Mason Soccer Club Frequently Asked Questions Page
What is the Mason Soccer Club(MSC)? The MSC represents the Mason community competitive teams in the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL). CASL coordinates competitive soccer in the Greater Lansing Area. Teams that play in CASL are required to be community-based (in general, players must play for their community). MSC teams compete against other competitive teams from the surrounding area that includes Holt, East Lansing, DeWitt, Williamston., Okemos, Eaton Rapids, and Charlotte, just to name a few. MSC fields teams for both boys and girls divisions at the ages of Under 9 through Under19.
I hear about all these different soccer teams and clubs What is this all about? In the Mason community you may have heard of the Mason Soccer Club (MSC), Mason Eastside Soccer Club (MESSC) and Mason United Soccer Association (MUSA). In the Lansing area you may hear of the East Side Soccer League (ESSL), Captial Area Soccer League (CASL), TNT, Michigan Chill SBC, Captial Area Rush, and the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA). Lets try and clear up the picture.
Soccer in Michigan starts with the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA). They direct, set rules, and coordinate all the soccer programs in the state. All soccer clubs are typically members of the MSYSA and leagues are sanctioned by them.
Children beginning to play soccer in kindergarten or first grade generally begin in the East Side Soccer League (ESSL) managed in Mason by MESSC
The East Side Soccer League (ESSL) is a volunteer organization, comprised of communities in the greater Lansing area offering quality recreation soccer opportunities for youth thru 8th grade. A coalition of community groups from Dansville, East Lansing, Fowlerville, Haslett, Holt, Leslie, Mason, Okemos, Perry, Stockbridge, and Williamston make up the ESSL program. Many find that this is a great place for them to continue playing soccer thru the 8th grade as it is strictly a recreational event; others find that they want a more competitive environment. The East Side Soccer League is dependent upon community support in organizing, coaching, and refereeing.
Captial Area Soccer League (CASL) in the greater Lansing area runs what is called the community-competitive soccer programs. These teams are community-based (by school district) and developed by local soccer clubs. CASL sets the rules, coordinate the schedules, and take care of scheduling referees for all the games. The CASL has a board of directors made up of local community volunteers. Each local community soccer program has at least one representative on the board.
The Mason Soccer Club (MSC) coordinates the CASL programs for the Mason community. The MSC has a board of directors made up of community volunteers. The board sets the tone for community-competitive soccer in Mason, makes sure the CASL rules are followed, identifies team coaches and runs the tryout program each June which is used to form teams for the following year. These tryouts follow CASL and MSYSA rules.
TNT, Michigan Chill SBC, Capital Area Rush are premier teams (there are many others across the state these are the most active in our region). These clubs often have full time staff and programs that support paid coaches. Cost vary per club and programs.
Greater Lansing Area Referees Association (GLASRA) is responsible for training, and assigning referees to all of CASL's games.
Mason United Soccer Association (MUSA) is a coalition of Mason-area soccer organizations whose purpose is to manage the soccer fields for all Mason soccer.
Soccer in Michigan starts with the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA). They direct, set rules, and coordinate all the soccer programs in the state. All soccer clubs are typically members of the MSYSA and leagues are sanctioned by them.
Children beginning to play soccer in kindergarten or first grade generally begin in the East Side Soccer League (ESSL) managed in Mason by MESSC
The East Side Soccer League (ESSL) is a volunteer organization, comprised of communities in the greater Lansing area offering quality recreation soccer opportunities for youth thru 8th grade. A coalition of community groups from Dansville, East Lansing, Fowlerville, Haslett, Holt, Leslie, Mason, Okemos, Perry, Stockbridge, and Williamston make up the ESSL program. Many find that this is a great place for them to continue playing soccer thru the 8th grade as it is strictly a recreational event; others find that they want a more competitive environment. The East Side Soccer League is dependent upon community support in organizing, coaching, and refereeing.
Captial Area Soccer League (CASL) in the greater Lansing area runs what is called the community-competitive soccer programs. These teams are community-based (by school district) and developed by local soccer clubs. CASL sets the rules, coordinate the schedules, and take care of scheduling referees for all the games. The CASL has a board of directors made up of local community volunteers. Each local community soccer program has at least one representative on the board.
