PLAYER PLACEMENT PROCESS

Each year, Hopkinton Youth Soccer selects travel teams in suitable age groups to compete in the Boston Area Youth Soccer League (BAYS). Teams are selected with the aim of fielding the strongest possible teams at each age group, with a number of factors weighing into the selection process. All Hopkinton based players in the appropriate age group are eligible to be considered, but must be selected to be placed on a BAYS Travel team*.  In grade 3, any player not selected for a BAYS Travel team will automatically be placed on a team in our ‘in-town’ program.

*In 4th-8th Grade, all HYS teams are BAYS Travel teams, and any player in those grades is placed on a travel team

As parents, the most important thing that you can do is to help to provide your player with a positive soccer experience. Support them if they choose to try out for a team and support the team for which they are selected. Volunteer to coach or be the assistant coach or team manager. If you or your player is disappointed with the team selection, please know that these things tend to equalize over time. It is our goal, within the limits of our volunteer organization, to provide kids in Hopkinton with the best soccer experience possible, whether they play travel or in-town on any one of our approximately 100 teams. Please contact the age group coordinator or travel director (names available on the website) if you have questions or comments.

TEAM PLACEMENT PROCEDURE:

Registered players are placed on teams based upon volunteer coach player evaluations in conjunction with feedback from independent travel evaluations.  Evaluations are NOT try-outs; however, they will provide objective feedback on players' skills.

All travel soccer players MUST attend independent player evaluations. We encourage all players to attend both sessions.  All players are required to attend a minimum of one session.  Any player that would like to be considered for placement on a top level travel team should attend both sessions and must attend a minimum of one evaluation session.   

The dates are listed below. There are two options for each grade — one weekday session and one weekend session.  Make-up sessions due to inclement weather will be scheduled as needed.  

TRAVEL EVALUATIONS — SPRING 2026

PLAYER PLACEMENT PROCESS:

• The Player Placement Sub-Committee consists of (unless it is deemed a conflict of interest):
  1. President
  2. Vice President
  3. Director of Travel (boys/girls)
  4. Director of Coaching
  5. Age Group Coordinator
• During the placement process, the following sources of  information are considered:
  1. Player evaluations from the previous season's coach
  2. Observations of games during the regular season when available
  3. Results of the independent player evaluations
• Once all data (independent evaluation ratings and coaches’ ratings) has been collected by the HYS President, the Age Group Coordinator prepares a rankings spreadsheet directly from the ratings of the independent evaluators, while also having coaches’ ratings in a separate column to serve as a reference point for possible player movement in the team formation process. This data is sent to the Player Placement Committee.
• The Placement Committee reviews the data and identifies any aberrations from the independent evaluators’ ratings.  The Age Group Coordinator should make adjustments (player movement) in consultation with the committee.  There must be compelling data to support any proposed adjustments.
• Coaches are an important part of the evaluation process, however they do NOT decide who is placed on which team.  The HYS Placement Committee discusses and reaches consensus on player team placement.
• Travel coaches are assigned to a team AFTER the player selection process concludes.  

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

1. Players will be placed on the same team as their parent who is coaching (head coach and assistant coach).
2. We will consider friend and carpool requests when it is appropriate.  It is not feasible to honor all friend requests.