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| The following information pertains to any league, age group
or gender, but additional information is given for determining what you need to join an SASL team. Look up contact information for a league and their teams. See the Contacting Teams section below. Also check to see if any teams are actively looking for new players on the Players Wanted page. Look for teams close to your home area. Most teams incorporate the town name into their team name. In SASL documentation all teams have contact information and from this you can determine where the team is located regardless of team name. Check the league's Website for any standings to determine which are the most, or least, competitive teams. For the SASL you can see standings and results for this or any other season going back 30+ years by clicking HERE. Teams usually let you practice with them first before either the manager or player makes any commitments. The manager may not think the player is suitable to the team or the player may not think the team is quite right for them. Once the manager and the player agree they like each other, the manager will then do all the work to register the new player. I suggest you contact several teams and practice or scrimmage with as many of them that you can. Then you can make choices. If you are a new player, new to soccer and eager to learn the game, there are still options for you too. Please read the Suggestions For New, Inexperienced Players section below. If you would like me to, I can advertise for you on the "CT Soccer eNews" email list detailing any credentials about your playing experience, where you live, age, etc., you send to me. Be aware teams from other leagues may contact you, not only SASL teams. Are you sure this is what you want? Please read the Commitment And How Much Soccer You May Be Expected To Play section below. How much does it cost to play? Please read the Player Dues section below. Do you want me to add you to the "CT Soccer eNews" email list? There I post news and updates and also let folks know when I have updated the SASL Website. I try not to inundate everyone with too much, so I try to limit it to only a few emails per week -- only I am allowed to post to the list. |
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| Commitment And How Much Soccer You May
Be Expected To Play The SASL -- Over-30s, Over-40s, Over-50s and Over-60s -- is a "year-long" season, which means we start playing League games in mid April when fields are usually open and/or available, until end of June, early July. Then we take a short summer break (because of the heat and players going on vacations, etc.) and resume League play again in mid August. Then we play until early to mid November -- before weather starts to be a major factor in whether fields are open and/or available. Invariably, many teams have make-up games (when originally scheduled games have been postponed for weather, for example) or play friendlies throughout the summer. Some teams play in tournaments in all various parts of the country (even Hawaii!). Added to all this, most SASL teams participate in the Connecticut State Soccer Association Over-30s, Over-40s and Over-50s State Cups. Traditionally, these games have been played in the fall (group games) and in the spring (quarter- and semi-finals and finals). So, some teams feel like they don't even get a summer break! Obviously, owing to work, family commitments and vacations you may not be able to play every weekend. You should discuss this with teams you are considering joining. Most won't mind because they have squads big enough (18 - 25 players) so that they are never short of players who can't make it every week. As for between November and April, most SASL and other leagues' players find indoor leagues to play in; there are a number of indoor facilities all over Connecticut now. |
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| Player Dues One frequently asked question is how much does it cost to play? The simple answer is it depends on the team you play for. Each team manages itself and has it's own budget, so, as you would expect, player dues will vary from team to team. Some teams require everything all up front before you play (the "no pay, no play" ethic) and some teams allow you to pay in installments, i.e., usually once in the spring and once in the fall, but some may require a summer payment. Smart managers keep a little balance at the end of the season to help pay league fees at the beginning of a season. This helps to keep dues down over the long term. Dues depend on so many things. Your dues are your share of what it costs the team to play. Dues include the cost of registering and insuring a player and will always include your share of the team's league fees, state fees, referee crew fees and your kit (uniform). If the team enters the CSSA State Cup you dues include that too. Some teams enter summer tournaments, so you would be expected to share the cost of that too -- even if you did not play. Some teams have sponsors who pay for a fraction of the teams costs to paying for everything! In these cases, dues are significantly reduced and in some cases players don't have to pay a thing. As you can see, it all adds up. SASL teams are allowed to sign 25 players, but many only sign only 18 to 20. The more the merrier to share the team costs and reduce player dues, but too many and you could find your playing time reduced when 18 or more players show up every week. It's a fine balance. In my experience, I have seen dues for a season from $80 per player to $250 per player for non-sponsored teams. I would say on the average you're looking at $100 to $120 per player. Given that you will be playing 18 league games, some State Cup games, some friendlies and possible a tournament or two, you could be playing 25 or more games per season. At $100 per season, 25 games works out at $4 per game and that is very reasonable, I am sure you will agree. |
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| Suggestions For New, Inexperienced Players I have to forewarn you that most if not all of the teams are looking for more experienced players. Most of the players in the SASL and other leagues have been playing all their lives and many teams are very competitive. My recommendation is to hook up with one or two teams you think you might be compatible with (local and less competitive) and just go out and kick around with them at their midweek practices/scrimmages (if they have them). You will learn the game better this way and enjoy it more until you feel you are more up to regular league play on Sunday mornings. Your goal is to impress potential team-mates and the manager as soon as possible. When they and you are ready then you will register with that team (the manager does all the paperwork) and then you will be eligible for league play. What I am trying to say is that I think you will enjoy the midweek practices/scrimmages much more because they aren't usually structured with formations, strategy and tactics and do not have the pressures of league play until such time you want to try league play. See Contacting Teams. |
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