About the Mars Area Soccer Club's Programs
MINI-MARTIANS: (For Players born in - .) - The Mini-Martians program provides a really fun introduction to soccer and basic soccer skills for 3-year-olds through individual and small group activities. Led by our professional Youth Elite Soccer coaches, the Mini-Martians meet once a week on Saturday mornings for about 45 minutes or so at our main game fields. Activities are often for both parents and kids, so a parent or guardian is required to remain with their Mini-Martian during the entire session and should be ready to lend a hand whenever needed. (But, don’t worry, this is definitely a "low impact" activity for us grown-ups.) All you need is a Size #3 soccer ball. Other than that, just be ready to have a blast. Your kids are going to learn a lot and have a lot of fun doing it.
Registration Fee: $60
IN-HOUSE PROGRAM: (For Players born in - ) - In-House Soccer is all about Kids-First Fun with our top priority being the fun and safety of all of our players. Every child is given the maximum opportunity to participate, and an equal opportunity to play and develop their individual skills in an environment intended to be fun, encouraging, and to instill the life-long values of cooperation and good sportsmanship. As such, we do our very best to keep teams competitively balanced, and games – which are held on Saturday mornings at our main game fields – are for fun and scores are not kept. Lastly, teams practice once a week for about an hour at a regularly scheduled time and place, and there are usually teams practicing somewhere every night of the week in a variety of places around our area. For more information - including necessary equipment - please click on the appropriate link...
REGISTRATION COSTS: $115 - $75 Player Registration, plus the $40 Family Membership Fee (if applicable), minus any discounts (if applicable)
(U5) In-House - A Co-Ed League for Players born in -
(U6) In-House - Boys and Girls Leagues for Players born in -
(U7) In-House - Boys and Girls Leagues for Players born in -
(U9) In-House - Boys and Girls Leagues for Players born in -
(U10) In-House - Boys and Girls Leagues for Players born in -
GAMES: In-House games play on Saturdays. Games are generally played in the mornings and are permitted to play into the afternoons as needed. Scheduled league games are not played on nationally declared holidays such as Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, Easter, etc.
All games for teams playing in U5, U6, U7, U8, and U9 In-House brackets will be played at home.
Teams playing in U10 and U11 In-House brackets will compete in a "mini-travel" format competing against both other Mars teams as well as teams from nearby clubs with about 50% of games are played at home and 50% of games are played away.
PRACTICES: Practices are held one night per week.
SEASONS: The starting and ending dates of each season are set by PA-West. PA-West requres a minimum 6-week game schedule, following the US Youth code under FIFA. Eight weeks are scheduled in order to provide the required six (6) games and an additional two (2) games considered as "cushion" in the event of cancellations due to weather, etc. during the regular season. (For further information, please see PA-West Playing Rules.)
TRAVEL PROGRAM: (For Players born in - ) The Travel Program is designed to provide kids with a learning forum in the "team" environment. Ensuring a positive learning experience, fair play time and player development are top priorities in this program. Travel soccer is considered "competitive". Though teams are strongly discouraged and may be penalized if they "blow-out" scores during a game, scores are recorded. Rank and standings are published on the State affiliated site known as Affinity Sports. Travel teams qualify for various tournaments based on the skill division in which they participate. Some skill divisions participate in statewide leagues and are qualifiers for regional and national, televised championships under the US Youth Soccer (FIFA) umbrella. MASC is a member of the state affiliate to USYS/FIFA. MASC places teams in all appropriate skill divisions. Therefore, every MASC member is expected to commit as a team player and to work hard. Aside from background checks, coaches are required to be certified and licensed under the NSCAA (National Soccer Coach Ass'n of America).
RGISTRATION COSTS: $150 - $110 Player Registration, plus the $40 Family Membership Fee (if applicable), plus any late fees (if applicable), minus any discounts (if applicable)
SKILL DIVISIONS: -- PA West Soccer, the state affiliate for US Youth Soccer/FIFA, determines skill division breakpoints to ensure teams are placed in the most appropriate forum. There are six Skill Divisions. Skill Divisions 1-3 are tryout teams pursuing international or national placement and recognition. Also known as the Classic Divisions. MASC as a community based club does not pursue classification for these three skill divisions. Skill Divisions 4-6 are a combination of local and statewide leagues, more community based. MASC places teams in these three divisions:
Skill Division 4 -- State wide travel. Player evals required. Qualifier for President's Cup, State Cup, Region 1 & Nationals. Teams can be
....................................elevated to Classic as a solo team.
