Patch Chats: Getting The Skinny On Soccer From Mitch Heisler, Co-President of Montclair United Soccer Club

Whether you're new in town or have a bad case of World Cup Fever at home, you'll be glad to know that Montclair boasts a variety of options for the budding soccer star.

According to Mitch Heisler, co-president of Montclair United Soccer Club, more than 1,500 kids from kindergarten through high school, or roughly one-in-six school-age children, play in the Montclair United Soccer Club. Approximately two-thirds play in the recreational or "rec" program.

"The rec program is a great opportunity for kids to get involved without a high level of commitment," says Heisler.  "It's local recreation at its best. For around $150, you get a uniform and up to 40 hours of coaching divided into two full 10-week seasons, fall and spring. It's coached and staffed by a fantastic group of parents whose energy and enthusiasm are what make this outstanding program the success that it is."   

Rec soccer is available to kids age four and up (through ninth grade) who live in Montclair or in a contiguous Essex County town. The youngest players meet for an hour on Saturdays and then, for first through ninth graders, the commitment is one additional hour as they continue to play on Saturdays, and also practice once a week. First and second graders are placed together on same-gender teams, as are third and fourth graders. Fifth graders play on larger fields than the younger kids, and starting in seventh grade, the teams are co-educational. There are also opportunities for rec players to participate in clinics with professional trainers.

"The program is parent-coached, so the practice schedule for individual teams is up to the parent coach's schedule," says Heisler. "Some teams practice and play on weekends, some practice during the week. There are lots of options for players to find a team and a coach that works for them."

Registration starts soon for fall 2010, so check out www.montclairsoccer.com if you're interested.

"If your child has tried recreational soccer, loved it and seems to have a talent for it, he or she may want to consider moving to a more competitive setting," Heisler explains.

U8-U10 players (kids under eight years old to under 10 years old; check the Web site for exact birthdate eligibility), can try out for the Montclair United Soccer Academy, also known as MUSA or The Academy. "Please be aware that a much higher level of commitment is required for the Academy than for the rec teams,"  cautions Heisler.  For example, costs for the U10 Academy can exceed $1,000 a year and between practices, games, and scrimmages, may require up to a four-day-a-week commitment.

"The idea behind the Academy is to have the age groups view themselves as a cadre of kids moving up together. In the traditional travel team model, kids are placed on A, B, and C teams at a very young age and the teams operate independently. Peers are put on separate development tracks," explains Heisler. "Although league structures require us to establish fixed rosters and differentiate players for game play, we feel that since they are all still developing as players, we want kids to practice, scrimmage and play in 'friendlies' and tournaments together as much as possible. This allows the less developed players to play with the more developed players and for all the players to have access to all the trainers. We feel strongly about this model, and hope to migrate the MUSC travel program over to it entirely.  The incoming U10s are the lead, as MUSA started as a U8 program when they were U8s and has grown each year."

He continues, "Importantly, the training organizations are responsible for coaching an entire Academy age group. We will hold them accountable for coaching every kid in the age group and will evaluate their performance based on how all the kids do, not just the "A" team."

For the upcoming fall 2010/spring 2011 season, MUSA goes through U10. U11- U14 boys and girls continue in the more traditional team based travel model with practice twice a week and games on Saturdays or Sundays. For U8-U10 MUSA and U11-U14 Travel, tryouts are held each spring.  Once accepted into the program, players are placed onto teams, starting in spring U9. 

"We want every child involved in Montclair Soccer to have a positive and rewarding experience, and the vast majority of our players and families do have such an experience. I've met hundreds of fantastic people in the 10 years I've been involved, and encourage more parents to get involved," says Heisler. "We have administrative needs as well as coaching, so check the box on the registration if you want to volunteer, and we'll find a spot for you. For me, programs like soccer and the many other excellent sports programs in town and the energetic, enthusiastic volunteers who run them are a big part of what make Montclair such a great place to live."  

If you would like more information about any of the Montclair soccer programs, please check out the contact information below, noting that the general phone number is not staffed by an operator; leave a message and someone will get back to you: 

RECREATIONAL TEAMS, Kinderkickers through grade nine:

www.montclairsoccer.com or 973-783-MUSC

MUSA U8 & U9 boys and girls:

www.montclairsoccer.com or 973-783-MUSC

Joe Duncan (joseph@geotext.com)

MUSA U10 boys and girls:

www.montclairsoccer.com or 973-783-MUSC

Declan Carney (declanjcarney@yahoo.com) or Greg Tramontozzi (GTramontozzi@mdmc-law.com)  

TRAVEL U11-U14 boys and girls:

www.montclairsoccer.com or 973-783-MUSC