Read all about St. Mary's Soccer's plans to form U9 Travel Teams for the 2023-2024 seasonal year!

SMS U9 Travel Info Flyer

About Us

The St. Mary’s Soccer Travel program provides an environment for youth to play competitive soccer for those who are interested in a higher level of play.  Coaches for these teams focus on skill development in the early years and tactical abilities in the later years.  SMS aims to develop each player so that they improve from year to year and encourages them to strive for their true potential.  Players are expected to work hard, be coachable, and demonstrate commitment to themselves, their team, and SMS.  

SMS has fielded many very successful teams winning State Cup Championships and playing in top, invitation-only tournaments around the nation.  Many players in our program play in the Maryland Olympic Development Program, have successfully entered college soccer programs and earned athletic scholarships.

Annual evaluations occur in the May-June timeframe for all teams with players at the age of U9 through U19.  Supplemental evaluations will be held during other times of the year based on need at the coach’s discretion.

What to Expect

• Teams form for an entire seasonal year.
• High-quality training with highly qualified coaches.
  • Most coaches hold a USSF license.
• Most teams train 2 times per week for 1 1/2 hours per session.
• Teams participate in league play (e.g. NCSL and EDP).
  • Games are held on Saturday and Sundays 
  • There are typcially 7 - 9 games each season,with half played at home field locations and half played at away locations
  • The majority of away games are less than a 2-hour drive from St. Mary's County.
    • Distance of away games may increase based on team's level of play.
• Generally, teams participate in 1-3 tournaments per season.
  • Tournaments usually have 3-4 games over a weekend.
  • Numerous tournaments are held in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware.  
  • Some teams may travel further for additional select tournaments.

Fees and Registration

The exact amount of player fees is determined cooperatively among the team coach, team manager, and team parents as part of the process of forming the team’s annual budget.  Fees vary among teams and are determined by numerous factors.  The normal expenses covered typically include club admin fees, registration fees, coach license level, league fees, and tournament fees.  Additional costs for private turf rental, referee fees, special training events, equipment and team administrative costs are other expenses that can also influence your team’s fees.    

Registration for SMS Travel players is by invitation only.  St. Mary's Soccer will communicate to selected players via email to register with both the club (SMS) and Maryland State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA) registration.

Travel teams can hold fundraising activities to help offset team expenses.

SMS Travel uniforms cost approximately $135 which includes home and and away kits (jersey, shorts and socks) and a backpack. Please click here for additional information. 

Need-based financial aid is available through our Scholarship Program.

While participating on an SMS Travel team requires a greater commitment, it is achievable and can be extremely rewarding!  

For questions, contact the SMS Travel Vice President at vp_travel@stmaryssoccer.org.