Vice President – Fred DeJohn

The WSA Intercounty program is for players who are interested in playing recreational soccer beyond the in-town program.  The in-town program ends in fourth grade which is typically the U10 age.  Annually, more than 300 players on more than seventeen teams represent the WSA in the Intercounty Youth Soccer League (see the ICYSL league’s website at www.eteamz.com/icysl ). Intercounty teams provide the opportunity to play in the fall and in the spring against teams from nearby towns.  The towns/clubs represented in the past have included Berkeley Heights, Clark, Colonia, Cranford, Garwood, Kenilworth, Mountainside, New Providence, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Scotch Plains, South Mountain (Maplewood/South Orange), Springfield, Summit, Union and Westfield.

In addition, Westfield teams may also participate in some tournaments to be identified in the Spring and Fall seasons. Intercounty players usually practice one day per week, some with opportunities for additional practice time.  Practices are led by professional trainers. There is usually one game per week on either Saturday or Sunday.

As previously stated, the Intercounty program encourages players to continue playing recreational soccer beyond the in-town program.  Intercounty offers players opportunities to realize their potential through training and competition. The goal of the Intercounty program is to:

• Enhance the player’s skills through a recreational team environment.
• Foster a game-playing attitude based on sportsmanship.
• Have fun and make the experience positive and memorable.
• Develop a life-long love for the game.

All registered players are placed on teams.  No tryouts are required.

Fall teams: WSA Intercounty fields U12, U14 and U17 teams.

Spring teams: As there is no in-town program available, Spring teams can be formed for U10 and up. Teams will be established if there is sufficient interest, field availability, and a coach for each team.

Teams are established based on gender and are based upon the player’s age as of August 1 of the given year. For example, a player who does not turn 14 before August 1 will be U-14, or a player who is older but does not turn 17 before August 1 will be U-17. Typically, in the Fall, U-12 is for players in grades 5 and 6; U-14 is for grades 7 and 8; U-17 is for grades 9, 10 and 11.

If you are interested in the Intercounty recreational program or have additional questions, please check out the ICYSL website listed above or contact a WSA Intercounty director. To register, click on the “Registration” link from the menu at the top of the page. 

For those of you not familiar with InterCounty soccer, here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions:

Q:  What is InterCounty Soccer?

A:  InterCounty Soccer is a way to play recreational soccer against teams from neighboring towns.

Q:  What age groups are available in the Fall?

A:   In the spring, we field teams at the U17, U14 and U12 levels

Q:  What age groups are available in the Spring?

A:   In the spring, we field teams at the U17, U14, U12, and U10 levels

Q:  How do you try out for an InterCounty team?

A:  There are no tryouts!  Everyone who registers on a timely basis is placed on a team.

Q:  How much of a commitment does it take to play InterCounty?

A:  The same commitment it takes to play InTown.  Generally there is one game each weekend and one practice during the week.

Q: Exactly when will practices and games be held? Will they conflict with other sports and activities?

A:  This question is often asked and there is no way to provide specifics before the season starts.  Practices will be scheduled by each team for one afternoon each week after school.  Sessions generally start at 3:30 or 5:00 and run for 90 minutes. 

Games are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays and could be at any time of the day.  An occasional Friday night game may also be scheduled. 

Q:  Isn’t there a lot of travel associated with InterCounty?

A:  There is very little travel.  Half your games are played at home and the other half are played in nearby towns such as Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Mountainside, New Providence, etc.

Q:  Is the league very competitive?

A:  As with in-town, there are varying degrees of team strength.  Divisions are divided whenever possible to allow for stronger and weaker sub-divisions.  There will be teams from some towns that are very strong but generally the games are quite competitive.

Q; Do we need to purchase a special InterCounty uniform?

A:  The IC uniforms were changed in Fall, 2009 and are the same as the new travel uniforms.  If you did not buy a new jersey in the past year and a half you will need to buy one now.  You can purchase the jersey on-line WHEN YOU REGISTER!  Once you complete registration you cannot go back and purchase a jersey.  Players also have the option (but are not required) to purchase matching shorts and socks and warm-ups by going to Kicks and Sticks, located at 2933 Vauxhall Road in Vauxhall.  Phone number is 908-688-6463. 

If you enjoy the fun and excitement of soccer but do not have the time commitment to play Travel Soccer, then InterCounty Soccer is the answer for you.  It combines the best of both worlds---recreational and travel soccer---by allowing you to participate in a more relaxed, less intensive, less committed environment while still enjoying the excitement and challenge of playing teams from other towns!  It is basically "travel-lite" for soccer.