The purpose of playing in travel tournaments -- those where the coach decides that the team will travel, stay, eat as a team -- is to provide teams the opportunity to compete against new and different competition, to aid in the maturing of players and teams in the world of soccer, and to provide exposure for the team and individual players to college, regional, and national levels. For the team to be mentally focused throughout the tournament, it is imperative that the players and their families understand the purpose of the trip is to play soccer.
The environment for the players should be one which encourages team unity and focus on the job at hand. During tournaments, the team should act like a team not only on the field, but also off the field. Traveling together, staying in the same hotel rooms together, meals together, and traveling to and from games together create a focused environment for the team and the tournament. With these goals in mind and based on the experience of many teams over many years, Trebol has developed some Guidelines and Recommended Procedures for team travel. To read these in their entirety, please click here.