Auburndale Premier Travel youth soccer team in competitive league play, Queens NY
Premier Travel · Competitive Youth Soccer

Queens Youth Travel Soccer Is Where Their Game Gets Serious.

Premier Travel is Queens youth soccer at its highest level — year-round competition, USSF-licensed coaching, and a real player-development pathway from U-8 to high school. Annual spring tryouts at Fort Totten Park, plus supplemental tryouts year-round.

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Why Travel

This Is Where Your Kid Stops Just Playing — and Starts Competing.

Premier Travel isn't an upgrade for fun. It's a different sport. Year-round practice cycles, real league play, structured development. If they want to play seriously, this is where they earn it.

Year-round development

Travel teams practice and compete through every season. No long off-seasons where players lose what they built. Continuous reps, continuous coaching, continuous growth.

USSF-licensed coaching

Every Travel head coach holds a US Soccer Federation license. Practices are planned. Feedback is real. This isn't parents on Saturdays — it's structured, professional player development.

A real pathway

Travel is the on-ramp to competitive high school soccer and beyond. Auburndale alumni have moved through this program into varsity rosters, ODP, and college soccer. The path is built in.

A real team

Travel kids spend more time with their teammates than most kids spend with their cousins. The friendships built across a Travel season — bus rides, tournament weekends, league finals — are the kind that stick.

Real games. Real travel.

League play across the region. League Cup competition. Tournament weekends that travel out of state — NJ, CT, PA and further. Your kid plays against the best the Northeast has to offer and gets better fast as a result.

The Auburndale standard

Forty-nine years of competitive Queens youth soccer. Generations of Auburndale Travel alumni still live in the neighborhood — and still send their own kids back to the same program.

Tryouts

Travel Tryouts at Auburndale.

Auburndale runs a main tryout cycle each spring at Fort Totten Park — and accepts supplemental tryouts year-round for players who relocate to Queens, level up from Intramural, or develop later than their age group. Every player gets evaluated; nobody is turned away from the field.

Where

Fort Totten Park
Bayside, Queens, NY

Free parking on-site. Field assignments posted at the gate.

What to Bring

Cleats, shin guards, water bottle, and a soccer ball if you have one. Wear active clothing and arrive 15 minutes early to check in.

How It Works

One session is enough to be evaluated. Multiple is welcome. Players are assessed across drills and small-sided games — not a single moment.

See Upcoming Tryout Dates Register for Travel Tryouts
Annual Travel Fee

What the Travel Fee Actually Covers.

Travel costs more than Intramural for a reason. Here's exactly what goes into one year as an Auburndale Travel player.

Fall & Spring league fees

Full league registration covered for both competitive seasons.

USSF-licensed trainer fees

Professional coaching across every practice and game, every week of the year.

Player insurance

Sport accident coverage included for every roster player.

Winter facility rental

Indoor training space booked for the off-outdoor months. No extra ask.

Game referee fees

Every match referee paid out of the team budget — not collected at the field.

Game filming

Match film captured for player development and college recruiting tape.

Two team tournaments

Tournament registration paid for two events per season per team.

League Cup

League Cup competition registration and match fees included.

Player Development

How Auburndale Travel Players Actually Get Better.

Travel soccer development isn't accidental. Every Auburndale Travel session is built around the four pillars of competitive youth soccer growth — technical, tactical, physical, and mental.

Technical training

First-touch, ball-mastery, footwork, passing under pressure, finishing — drilled every session, age-appropriate to each U-group.

Tactical awareness

Shape, spacing, transitions, defensive principles, build-up play. Players learn to read the game, not just react to it.

Speed of play

One- and two-touch decision drills, small-sided games, possession under pressure. The pace gets real fast — kids learn to keep up.

Goalkeeper training

Dedicated goalkeeper coaching across every Travel age group. Keepers train separately each week — not as an afterthought.

Birth-year & age-group play

Auburndale Travel follows the US Soccer birth-year mandate across U-8 through U-16, with playing-up considered case-by-case for advanced players.

High school & college pathway

Auburndale Travel is the on-ramp to varsity high school soccer and the college recruitment pathway. Game film helps players build their recruiting tape over the U-13 to U-16 cycle.

Commitment

What Travel Demands of Your Family.

Be honest with yourselves before tryouts. Travel works for the families that show up. Here's what showing up actually looks like.

