Cardinal Travel & Club 2026-27

Step 1: Understand Age Group Placement

Beginning in 2026/27, all players will be grouped using a school-year calendar (August 1 – July 31).

Players will initially be placed into an age-group pool based on this structure.

1. Placement is determined by birthdate within the school-year cutoff
2. Some age groups will have multiple teams
3. Final team assignment happens after the evaluation process

Step 2: Register for Tryouts

All players (returning and new) must complete registration to be considered for a roster. Registration is free!

Registration Deadline: May 4

1. Registration is required to receive a tryout invitation
2. Current players must register by this date to maintain priority placement consideration
3. Late registrations may be accepted, but roster availability is not guaranteed

Step 3: Tryout & Evaluation Process

Cardinal uses an extended evaluation model rather than a single tryout session.

Phase 1: Team Training Evaluations (First 3 Weeks of May)

Players will be invited to train with existing teams and evaluated in a real training environment.

Purpose:

Evaluate players in game-like conditions

Assess technical ability, decision-making, and team fit

Reduce pressure compared to one-day tryouts

Phase 2: Open Tryout (Final Week of May)

An official open tryout will be held for:

New players entering the process

Final evaluations and roster adjustments

Step 4: Roster Formation

How Placement Works

Players are selected into an age-group pool

Initial team placements begin during May evaluations

Final rosters are determined after the open tryout

Timeline

Mid-May: Initial pool selections and early placements

Late May: Final roster decisions will be made after the open tryouts are held the final week of May.

Roster movement may occur during the season to support player development and team balance.

Step 5: Current Player Priority

Current Cardinal players receive priority consideration within their age group if registered by May 4.

This means returning players will be evaluated first and given strong consideration for roster placement based on their development and performance.

However, roster spots are not automatically guaranteed year to year. All players must demonstrate readiness to compete at the appropriate level during the evaluation process.

• Invitations will be sent during the evaluation period
• Families will receive a defined window to accept placement
• Unaccepted or unfilled spots may be offered to other players 

Step 6: Evaluation Criteria

All players are evaluated based on:

Technical ability

Tactical understanding

Physical effort and athleticism

Attitude and coachability

All decisions are made by Cardinal coaching staff and are focused on long-term player development.

Step 7: Playing Up Policy

Players may request to compete in an older age group under limited conditions:

Written request required prior to tryouts

The player must demonstrate ability to compete in the top half of the older team

The player’s natural age group must remain viable

Most players are encouraged to remain in their age group and guest play up when appropriate

Final decisions are made by the coaching staff and club administration.

Step 8: Future Travel Players (Rising U8)

Players entering U9 next season may begin attending select travel training sessions starting the first full week of May

This is an opportunity to:

Experience the travel environment

Understand expectations

Prepare for tryouts

Participation is optional and does not guarantee placement.