NATIONAL SELECT TEAMS PROGRAM

Its Goal

The objective of the United States Amateur Soccer Association's (USASA) National Select Teams Program is to identify a pool of players from which a U.S. National Amateur Team will be selected for international games. Players are also selected for consideration to the Men's and Women's U.S. National (World Cup), Olympic and other U.S. National Teams. The Select Teams Program provides high-level training and competition to benefit and enhance players 19 years old and older, and also yields opportunities for players to showcase their talents in a competitive atmosphere in front of Regional, Divisional, National Staff Coaches and coaches from the professional teams.

Its Purpose

The purpose of the USASA National Select Teams Program is to serve as an avenue to develop players for the professional leagues throughout the United States, and to identify players of the highest quality for the various U.S. National Teams. USASA believes that continued player development will lead to increased success for the professional leagues, the National Teams Program, and the performance of U.S. players in the international arena. The CSAN State Women's Select Team program has been especially successful at this: eight women players from the 2000 CSAN State Women's Select Team program are now playing professionally in WUSA.

Its Structure

The structure of the USASA National Select Teams Program begins at the State Association level, where Men's and Women's teams are selected from amateur players who wish to try out for their respective State Select Team. The State Association then sends its Select Team to one of the four USASA Regional Select Teams Tournaments, which are usually held during late May through the middle of June. There are four USASA Regions within the United States and each Region holds its own tournament. During the Regional Select Teams Tournament, players are reviewed and observed by Regional, Divisional and National Coaches in an atmosphere where circumstances are equitable for everyone. The Regional Coach chooses a Regional Select Team from the participating players. This Regional Select Team is then invited to compete at the U.S. Soccer Festival.

U. S. Soccer Festival

The U.S. Soccer Festival is usually scheduled for the first week in August and features 6 to 8 teams in each competition (Men & Women). In addition to the four USASA Regional Select Teams, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) sends several of their U.S. National Youth teams depending on that year's particular need for preparation for an international competition. Other teams which may participate from year to year are the U.S. Armed Forces Team in the Men's competition, the U.S. Women's National Team (World Cup) in the Women's Competition and foreign national teams. In addition to the Regional, Divisional and National Coaches who will be in attendance, coaches from teams within the various professional leagues are invited to scout for potential players.

George F. Donnelly Cup

As part of each of the Regional Select Teams Tournaments, Men's and Women's State Select Teams compete for a Regional Select Teams Championship. Each Regional winner is then invited to participate in the "George F. Donnelly Cup" competition. This event establishes the National Championship for State Select Teams and it is usually held during the Thanksgiving Day weekend.

National Amateur Teams

Annually international games and tours are scheduled for both Men's and Women's U.S. National Amateur Teams. In a game versus the National Team of El Salvador in Washington, D.C., which resulted in a 1:1 draw against our Men's U.S. National Amateur Team, the attendance was in excess of 11,000 people. In their last European tour, our Women's U.S. National Amateur Team toured the British Islands where they compiled a 3-0-1 record, including games against the National Teams of England, Scotland and Ireland. In their 1996 tour, the Men's U.S. National Amateur Team completed a successful two game tour with a 2: 1 win over the USISL Colorado Stampede and a 5:1 win over the National Team of Trinidad & Tobago.

State Select Team Program for the California Soccer Association “North” (CSAN)

CSAN starts the select processes for the Men’s and the Women’s team in late winter/early spring, in preparation for the Region IV Select Teams Tournament in Portland, Oregon in mid-June of each year. Open tryouts are held around Northern California.

State Team Eligibility Criteria

Professional players on loan to amateur teams are not allowed to participate in the Select Team program.
If you are 19 years old or older and have a currently valid player pass from CSAN, you may try out for your respective CSAN State Select Team. You must bring your player pass with you to all try outs.
If you do not have a currently valid player pass from CSAN, you must obtain one before you can try out. Or you may register at an open tryout by paying a registration fee of $20, completing the required forms and giving us an adequate I.D. photo of yourself.
If you are 18 years old, you must have a currently valid player pass from CSAN and written proof of permission to try out from CYSA.
If you are under 18, you must have a currently valid player pass from CSAN, written permission to try out from CYSA and written permission to try out from one of your parents. (The parental permission form is available from the CSAN Forms part of this website.)
Player passes from other State Associations are not valid for the CSAN Select Team Program.

Practices are held for the Men’s State Team in late May and early June, at times, dates and locations set by the State Coach. The Women’s State Team practices on mutually agreed dates in May and June.

For more information, please see the most recent Men's or Women's State Select Team web page. (These may be accessed from the CSAN home page.)