts are held in November and registration is completed in February.
When will I know which team my child will be on?
Rec+ teams will be determined at the end of February based on registration numbers. An email will be sent with the first practice date, times and locations by age group, this information will also be posted on the website. Rosters will be determined after the first few weeks of practice. Preliminary C3 competitive team rosters are set after tryouts are concluded in November. Players that miss tryouts and register late will be given consideration based on available roster spots.Rosters are always subject to change due to multiple circumstances.
When will practices be held?
Practice schedule is at the discretion of the coaches. Younger players will generally have practices twice a week, where as older players may have 3 or 4 practices a week. The schedule is usually set from the beginning of the season, but will flex occasionally due to game schedule. If there is a game scheduled on a practice day there will not be a practice. Some practices at the coach’s discretion may be cancelled if there are multiple games during a week. We try to have practices and games scheduled for the same days of the week, however this does not always work out for Rec+. If you are going to miss a practice, inform the coach.
Do parents need to stay for practice?
No, parents do not need to stay at practice. Please be on time to pick up your child after practice. Coaches are not allowed to leave practice until all the players have been picked up. Players that ride their bikes or walk to practice are an exception.
When will games be held?
Games are generally scheduled on the same nights as practices and occasional Saturdays for Rec+ teams. Game start times will usually not be before 6PM on a week night. Car pools for away games will leave early enough in the day to get to the game site at least 1/2 hour to an hour before game time. We try to avoid scheduling games prior to the last day of school. Rec+ will usually not have games past the end of June, where as C3 teams playing in the post season could have games into late July.
Where are practices and home games held?
We do not have a single location dedicated to MUSA, so we use the spaces throughout Marshall. Younger groups usually use the Holy Redeemer School fields while older groups will use the Middle School and/or the High School fields. The 2015 Southwest Shootout Jamboree took place on the campus of Southwest Minnesota State University. Coaches and team managers will inform players and parents the location for practices and games as well as any venue changes that may happen.
What does my child need to bring to practices and games?
For both practice and games: always bring proper shoes, preferably soccer cleats, although other athletic shoes are acceptable, shin guards are required, and it is very important that your player bring a water bottle. The fields we play on rarely have a water source. For games, always bring your uniform! If you have 2 uniform colors bring both!! Always dress for the weather, spring soccer can be cold!
What’s the difference between Competitive (C3) and Rec+?
Competitive teams have a post season option with the ability to compete toward a state tournament. The rosters are more strictly set and the games are scheduled by MN Youth Soccer Association. C3 teams will usually play 10 regular season games, and will generally not have sanctioned games scheduled on a weekend unless an agreement is made between the two teams to reschedule the games. Post season games are an additional cost to players, generally a few dollars per game. Rec+ games are scheduled by members of the board of directors, team managers and coaches. These team rosters can be a little more fluid and game schedules are more fluid and can change as needed.Competitive teams are a higher level of play with the intention of building a winning team. Rec+ teams are slightly less competitive and although they still try to win, every effort is made to ensure fair play amongst the players on the roster. Rec+ is considered the building blocks for C3 teams.
I have kids on different teams, will we end up in different towns for games?
This is always a possibility, it happens, we feel your pain. We try very hard to schedule games to not conflict with other teams, but it is difficult to avoid completely. This is one reason why we promote ride sharing, we know it’s difficult to make it to every game.
What does “playing up” mean and can my child do it?
Playing up means one of two things. If a child displays adequate skills to compete with an older age group, at the discretion of the coaches, that player may be placed on an older team for the season. Also, if a competitive team roster needs supplemental players, they can ask Rec+ players to play up and fill out their roster for a game. It is common for Rec+ players to be added to a C3 roster for the post season.
My child is only 7, can he/she play?
Maybe. Some 7 year olds are more mature and have advanced skills and will be allowed to register. This is generally at the discretion of the coaches.
What if we can’t make it to a practice or to a game for some reason?
Things come up, plans change, we understand. Please communicate this as early as possible to the team managers and coaches. The sooner they know the better prepared they can be and can change any of their plans as necessary. This is sometimes how “play ups” happen and coaches need time to contact other players to fill the roster.
How is travel to away games coordinated?
Team Managers will communicate a meeting time and location for ride sharing to away games. If you are unable to get your player to the location, please contact the team manager or coach.
I can’t get my child to the car pool! What do I do?
Contact the team manager and the coach right away. We hate to see kids miss games because they don’t have a ride. Our team managers and coaches will try their best to get players a ride if/when they need one. Many parents are willing to help give rides as well, reach out to the team for assistance.
Are there overnight trips for games?
We intentionally do not schedule over night trips, however there are certain times during the playoffs where a family may decide on their own that it is in their best interest to stay at a hotel or campground instead of driving consecutive days.
I didn’t know there was a registration deadline, can I still sign up?
Maybe. Registering on time is very important and allows us to determine teams and coaching needs. Some rosters may be completely full while others may have some room to add additional players. Accepting late registrations is at the discretion of the coaches in cooperation with the board of directors depending on roster space availability. Late registrants will not bump a previously registered player already assigned to a roster.
How will I be informed of schedule changes?
You will need to have your email address and cell phone number associated with your Dick's Team Sports HQ (BlueSombrero) account to receive email messages and text (SMS) messages about schedule changes. You must also enable SMS messaging in your account and follow the directions you receive via email to subscribe to SMS messaging. If you do not complete all the steps you will not receive messages. If you have a smart phone you can also use the TSHQ Mobile App which allows you to follow teams and respond to team communication. RSVPs through email or the TSHQ app are important to let Team Managers and Coaches know whether or not to expect players.
Is it possible to get team communication sent to more than one parent?
Yes it is possible. When creating an account contact information must be entered for the second parent.
How do I sign up to receive text messages?
In your Team Sports HQ account you must enable SMS Text Messaging for your cell phone. You will then receive an email with instructions on how to subscribe to the all users SMS group from your phone.