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Travel Soccer Tryouts Coming in May!

Posted on: March 22, 2018

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, played by adults and children alike. Players tend to start very young, giving them many years to develop the skills and competitive drive that are necessary to succeed in this fun and energetic sport. The Glen Ellyn Park District offers competitive soccer at a variety of age levels, along with opportunities to travel to compete against other area teams.

Lakers Travel Soccer tryouts are open to the public. “We prefer that participants register ahead of time on our website,” said Brad Thomas, Recreation Supervisor for the Glen Ellyn Park District. “Tryouts are a two-day process, and they include various drills that will test players’ skill levels. We also run scrimmages so we can see how players apply their various skills in a game setting.” Tryouts are held at Ackerman Park in Glen Ellyn. Boys’ tryout dates are May 2nd and 3rd, and girls’ tryout dates are May 21st and 22nd. Result notifications are sent out 24-48 hours after the second day of tryouts.

“We see a wide range of skill levels during tryouts; results will depend on how players showcase themselves,” explained Thomas. “Our trainers analyze each player to determine whether they’re a good fit for the program, and they determine which team will be the best fit.”

The Lakers Travel Soccer program offers a tier of teams, where the top players are on the Green (Premier) team, middle level players are on the White team, and lower level players are on the Black team. “If a player is on the second or third team, there’s no reason why they can’t advance to a higher team the next season if they show they’ve improved their game,” added Thomas.

Lakers Travel Soccer is run with the assistance of the Lakers Volunteer Committee and parent volunteers throughout the club. All age groups are trained and coached by Future Pros, a professional training group. For more information, visit www.gelakers.com.

Another program offered by the Glen Ellyn Park District is the Midwest FC (Futbol Club). “This travel soccer program for U15 boys (and older) and U14 girls (and older) is run in conjunction with the Wheaton Park District,” said Thomas. “It offers a positive, competitive environment for soccer players who desire a higher level of competition. Teams train locally, and participate in showcase tournaments. Licensed strength-and-conditioning trainers work with all teams to create well-rounded soccer players.”

Midwest FC teams will be trained and coached by the Future Pros training staff, and will compete across the Chicagoland area. This program is new for the 2018-19 season, and begins in the fall. Boys’ tryouts will be May 2nd and 3rd, and girls’ tryouts are May 5th and 6th and May 22nd and 23rd, depending on age. For more information about the program, please visit www.midwestfc.org.

Another newly created league for 2018 is the High School Summer Soccer League. “This new summer league is for boys and girls in high school, and we expect the majority of the teams to be travel teams,” explained Thomas. “However, the league is open to all players at any skill level. We haven’t offered summer leagues in the past, but we realize there are players, and entire teams, who have the desire to keep playing and working on their skills during summertime. We’re hoping the program will satisfy that need, as the Glen Ellyn Park District is always looking for ways to expand and improve program offerings.”

For more information about the Lakers Travel team, the Midwest FC team, or the High School Summer League, please contact Brad Thomas at [email protected], or at (630) 942-7288.