Anonymous wrote:My dc's team did not start practice until mid-August and was just wondering if this was the norm.

If you are new to travel, you might be surprised to learn there are different team levels. (I was confused by this at first..my DD was on Red and her BFF was on White at U9...no one told me they separated the kids on ability levels and the higher level teams start doing more and getting to more tournaments & tougher leagues ect...)

At the younger ages, there is not a lot of variation in early summer training. But by U-11 the differences in training may emerge based on what level of team you are on.

Anonymous wrote:My dc's team did not start practice until mid-August and was just wondering if this was the norm.

The higher level teams may start in mid-July (2x per week) with optional practices and commence a regular (3x per week) schedule August 1st.

Some clubs offer optional practice August 1st for the whole age group in a combined practice, be sure to ask about that if you are interested. Some do not offer that.

Lower teams start about mid-August (2x per week) and expect players to be at practice once the school year starts.

By September, all teams should start their full schedule, whatever that may entail (2x to 4x per week).

My dc's team did not start practice until mid-August and was just wondering if this was the norm.