Skill Division 5 -- District level travel. Qualifier for multi-district tournaments. Teams with 2-4 seasons' experience or young but strong teams.
Skill Division 6 -- District level travel. May qualify for district tourns. New/developing teams, little to no experience, or play more for rec
Skill Division 4 does permit teams comprised 100% of players who also participate in Divisions 1-3 (Classic). Players from the ODP (Olympic Development Program) are also permitted to participate in Division 4. Skill Divisions 5 & 6 allow only a limited number of players from the tryout leagues.
GAMES: Travel games are played on Sundays. Games are played no earlier than noon and usually ending by 6:30PM. Scheduled league games are not played on nationally declared holidays such as Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, Easter, etc.
And, yes, there is traveling. There are typically eight games in a season, 50% are played on the home field and 50% are played "away". For local or district leagues, travel time is usually less than an hour.
PRACTICES: Practices are held two nights per week. Practices for U10 are usually an hour based on USSF/NSCAA guidelines for mental and physical capacity of that age group. In Travel, emphasis is placed on both individual and team development.
SEASONS: The starting and ending dates of each season are set by PA-West. PA-West requres a minimum 6-week game schedule, following the US Youth code under FIFA. Eight weeks are scheduled in order to provide the required six (6) games and an additional two (2) games considered as "cushion" in the event of cancellations due to weather, etc. during the regular season. (For further information, please see PA-West Playing Rules.)
Mission -- The mission is to be challenged both as an individual and a team player. A positive learning curve vastly outweighs game wins. Teams in Divisions 4-6 that consistently blow-out scores, with high goal differentials WILL be bumped to the next skill division. These are developing leagues. No team in any skill division that wins 100% of games should remain in that division. The mission is always to be challenged and learn how to overcome the obstacles. Then, move to the next level of challenge and learn to overcome the new obstacles. If a team is winning by extraordinary measures, it typically means the players are not being challenged. It is also causing a lot of grief to their opponents. Teams will be elevated and relegated based on their scoring record to ensure the most positive experience not only for that team's players but also for their opponents. A team that wins 50/50 or 60/40 of the season's games is considered to be in the appropriate skill division.
For more information - including necessary equipment - please click on the appropriate link...
(U10) Travel - Boys and Girls Leagues for Players born in -
(U12) Travel - Boys and Girls Leagues for Players born in -
(U14) Travel - Boys and Girls Leagues for Players born in -
(U16) Travel - Boys and Girls Leagues for Players born in -
(U16-19) Travel - Boys and Girls or Co-Ed Leagues for Players born in -
BIRTH CERTIFICATES: New players to the Mars Area Soccer Club program must provide a copy of birth certificate, NO EXCEPTIONS. No child shall be rostered to a team without a valid birth certificate on file with the Mars Area Soccer Club. Copies of birth certificates can be emailed to
New Travel players must also provide a photo of the player for player pass. This can be done on the registration site under the Player Profile Window. Just click on the empty photo box and upload a photo from your computer.
VOLUNTEER POLICY: Parents must choose a volunteer category when registering to avoid the $40 opt-out fee that will automatically be added to your account.
NO PAY / NO PLAY POLICY: Payment must be received prior to the first game of the season or players will not be permitted to practice or participate in games. Player passes will be withheld weekly until payment is submitted. Thank you in advance for making payment on time.
REFUNDS: A full refund is provided if a player withdraws from a program BEFORE PRACTICES BEGIN. If a player commits to a program but then willingly pulls out once practices have begun, no refund will be provided. Once practices have begun, too many nonrefundable payments based upon headcount - player insurance, team fees to PA West Soccer, season budgets, etc. - have been made on behalf of that player which prevent the club from issuing a refund. If a player is injured and forced to leave a program during that player's first week's practice sessions, a partial refund minus insurance and a percentage of team fee may be considered at the discretion of the discretion of the MASC Board.
QUESTIONS?
IN-HOUSE:..For In-House, please contact
TRAVEL:.......For the Travel Program, please contact
GENERAL:..For questions in general, please contact
