Q  –  How much does River City cost?

A  –  The fourtteen (14) week training sessions is $295 per athlete.  You can add an additional training day on for $100 for total of $395 or pay $20 for individual days and drop in when schedule allows.  The spring teams in the Pine Tree League, Maine State Premier League and State Cup cost $425 per player. Uniform and spirit wear is extra and order directly through our partner wegotsoccer.com.  

Q  –  There are so many choices for soccer in our area, what should I consider when making my decision?

A  –  It is River City’s position that players have a personal choice to decide whether to play for our club or another youth soccer program, and hope they understand and appreciate the position of River City as far as player development being at their core.

Our goal is to make sure that the decision being made by parents and players is being made so that the players’ personal, social and soccer development is always considered.  

 We have highly qualified coaches we feel comfortable saying have received a level of coaching education that improves their ability to present the game in a positive learning environment with the goal of making each player better, more confident at an affordable price.

Here is an excerpt from Soccer America that might help these families on the “fence”

How do I choose a soccer club for my child? While there is no easy answer to this question, there is one key principle that should guide your decision: the single most important external factor in any player’s development is the quality of the coach working with the player on a regular basis. The impact of this individual, especially at U8-U14, far outweighs the league the team plays in, the success of the team, or any other factor. Quite simply, great coaches at these ages help motivated players maximize their ability. Because of this huge impact and influence, consider the following in trying to evaluate your options:

* Being a great soccer player does not automatically translate into being a great teacher of soccer players. 

* Beware of any coach who takes credit for the success of his or her past players; the best coaches understand that players earn their own achievements.

* Beware of any coach advertising the number of college scholarships their players have received, (and run the other way if they promise one to you).

* Though earning coaching licenses doesn’t guarantee a great coach, it does show effort on the part of the coach. (That said, a license does not certify honesty or integrity.) 

* Be sure the “name” attached to the team will be the coach attached to the team; bait-and-switch is not uncommon. 

* Is the coach offering a training-based program with appropriate training-to-game ratios (at least 3-1), or is the coach promoting a program overly emphasizing competition? 

While these guidelines help narrow your choices, you may still have several options. If that happens, consider having your child attend a training session with the potential coach, and evaluate the session on the following criteria: 

* Did your child enjoy the session, and does he or she want to go back? 

* Is your child receiving coaching points that are detailed, personalized, and technical, or are they general, vague, and primarily focused on hustle and attitude? 

* Are the players consistently engaged and active, with frequent contact with the ball? 

* Does your child leave the training feeling that he or she has learned something new, or excited to try something new? 

While the quality of the opposition in games and training gradually becomes more important as players age, (and is very important at U14 and above), these factors are far less significant when the player should primarily be learning individual technique and decision-making.  

Q  –  Can I pay online?

A  –  Yes – you can pay online with a credit or debit card in full or in installments.  Or mail checks to River City Athletics and mailed to either 129 Farm Road, Bangor, 04401.  There is also a drop box at Fields4Kids for checks/cash and credit/debit cards can be swiped at facility.  

Winter Training Online Payments

Q  –  Can I pay in installments or do your need the payment all in one lump sum?

A  –  What ever is best for your budget.  If you can pay in one lump sum, we will of course accept that check.  If it is more beneficial for your budget to pay in installments we are more than happy to do that as well.  We have payment dates set up of January 15th, February 15th, and March 15th.  Or you can break up the cost in monthly payments if that works better for you.  River City wants to have as many kids taking part as possible, and we’ve built our costs and payment structure to allow as many athletes as possible to join our club.

Q  –  Do you offer a family discount?

A  –  Yes we do.  The first child is the normal price, but each additional family member gets a 10% discount for Spring teams only.  If there is a financial hardship for winter training, please email rivercitymaine@gmail.com with your need.

Q – Does my child have to take part in the winter training sessions to play on the spring team?

A  –  No but your child will still need to be registered with the club and will need to attend an age appropriate winter training for coaches to evaluate.  Coaches may ask player to attend more than one training session for correct placement.

Q – Does my child have to play on a spring team to take part in the winter training sessions?

A – No. We want River City to fit your needs. We designed our programs to be flexible and all inclusive. You can take part in the program, or training that best fits what your athlete needs. If your child wants to keep their skills sharp during the off season they can use either or both of our winter training sessions. If your child wants to compete on one of our teams in the Maine State Premier League, State Cup, or Pine Tree League, the spring session will allow them to play on a competitive team beginning in March. Or if your child wants to focus on soccer skill development and play on a competitive spring travel team, you can can take part in all of our sessions.

Q  –  When will my child practice?

A  –  All of our indoor training schedules are listed on the Fields4Kids website on the home page.  Search the calendar by day, week or by month or view Winter Training Schedule

Q  –  When will the games be scheduled?

A  –  The spring games traditionally begin, weather permitting, the final weekend of March into April.  The schedules are created by Soccer Maine for all teams competing in the Pine Tree League and the Maine State Premier League and State Cup.  Those schedules normally are released in March two weeks prior to the first game.  River City will also take part in one tournament per season, that tournament will be held in May in Amherst, NH over Memorial Day Weekend.

Q  –  Where will games be played?

A  –  The schedule is set up by SoccerMaine.  River City will host our home games in the Greater Bangor Area, and half of our schedule should be home games for the Pine Tree League and the Maine State Premier League.  The rest of our games will consist of travel to teams around the state of Maine.  The State Cup tournament is normally played at a neutral site for both teams.  We will also take part in (at least) one tournament a year that will require travel to the tournament location.

Q  –  Can athletes play for a team older than their birth year age group?

A  –  All athletes will play with their age groups for training and teams.  If based on ability an athlete could play up an age level, it would be done only with an invitation of the coach of the upper age group and permission from the birth year age group.  The River City Coaching Director would also have input in the decision.

For instance, a player at the U11 level would need to be asked by the U12 coach and get permission from the U11 coach based on seeing the athlete in practice or games to be able to play up.  The River City Coaching Director would also have to agree the athlete would be successful at the higher level.

The only other way it would be possible for an athlete to play up with the older age group players, would be through a grade level waiver.

For instance, that same player in the U11 age category, which is primarily for 5th graders, is actually in the 6th grade, but their birthday falls after the Soccer Maine cut off date, but before the Maine Board of Education cut off date.  That player can ask for a grade level waiver to play with the athletes in his/her grade level.  Those will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Q  –  I have two kids, one grade apart, can they play together to make it easier for travel and to get them to practice?

A  –  The goal of River City is to form the most successful, and the most competitive teams at each age level, so all athletes will play with the teams of their birth year.  There are exceptions as stated in the answer above.  We understand schedules are filled, and family lives are hectic, but to make it the most rewarding experience for the athletes and for the teams our decision is to keep players within their same age groups to give all players the chance to have the most success possible and to be on a team that has the most potential for success.

Q  –  If my child is playing with another club, can he/she still participate in River City’s training programs for additional practice?

A  — Absolutely.  Our training programs are open to all community players regardless of club affiliation.  We welcome anyone interested in improving their skills and working on their game in the winter and spring months.