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. It 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.

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 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 & U13: 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 tournaments and new Grassroots Standards, where the games are also non-competitive, and there are no playoffs or medals awarded.

Practice and Metro Weekends 

Practices

Metro teams will train twice per week:

• Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays

• Time: Between 5:30-8:00 PM (1hr or 1.5hrs sessions depending on age group)

• Locations:

• Rainbow Gully Turf

• Tyler Spurrell Soccer Field (Voisey’s Brook)

A tentative schedule will be shared in the 3rd week of March and finalized in the following 2-3 weeks.

Metro Weekends

Metro Weekends are league-scheduled weekends where our teams compete against other soccer associations. There are typically 5-6 Metro Weekends during the season, and the full schedule is shared at the beginning of the season so families can plan ahead and make themselves available for the majority of the weekends.

In addition to those Weekends, our Metro teams also participate in NLSA Soccer Festivals for U7-U11 teams, as well as the Rising Stars Tournament for U12-U13 teams, and the SunSplash Tournament for U10-U13 teams. These events provide players with additional opportunities to play, develop, and enjoy the game in a fun and competitive environment.

U10, U11 & U13 Evaluations (Done in April)

All U10, U11 and U13 players will be evaluated to assess their level and what tier is most appropriate for them. Where spots for the Metro Program may be limited, 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 team that will enhance their skills to succeed and continue developing. If you have any questions or need more information, do not hesitate to contact our Technical Director, Matt, at technical_director@pcspminorsoccer.ca. 

Below, you can find our tryouts/evaluations policy:

Evaluations Processes

• Open evaluations (2-3 sessions) for players to be evaluated for the Metro program.
• Evaluations will primarily include small-sided games and technical and/or physical activities.
• Players are asked to attend all sessions (unless specifically told otherwise) and are REQUIRED to attend at least two out of the three 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 alternative evaluation. Other reasons for missing sessions may be requested and are subject to approval.
• Evaluations will be carried out by the following method:
• Board-approved, screened Club Staff/Coaches/Volunteer(s) will be at all sessions for evaluation logistics, alongside the club's Technical Team.
• The club's Technical Committee will oversee and finalize all the processes. 

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.
• Players may be recommended to join our Club Soccer program, which is less competitive and really aims at improving core skills that players joining the Metro Program for the first time may not have developed yet. 
• Some players may be selected as Alternate Players (AP) for our All-Star teams. The requirements and expectations for this position will be sent to selected players before they are added to the website.

Under-age players:

• Players may be asked to join an older age group 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 evaluation 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 and Psychological/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, a group of players or a 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.

 To register for our Metro Program, click HERE.

If you have any questions about the program, please email our office at office@pcspminorsoccer.ca. If necessary, the message will be forwarded to our Technical Director.