The evaluation process for our players is ongoing throughout the year. Coaches and Directors review player performances in training and games year-round. A bad night during evaluations is not going to override a year of progress. Players who go into evaluations trying to add to their body of work will fare better than players who believe the tryout process alone will make or break them.

New players will be assessed against existing players to see where they fit in. Multiple coaches will view new players to ensure that we do not miss anything and that we make as fair an assessment as possible. Regardless of what team your player is placed on after evaluations, the coaching staff continue to evaluate players throughout the year and move players up or down as needed to ensure they are always in a suitably challenging environment.

Players are moved to ensure the teams are balanced with players of similar playing abilities. One of the most challenging aspects of the evaluation process for everyone is the movement of players up or down. For the coach, it is very easy to move a player up a level and congratulate them on the achievement. It is, however, very difficult to move a player down, even though it will be best for the long-term development of the player. If your player is moved down, please consider the benefit of being the top player and earning the majority of playing time on a lower level team versus being one of the weaker players on a higher level team and spending the year with limited playing time.

Parents are expected to stay outside the player area. If you as a parent are anxious about the process for your child, you'll serve your child better by staying further away from the fields. If you are anxious, one of our best recommendations is to register your child, tell her/him to "have fun" and "work hard" while they head to the fields, and then run some errands or find a nice place to read. If your child sees no anxiety in you, s/he will have less anxiety, too.

We ask all new players to be evaluated with their birth year unless they talk to our Technical Director first. All returning IFA North players should attend evaluations with their existing team's age group. As a club, we evaluate players at the end of each season and move players to different teams or up an age as needed to ensure they are challenged. Even if we decide not to move a player, we do always look to provide players with additional playing opportunities with other teams, as needed, to keep them challenged.

Yes. Returning players simply need to register and notify the Technical Director of their intention to play next season, but that they will be unable to attend. Team email offers will still be sent out to those players after evaluations. New players need to notify the Technical Director as soon as possible to be sure they secure a place and/or to set up a supplemental evaluation.

We ask all players to create a PlayMetrics account and register online or on their mobile device. Registering on-site is possible, but slower.

We will begin making team offers within 24 hours of the end of evaluations. Once invitations are sent out, players will have just a short time period to accept and pay their deposit to secure their place on the team. Players who do not make a team will also receive an email. Our goal is always to try to find a place for all players. Please note that some players will get offers before others. This is unavoidable. In order to form multiple teams, we have to start with the highest level teams first because of the impact it has on the rosters below them. For example, if we have 3 teams in an age group and offer 16 spots right away to each team, what happens if two players from each team decide not to accept? We now have to move players up from each team to the next highest level and we are then having to tell families they are playing on a different team to the one they were originally offered. We also then get left with a team that does not have enough players. This is the reason why we have to start with the highest team first and work our way down.

After you receive an email with your team invitation, click accept and you will be taken to your PlayMetrics account that you used to register for evaluations. Once there, you will have the option to commit to the full year with IFA North and make a deposit to hold your spot. We offer financial aid and various payment plans to ease the financial burden. You will have the opportunity to work those out after you have paid your deposit. But it is important you pay the initial deposit to secure your place. Your team invitation does not count as accepted until the deposit is paid.

Every player's acceptance or decline impacts the other players in the age group, so it is important to secure your commitment quickly so that we can properly notify other families and finalize team rosters.

In the event of bad weather, evaluations will be rescheduled. We will notify all via email of any cancellations and of the updated schedule. You may also check our facebook page "Indiana Fire Academy North" for an up-to-date notice.

All deposits are non-refundable. If a player wants to leave the club prior to the start of their season (August 1 for non-high school players; November 1 for high school players), tuition will be refunded minus the deposit. For specifics on payments, please read our Payment Policy.

Questions about team placement or the evaluation process? Christian Hall Technical Director chall@indianafireacademynorth.com Questions about billing or financial aid? Leah Hill Administrator lhill@indianafireacademynorth.com

Programs are differentiated on the basis of the players age and their level of interest and commitment. Your child does not have to be a super star to play travel soccer; but s/he does need to be willing to commit more time to learning. For more information, please review our various Programs.

Costs vary based on the program for which you register. You can find an overview of all costs on our Tuition page.

Your tuition pays for the following: Administrative Administrator pay. Bookkeeper pay. Executive Director pay. Technical Director pay. Academy Director pay. Facilities manager pay. Field/facility maintenance. Indoor facility rentals. Marketing/communication. Team Referee fees. League fees. Coach, Technical Trainer, and GK Trainer pay. Coach equipment. Player Indiana Soccer Registration and insurance. Financial aid.

Your tuition does not include the following: Uniforms. (Uniforms are purchased every two years.) Spirit wear and soccer equipment (cleats and shin guards). Extra tournaments (optional). Tuition for travel teams (11U-14U) includes two tournaments. Tuition for high school teams (15U-19U) includes one tournament. Travel and lodging expenses. Winter league participation (optional).

Yes. We are committed to keeping soccer affordable. If your child qualifies for free or reduced lunch at school, then you are eligible to receive a 50% discount (half-off) on the registration fees for our Academy and Travel programs. We also offer sibling discounts and payment plans.

Registration for all IFA North programs is done online. To register for a particular program, please visit that program page.

Payment for all IFA North programs is done via the PlayMetrics app. Your account will be billed after registration.

IFA North teams train outside in the fall and spring and inside during the winter. Outdoors, our main location is Bontrager Fields, 58685 CR 37, Middlebury, IN 45640. We also have some teams train in LaGrange at Lakeland High School. Our indoor futsal locations vary.

There are three main differences: (1) coaching, (2) commitment, and (3) travel. Travel soccer features professionally licensed, paid coaches, most of whom are former or current players. All of our travel coaches meet the requisite US Soccer Coaching Standards. In contrast, Rec soccer coaches are parent volunteers. Second, Travel Soccer is a bigger time commitment. Travel teams train 3 times per week. Travel teams also play over the winter and during the spring. In contrast, Rec teams practice just once each week and only play during the fall. Finally, as the name suggests, Travel Soccer involves more travel. At the younger ages, teams remain mostly in Elkhart and St. Joe counties. As they get older, however, teams will travel further. Rec Soccer teams practice and play all games at our fields. The net result of these differences is that Travel Soccer focuses more on player development and competitive play; whereas, Rec Soccer focuses more on having fun and staying active.

Yes. Many travel soccer players play other sports in addition to soccer. Travel soccer does require a serious time commitment, however, so multi-sport athletes should work closely with their coaches to minimize scheduling conflicts and ensure they can still be a consistent presence with their team. For additional information, please review our statement on the Travel Soccer Commitment