Levels of Play

   Recreational, U11-U19

U11 teams will play 9v9 with a roster of 12 or 13.  All teams U12 and up play full-side soccer, 11 v. 11 with a roster of 13-18  (15 is optimum).  All players should be residents within the boundaries of the Camas and Washougal School Districts or past members of CWSC; however, CWSC does not restrict the registration of players outside of our boundaries.  Teams play in divisions with all other Rec. teams in Clark County (ECYSA and CYSF).  Teams may not ‘cut’ or ‘weed out’ players or conduct tryouts.  Coaches play a large role in contacting players to reregister teams from the previous year if the team plans on continuing.  Registration is on-line starting in mid-April.  Players without a team will be placed in an open pool.  The Registrar will fill any open roster spots from the open pool before assembling new teams.  Tournament and State Cup play are optional.  Teams play a 10 game season.  Teams in the U12 to U19 age groups are great for kids that simply enjoy playing soccer but don’t want the pressure of playing Select.  Kids that want to emphasize other aspects of their life like studies, youth groups or other sports should look for a rec. team.  Players that want to play Select but haven’t played for a year or two might try one of these teams.

   Club Select (District Teams), U11 to U19

Like a club all-star team.  Players must attend tryouts to be on these teams.  CW tries to emphasize local players; however,  current rules do not limit player movement between clubs at this level.  CW will run Select Tryouts in late March and mid April before and after Spring Break and before team signups in late April to early May.  The tryouts typically include two sessions.  Unless the player is very talented, they should plan on attending both tryouts in order to have the best chance of making the team.  You should notify the coach if you can not attend one of the tryouts.  The tryouts will typically be a Saturday/Saturday or Weekday Evening/Saturday combination.  Playing up an age group is acceptable but is not encouraged.

 CW will try to field one Select team per age group, depending on finding qualified coaches and enough qualified players.   Select teams should have experienced and dedicated coaches.  The players should all have better than average soccer skills.  CWSC encourages all teams to play the State Cup Tournaments in January/February and in the indoor facilities.  Teams playing in the State Cup Tournament will practice at night under the lights in Doc Harris Stadium.

 Select teams play on Saturdays during the fall in a division made up of teams from District 5 (mostly Clark County).  Teams will play on fields from Camas to Ridgefield and on rare occasions Longview and Stevenson.  Players choosing to play Select should be willing to emphasize soccer from August through early December for league play and January/February for the State Cup tournaments.  Players with competing commitments should understand the impact to the team as a whole if they are unable to compete in summer tournaments and the State Cups.

     Advanced Competition (Premier)

There are two Advanced Competition Clubs in Clark County, FC Vancouver and Columbia Premier and a third club, FC Salmon Creek that is attempting to grow.  Players may also consider trying out for Premier teams in Oregon.  FC Portland, Eastside in Gresham, Lake Oswego are options.  FC Vancouver is associated with ECYSA and is the more local club for CW members.  FC Vancouver teams will practice in East County and will have all home games in EC including many in Fishback Stadium at Washougal HS.  CWSC considers FC Vancouver a ‘critical partner’ and encourages all club members to consider this Advanced Competition option first and foremost.

Both clubs begin to form teams at U11.  Tryouts are in mid-March before the Select tryouts.  Most club members will receive a registration notice through the mail.  The tryout schedule can also be found on the web sites for each club (use quick links from the cwsoccer.com website).  See cost comparisons below.  FC Vancouver is typically the cheaper of the two.  Beware of hidden costs.  Ask ?’s.

U11 teams typically play in the U12 Select league for Clark County.  All games in this league are on Saturdays.  U12 & U13 teams typically play in the Oregon Development league.  These teams play two games per weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.  The season lasts only 6-8 weeks.  At U14 & up, local Premier teams typically play in Washington.  At U15 & up most games are played on Sunday.  Teams play for placement in three divisions, D1, D2 and D3.  D1 being the best.  These divisions are statewide.  Many away games are in the Seattle area but can also be as far as Bellingham or Spokane.  Of course half of the games will be at home.  These teams are for players who are very serious about playing soccer.

Playing on a Premier team can be very prestigious and rewarding, but be aware that the demand on your time is more significant.  The pressure placed on the kids can be overwhelming to players that are not ready for it especially in the U11 and U12 age groups.  It is more costly (ask about fund raising options).  It can be a very humbling experience for the player as well as the parent.

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