  1. 01

    Year-round play

    Practices and games run through Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Off-weeks exist; off-months don't.

  2. 02

    Multiple practices / week

    Schedule varies by age group and is shared with players who receive offers after tryouts.

  3. 03

    Weekends are soccer

    Weekend league games through Fall and Spring, plus tournament weekends. Travel families plan around the schedule.

  4. 04

    Real travel

    League games stay regional. Tournaments go out of state — NJ, CT, PA and beyond. Carpools are the norm.

  5. 05

    Real cost

    The annual Travel fee covers what's listed in this page. Pricing for the next cycle is shared with players who receive a tryout offer.

  6. 06

    Tryouts every cycle

    Roster spots are earned, not inherited. Returning Travel players try out alongside new ones each annual cycle.

Travel Soccer vs Recreational Soccer

Not Sure Travel Is the Right Fit Yet?

Travel soccer vs recreational soccer is the call most Queens parents make first. Plenty of current Premier Travel players came up through Intramural — there's no wrong starting point.

Premier Travel

Competitive. Tryout Required.

  • FormatYear-round competitive
  • CoachingUSSF-licensed
  • PlayRegional league + out-of-state tournaments
  • AgesU-8 through U-16
  • CommitmentMultiple practices / week
See Tryout Info
Intramural

Recreational. No Tryout.

  • FormatEight-week Spring & Fall
  • CoachingVolunteer + staff support
  • PlayFriday training + Sunday games
  • AgesCo-ed, 5–13
  • CommitmentOne day a week
Intramural Details
FAQ

Travel Soccer in Queens — Frequently Asked Questions.

What is the difference between travel soccer and recreational soccer?
Travel soccer is competitive: tryout-based rosters, year-round training, USSF-licensed coaching, real league play, and tournament travel. Recreational soccer (Auburndale's Intramural Development League) is open enrollment, eight-week seasons, no tryout, all skill levels welcome — designed for kids who want to play with friends and develop fundamentals. Many Travel players come up through Intramural first.
How are travel soccer age groups determined?
Auburndale follows US Soccer's seasonal-year age-group guidelines. Each player's U-group (U-8 through U-16) is determined by their birth year, not their school grade. Age groups roll over with each new soccer year — confirm your player's exact U-group with the club at tryouts before registering.
When and where are youth travel soccer tryouts held?
Auburndale's main Premier Travel tryout cycle runs each spring at Fort Totten Park in Bayside, Queens. Supplemental tryouts are accepted year-round for players who relocate, level up from Intramural, or develop after the spring window. Current tryout dates and time slots by age group are listed on the Auburndale events calendar.
What is the time commitment for a travel soccer player?
Multiple training sessions per week (schedule varies by age group), weekend league games through Fall and Spring, and selected weekend tournament play. Travel teams also train indoors during winter and play through summer at a lighter cadence. Travel families plan their weekends around soccer — that's the honest answer.
What are the costs and fees for the Travel program?
The Auburndale Travel annual fee covers Fall and Spring league play, USSF-licensed trainer fees, player insurance, winter facility rental, all match referee fees, game filming, two team-tournament registrations per season, and League Cup. Uniforms are ordered separately. Payment options: full annual payment (with a $100 discount) or monthly installments. Mid-season registrations are pro-rated. Financial aid is available for families that need it.
Who will be coaching my child's team?
Every Auburndale Travel head coach holds a US Soccer Federation coaching license. Practices are planned in advance, players receive individual feedback, and dedicated goalkeeper coaching runs across every age group. The full coaching staff and credentials are listed on the Coaches page.
Which leagues and tournaments does Auburndale Travel play in?
Auburndale Travel teams compete in regional youth soccer leagues across Queens, Long Island, and the metro NY area, plus League Cup competition. Tournament play extends beyond the metro region — selected weekend tournaments take teams out of state (NJ, CT, PA and further) through the Fall and Spring seasons.
What is the club's player-development philosophy?
Auburndale Travel is built around the four pillars of competitive youth soccer development: technical training (first-touch, ball mastery, passing, finishing), tactical awareness (shape, transitions, build-up), speed of play (small-sided games and decision drills), and goalkeeper-specific coaching. The U-13 to U-16 cycle is the on-ramp to varsity high school soccer and the college recruitment pathway.