Delaware Soccer Club

What the club offers

House League is the recreational pathway for children ages three through fourteen, focused on fun, inclusion, and skill growth in a positive environment. Spring House typically runs about eight weeks from late April into early summer, with one weeknight training and one Saturday game each week (under-three groups train only). Fall House usually begins the first week of September and runs about six weeks, with the same Point of the Meadow fields in Delaware Park as the primary outdoor hub. Between house seasons, Fall Academy meets once a week at Delaware Park for roughly seven weeks (about thirty minutes of technical work plus twenty-five minutes of small-sided play). Winter Academy runs in multiple session blocks starting in early November at the Nardin Indoor Athletic Complex on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo.

Travel soccer: leagues, season rhythm, and fees

Travel teams compete in Buffalo Western New York Junior Soccer League (BWNYJSL) for many rosters, with premier-track teams also entering New York State West Thruway League, Great Lakes Alliance, Champions League, State Cup, and related championship routes. The outdoor league calendar for most BWNYJSL teams centers on weekly games from May through July; winter indoor training runs November through April with two club training sessions per week at Nardin Academy Athletic Center, where DSC staff are on site unless the director of coaching or a team coach opts for a different plan. May through July, teams still train twice weekly, usually on grass fields in the city, with staff present for at least one of those sessions in the typical model. The overall travel commitment is November through July, with optional indoor league play and extra tournaments available at added cost.

Travel registration is offered at two bundled levels. The Green level, $795 for the season, covers the BWNYJSL-style outdoor pathway with two indoor-season trainings per week, two outdoor-season trainings per week, about one outdoor league game per week in season, and one outdoor tournament. The Gold level, $895, targets elite competition tracks in Thruway or GLA with an eight-to-ten-game outdoor season from about March or April into June, two outdoor tournaments (often including a high-level event such as State Cup), and the same twice-weekly training rhythm indoors and out. Uniform kits run about $120 for two jerseys, shorts, and socks through the club’s uniform vendor and are expected to last about two seasons. Payment plans, discounts, and need-based scholarships are available; players need financial arrangements in place before practicing or playing.

Tryouts, playing time, and expectations

Annual travel tryouts for the seasonal year are held the last week of June at Nardin Academy Athletic Center on Rosalia Street in Buffalo. Tryouts are free; after registering in PlayMetrics, families attend the assigned birth-year tryout slot for that seasonal cycle. Players who miss the main window can email the club about supplemental evaluation. U.S. Soccer and BWNYJSL guidance calls for at least half a game of playing time in league play for under-twelve and younger when injury or absence does not interfere, and DSC encourages similar fairness at older ages while noting that effort, attendance, performance, fitness, and discipline still influence minutes. Sideline conduct expectations emphasize respect for coaches, referees, and opponents, with a clear rule that parents should not coach or referee from the touchline during games.

Camps, adults, and community extras

DSC runs camps and clinics across the year, including specialty offerings such as a Manchester United–themed camp for travel players and full-week summer camps at Delaware Park for broad age bands, with fees set per camp in PlayMetrics when registration opens. A spring adult league operates as a separate registration track. Sponsorships, photo submissions, and a mailing list help families stay connected to club news alongside PlayMetrics program updates.

Philosophy

The mission is to promote youth development through athletic competition, offering recreational, social, and physical growth for children at varied skill levels in a positive, supportive, and safe setting. Ethical behavior, sportsmanship, community involvement, and citizenship are explicit club values alongside athletic development.

Contact, office hours, and registration

The club office is at 1424 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14216; in-person visits are by appointment. Phone and email support run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. Call +1 (716) 213-6558 or email Office@DelawareSoccerClub.com for general questions. All programming and registration flows through PlayMetrics. For travel-specific questions, the travel committee reachable through ethan@delawaresoccerclub.com, katemayhook@yahoo.com, or dsctravel@delawaresoccerclub.com can help alongside the main office.