Metro League

Directors

What is Metro League?

• The Metro Soccer League is dedicated to providing young players with the best opportunity to acquire the skills and talents to take their soccer to the next level. The Metro Soccer League has been established to provide young, talented soccer players from across the Avalon Peninsula with a league that fosters quality and competitive soccer, sportsmanship, and fun with over 100+ youth soccer teams participating every year.  

• Our Metro League involvement covers age groups (Under 7 - Under 13). Final teams are established in early spring to gear up for summer practices, tournaments, and games in the Metro League. 

Divisions Focus Breakdown:

Under 7, Under 8, and Under 9

At this age, children are working on the fundamentals of the game of soccer. Players are learning some of the basic rules and are beginning to truly understand the process of the game. This league is designed for children to have fun and for all teams and players to have equal opportunities. Players should be encouraged to try all positions on the field. The Metro Soccer League U7, U8, and U9 programs provide an opportunity for young players who have a knack for soccer to fall in love with the beautiful game. The environment must foster this interest with high-quality instruction from coaches and an abundance of encouragement from coaches, parents, and officials. Results/standings from U7, U8, and U9 league games will not be posted on the Metro Soccer League website. This league does not culminate in a final weekend. This is consistent with the NLSA Jamboree tournaments for U7 and U9, where the games are also non-competitive and there are no playoffs or medals awarded.

Under 10, Under 11 and Under 13

At this age, the goal is to promote fair play, teamwork, sportsmanship, and a fun atmosphere. Individuals should have as close to equal playing time as possible. Skills development and understanding of the rules of the game are of the utmost importance. High-quality instruction and competition are a must.

The Metro Soccer League U10, U11, and U13 programs strive to provide quality games for highly interested and talented young players.

U10 & U11: Results/standings will not be posted on the Metro Soccer League website for this age group. This league does not culminate in a final weekend. This is consistent with the NLSA Jamboree tournaments, where the games are also non-competitive and there are no playoffs or medals awarded.

U13: Results/standings will be posted on the Metro Soccer League website. This league does have a final weekend where all teams will have playoffs to reward a winner and runner-up in a championship game after the quarterfinals and semifinals, depending on the number of teams.

Metro Season - U10 and U11 Evaluations

All U10 and U11 players will be evaluated to assess their level and what program is most appropriate for them. Where spots for the Metro Program may be limited, so it is crucial to register for evaluations, even if your child is unavailable to attend. As we follow the Long Term Player Development plan (LTPD), after the assessments, players will be recommended to the appropriate program to enhance their skills to succeed. The $25 fee that is required to register for the evaluations will go towards the program they will be joining. If you have any questions or need more information, do not hesitate to reach out to our Technical Director, Matt, at technical_director@pcspminorsoccer.ca. 

Below, you can find our tryouts/evaluations policy:

Tryouts/evaluations Processes

• Open tryouts (2 sessions) for players to be evaluated for the metro program.
• Evaluations will primarily consist of small-sided games and technical and/or physical activities.
• Players are asked to attend all tryouts sessions (unless specifically told otherwise) and are REQUIRED to attend at least one out of the two sessions if they wish to be considered for a team unless they have a medical reason preventing them from doing so (doctor’s note required), as well as notice to our technical director. In such cases, alternate arrangements can be made for an evaluation. Other reasons for missing sessions may be requested and are subject to approval.
• Evaluations will be carried out by the following method:
• All sessions will be recorded for an intricate assessment of players.
• Board-approved screened Club Staff/Coaches/Volunteer(s) will be at all sessions for evaluation logistics.
• All the processes are to be overseen and finalized by the club's Technical Committee. 

Selection Process:

• The scores of each evaluator will be added up, creating an overall score per player. After the results, this score can be requested and shared with parents/players for their own review.
• Once selections have been made, teams will be announced on our website 
• After all teams have been formed, if a player is not selected for a metro team, they will receive a notice and will be recommended to join our House League program.
• Some players may be selected as Alternate Players (AP). The requirements and expectations for this position will be sent to selected players before they are added to the website.

Under-age players:

• Players must register for the appropriate age as described in tryout announcements unless recommended otherwise by the club's Technical Director. (For example, a U9 player may register for a U10 tryout if recommended by the Technical Director and deemed in the best interest of the player’s development).
• All players allowed and registered for an older age group tryout will be evaluated not based on their age but on their performance. Moving a player or group of players up to an older age group will be at the sole discretion of the Technical Committee and requires consent from the club's Technical Director to be approved by NLSA.

Criteria Considered

All players are evaluated using a four-cornered approach considering their Technical/Tactical, Physical, Psychological, and Social abilities.

Technical

• Passing/Receiving:
  • Technique, accuracy and quality of passes with both feet.
  • Versatility of passes.
  • Long passing ability with both feet.
  • Quality of first touch when receiving the ball.
  • The versatility of their first touch.
  • Ability to receive with different parts of both feet.
  • Various distances of touch (close touch when in tight areas, bigger touch to beat players, changing direction with the first touch, etc).

• Dribbling:

  • Comfort with the ball at the feet.

  • Using both feet and various parts of the feet to dribble the ball at various speeds and directions.

  • Ability to scan their surroundings.

  • 1v1moves(both at low and high speeds).

  • Ability to use the body to shield/win the ball.

• Shooting:
  • Technical ability to shoot the ball with both feet and all styles.
  • Proper timing and strength that is required for each type of shot.

Tactical

• These include but are not limited to:
  • Decision-making with the ball.
  • Movement/Positioning without the ball.
  • Cooperating with another player, group of players or team.
  • Understanding the attacking principles of the game.
  • Understanding defensive principles of the game.
  • Position-specific tactics.

Physical Overall Athleticism.

• This reflects the player's physical ability to affect the game, or his/her physical potential to be a strong player in the future. This category includes:
  • Ability to accelerate, decelerate (short & long distances) and change direction quickly.
  • Strength.
  • Flexibility.
  • Body coordination.
  • Balance.

Social/Psychological

• This category gauges the relevant social and psychological skills and attitudes for playing the game properly and being able to LEARN the game in a team setting. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Confidence.
  • Discipline/Concentration.
  • Work ethic.
  • Motivation.
  • Growth Mindset/maturity
  • Ability to recover/adjust from a mistake.
  • Leadership: Communication skills, leadership, teamwork, punctuality, etc.

If you have any questions related to the tryouts, please email our office at office@pcspminorsoccer.ca. If necessary, it will then be forwarded to our Technical Director.