When and where does the club play?
A full season for In-House and Travel teams includes two - eight
week sessions. A Fall session which begins near the first week of
September and ends around the first week of November, and a Spring
session which begins near the first week of April and ends around
the first week of June.
In-House teams play all of their games on Saturdays at the fields
located on the grounds of Dible Elementary School, 1079 Jefferson
Road.
Travel teams typically play on Sunday afternoon. Half of their
games are played at home on the Dible fields or at Friendship Park
on Hammil Road. Half of their games are played on the road in
surrounding communities. The level of play of a travel team
determines the area covered by their league.
Fee Schedule
First player $60
Additional Players $50 each
Late Fee $15 per late registration
Cancellation Fee $ 5 per player
Reduced fees for families suffering financial hardship can be
applied for by submitting a letter to the Board of Directors with an
explanation of the situation. The decision of the Board of directors
is final.
What do we receive for our registration fee?
Each player receives a soccer uniform (shirt, shorts and socks)
to be worn on game days. The players play in two sessions (eight
weeks in the fall and 7 weeks in the spring) and our annual soccer
festival which is the week after the spring session ends.
Participation awards are passed out to each player during the
festival. All referee fees and field maintenance are covered by the
PHSA.
When do we get our uniforms?
The first uniform order is placed within one week of the close of
registration. The first order takes four weeks to arrive. We try to
have the uniforms available to coaches at the time of field set up
which is usually two weeks before each session starts.
A second uniform order is placed Monday after first day of the
each session for the first wave of late registrations. Those
uniforms take approximately two weeks to arrive.
A third and final order is placed the Monday after the close of
final registration (two weeks into the session) and again those
uniforms take approximately two weeks to arrive.
What do we need to provide?
- Shin guards are required for all players regardless of age.
- Soccer cleats are required. Metal spikes are not
permitted due to the potential of injury.
- A soccer ball will be a necessary for practice.
Typically sporting goods stores run specials in the early fall
and spring with package deals on cleats, shin guards and balls. The
PHSA also does have a “swap box” where you can find all of the
above, but the selection can be very limited as it is based on
donations.
When is the late fee applied?
The late fee is applied to all registrations completed after the
date posted on the website. For a registration to be complete three
steps must be taken:
1) The on-line registration must be filled out in its
entirety.
2) Proof of age (a copy of the player’s birth certificate)
must be received.
a. Players who previously played with the PHSA (in the
07/08 season or later seasons) have proof on file and do not
need to resubmit proof of age.
b. New players must provide a copy
of their birth certificate with payment.
3) Payment and birth certificate must be mailed (post marked)
on or before the deadline.
Payments and proof of age can be hand delivered to the board tent
only during the regular season on game days. Payments given to a
board member or other representative of the association at other
times may be lost or misdirected. The late fee deadline is during
the off season so any and payments and proof of age not delivered to
the board tent on game day during the season must be mailed to the
PO Box and postmarked on or before the deadline.
Is there a reduced fee for playing in only one (Fall or Spring)
session?
There is not a reduced price for playing in only one session. The
actual cost of running the PHSA is more than we collect through
player registrations. Registration fees cover the cost of the
uniforms, PA West registration fees and insurance fees. These costs
are the same per child whether they play in one or two sessions. So
we can not discount the registration for a single session.
The PHSA makes up the balance of the operating budgets by
sponsoring a tournament over the Thanksgiving weekend. It is our
Autumn Ambush. Over the past several years, the income generated by
this tournament has allowed the PHSA to be the most affordable
sports program in the area.
What is the Difference between In-House and Travel?
-The In-House program is a non-competitive instructional league.
Goals are not counted in the U6 & U8 divisions, game scores are
not recorded for any division, and team records are not tracked. Any
one who plays is a winner because they got out and played. The
players are evaluated by their coaches at the end of the year and
used to place them on teams the following year. Players are assigned
to teams by a computerized program designed to create balanced teams
based on skill level, age in the bracket and gender to allow teams
to be evenly matched.
-Travel teams are still instructional, but they are competitive
teams playing against other PA West clubs. Inter-club play is during
the Fall and Spring sessions and they usually participate in
tournaments during the off season. Players must play in the In-House
league for at least one year in order to be eligible to try out for
a travel team. Players for the teams are selected by the coach of
the team based on tryouts.