Registration Details (St. Columban SC)

Every year, we get questions about the differences between HL and Travel soccer, so we are hoping to share some information with you to answer those questions as best we can. Of course, you are always welcome to email us if you have further questions.

If your child is turning 8 or older in 2026, they are now old enough to play travel soccer! You can choose to register them for either house league or travel soccer.

	Nights per week	Season Length	Gender	Level of skill	Referees	Distance to away games
Recreational House League (U4, U6, U8)	1 night (Mondays)	End of May to end of July	Coed	Varying level of skill	No	All games in St. Columban
Competitive House League (U8/U9, U12)	1 night (Mondays)	End of May to end of July	Coed	Higher level of skill	Yes	All games in St. Columban
Travel Tier 3 (U9 - U18)	2 nights (typically); could include occasional weekend games	May to August	Boys only & girls only	Recreational level of skill	Yes	Away games typically within 1 hour drive from St. Columban
Travel Tier 2 (U9 - U18)	2 nights (typically); could include occasional weekend games	May to August; practices could start in April	Boys only & girls only	Higher level of skill	Yes	Away games typically within 1 hour drive from St. Columban, some games may be further
iModel (U18 Girls)	3 nights per week; will also include weekend games and tournaments	May to August; practices start in January	Boys only & girls only	Highest level of skill and commitment	Yes	Further travel required

How does St. Columban Soccer decide which tier to put a travel team in?

We look at the level of skill for the players registered for the age group, which is usually based on last season’s performance and input from previous coaches, and if we have a coach who would like to coach at that level. We then determine, together with the coach, if we should put the team in tier 2 or in tier 3.

Without a committed coach, we will not put a team into tier 2 or higher. The majority of our travel teams play tier 3. Decisions on which teams to enter for a season have to be made by March 31.

Will there be tryouts for travel soccer?

Tryouts may happen for tier 2 or higher teams but only if the number of registrations warrant tryouts. We work hard to ensure that all players who register have a place to play. If we are offering a tier 2 team for your registrant’s age group, you will receive an email inviting you to tryout if tryouts are necessary. If they don’t make the team, we will have a tier 3 option for them.

How far do travel teams have to travel?

The travel required will depend on which soccer clubs enter teams at the same age and tier for our teams. We do our best to coordinate with more local clubs to ensure we are entering similar teams to play against each other. Each travel team will have around 14 games (or less), 7 home games and 7 away games. We work with the league as much as possible to keep travel within an hour. Occasionally there may be an away game that is further than an hour, but that will not be the case for all away games.

Do travel teams have games on weekends?

In St. Columban, we do not schedule home games on Saturdays or Sundays. There may be some centres that do schedule games on Saturdays or Sundays so it could happen that a travel team has some weekend games, but that will not be the case for all games.

How do I volunteer to coach?

We are always in need of coaches! You can email us or indicate on the registration form that you are willing to help with a team (coach, assistant coach, manager, etc.). Coaches for our travel teams are required to take training and provide a police check. Some of it is online and some levels require a one-day, in-person session. We hold courses in St. Columban in early May to allow our coaches an opportunity to do the training locally.