The Mason Soccer Club (MSC) coordinates the CASL programs for the Mason community. The MSC has a board of directors made up of community volunteers. The board sets the tone for community-competitive soccer in Mason, makes sure the CASL rules are followed, identifies team coaches and runs the tryout program each June which is used to form teams for the following year. These tryouts follow CASL and MSYSA rules.
TNT, Michigan Chill SBC, Capital Area Rush are premier teams (there are many others across the state these are the most active in our region). These clubs often have full time staff and programs that support paid coaches. Cost vary per club and programs.
Greater Lansing Area Referees Association (GLASRA) is responsible for training, and assigning referees to all of CASL's games.
Mason United Soccer Association (MUSA) is a coalition of Mason-area soccer organizations whose purpose is to manage the soccer fields for all Mason soccer.
What does it cost and where does the money go? The MSC does not charge or collect money from any player. Cost can vary somewhat between teams depending on age, referee cost, uniforms used and additional training.tournaments. There is a $35 per season CASL registration fees for each player paid directly to CASL. Field fees (covering both practice and game field usage for lining, seeding, goal maintenance etc..) are $12.50 per player per season and are collected by the coaches, then paid to MUSA. Referee fees are collected by the coach/manager and paid directly to the referee('s) at each game. Referee fees vary by age group and the number of players on a team with teams paying from $13.00 to $54.00 per game depending on age group. Full referee fees can be found at the CASL web site. Uniform costs are developed by each team. MSC sets guidelines for color, numbers and uniform style but leave exact pricing structure and purchase point (i.e. quality and type of uniforms) up to each team. This can vary by team. Any additional fees are left up to each coach (for e.g. cost of training equipment, extra tournaments, winter indoor training, winter indoor leagues etc..). Fundraising is also left up to each team. In the end, per season is typically in the range of $75.00 to $120.00 depending on all the factors outlined above.
I don't think I can afford the cost to have my child play. Is there help or scholarships available? Yes, CASL does offer a scholarship program where families can request assistance with financial needs. If you are interested in this program, please go to the CASL webpage. The goal of the MSC is to see that every child wanting to play soccer gets the opportunity to do so. If you have questions about financial issues please talk to your team coach or feel free to contact any of the MSC board members.
My birth date is June 23 and I turn 11 what team do I tryout for? You would have to tryout for the U12 team. The U stands for "under" so the rule states that you can not be 11 before August 1st of the year you are trying out. So since you turn 11 before August 1st you have to tryout for the next level which would be U12. Another example would be the following: My birth date is Sept 3 and I turn 13 what team should tryout for? You can tryout for the U13 team since you turned 13 after August 1st. You can always try out for a older team but never for a younger team. Birth dates are checked at the check in table during try outs. This rule is set by CASL and is rule B.6. Age Limits
When is the soccer season and what days are games played? CASL teams have two seasons with 8 league games each season fall and spring. Fall season training usually starts around the end of August or just after Labor day; games start in early September and end by Halloween. Coaches often start spring training sometime in March or beginning of April; games start in April and end mid June. Prior to each season there is a coaches meeting for all teams in each age division. At that meeting the coaches have the opportunity to modify and finalize schedules. Coaches will often also involve their teams in winter indoor soccer to varying degrees and/or take their team to a tournament or two over the year.
How many players are on each team? The number of players on a team varies by age group. U9-U10 teams have a maximum of 11 players per team and play a 6v6 game format. U11 and U12 teams have a maximum of 14 players and play a 8v8 game format. U13-U19 up to 18 players per team and play a 11v11 game format. These game formats are consistent with the United State Soccer Federation (USSF) guidelines for game format which can be found at www.usyouthsoccer.org
Help I left something at a game or MSC event!If you left something behind at a MSC event or game please contact your coach as they typically have things in the car trunk that have been left, otherwise please feel free to contact any board member and we'll do our best to try and locate the missing item.