FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What do the fees pay for?
For the travel teams
• 30% -> Essex County Youth Soccer Association (referees and administration)
• 20% -> Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association (insurance and US Youth Soccer)
• 10% -> registration (labor and supplies)
• 10% -> equipment (balls, cones, goals, nets, ice bags)
• 30% -> Town Field Use Fee (Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury)

For travel teams, Essex County organizes all divisions, schedules all the games with fields and referees, and pays the referees.

Mass Youth Soccer carries supplemental insurance for all players, coaches, assistant coaches and USSF referees.

Why is registration held so far in advance of the spring or fall season?
Since our teams compete in the ECYSA league, PYSA is bound to the registration schedule of ECYSA. 500 teams compete in ECYSA on any given weekend. So ECYSA has a big job registering 7,500 players, dividing the teams into divisions and then working out the logistics of assigning 250 games and 125 referees to the available fields in 30 towns.

What is late registration?
Late registration begins the day after regular registration is over. The fee is increased $25 once late registration begins. Late applicants may be placed on teams that are not yet full. Late applicants are not guaranteed a place on a team. PYSA will do its best to place a player - but please keep in mind ECYSA places limits on the number of players that can be rostered on teams and ECYSA makes no exceptions.

Does PYSA provide scholarships for current players?
PYSA will consider providing scholarships or an extension of payment when requests are made in writing. All requests should be submitted to the registrar and will be held in confidence.

What is the PYSA refund policy?
Refunds will be provided when requested in writing (email is fine) with the PYSA Registrar. The following formula will apply:

• 100% prior to January 1 (spring) or July 1 (fall)
• 50% refundable up until 7 days of the first game; after that the fees are not refundable.
• Late fees are not refundable once paid.

Does Pentucket Youth Soccer participate in Indoor Soccer?
PYSA does not currently sponsor indoor soccer teams. However, many of our parents and coaches independently field teams at Phanzone, Granite Fields or Seacoast United facilities.

Do Pentucket teams participate in tournaments?
There are two types of tournaments, championships and friendships. If a travel team U-12 or higher wins its group in the spring season, it is invited to the Pingree Tournament to compete for the ECYSA championship. ECYSA does not have a championship tournament in the fall.

Friendship tournaments are held over holiday weekends like Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day. PYSA coaches may sign their teams up for in-state, MA Youth Soccer sanctioned tournaments. The coaches and parents are in charge of organizing their teams to compete in these tournaments including fees…etc. PYSA will provide uniform patches if players would like to trade and collect at the tournament.

Team Placement (Divisions)

Pentucket (PYSA) participates in the Essex County Youth Soccer Association (ECYSA). This is the second largest soccer association in the state of Massachusetts—with over 900 teams participating each season. ECYSA has strict rules and guidelines regarding roster size, experience and players with club team experience. Each age group has roster size limits.

Player and Team (Roster) Management: PYSA follows the following league (ECYSA) policy: “Youth soccer players are generally grouped together on teams based upon individual athletic ability, overall skill level, maturity, and the level of skills of the team on which they are placed…and the objective is to place youth soccer players at a level of competition that is most beneficial for their own development.”

PYSA believes that players have the most positive experience when playing with and against players of equal ability and experience. Each spring evaluation sessions, conducted by independent club coaches, are conducted to determine a player’s ability and measure growth and development from one season to the next. This data, along with data from evaluations submitted by the player’s most recent coach, is used to determine placement.

Registration numbers and roster size are also factors that are in play when determining placement. The ECYSA team placement policy serves as a guideline. As a rule PYSA will create a stronger, more experienced team at the top of each bracket. We will do our best to have these and all teams placed within the appropriate bracket so that each will be evenly matched against competition.

There are three ECYSA divisions in each age bracket (u14 and younger). PYSA directors will request team placement by completing a Team Strength Report, which will indicate the experience and skill level of all team members.

Roster development and team placement is the most difficult task any youth board undertakes. Our major challenges include registration numbers, age cut-offs, available coaching volunteers, and player experience. PYSA takes this responsibility seriously and our goal is to be as objective, and as consistent as we possibly can be. The board (Division Directors) is responsible for team development; coaches are involved in the process.

At times, requests are made to the board regarding player placement (carpools…etc.). While we do our best, we cannot always accommodate all wishes. We know that this can lead to some disappointments.

We will approach parents at least one month before the opening game to inform them about team placement. Rosters are final and changes are subject to ECYSA fees. As noted above, a great deal of time and effort is taken to make data driven decisions. Appeals are available, but roster changes are rare.

A final note, teams (rosters) are not set in stone from season to season. A player placed on the less experienced team one season has every opportunity to make the stronger squad the next season. Typically roster changes occur from spring to fall season…but in some cases players will move from fall to spring based solely on numbers and coaches evaluation.