2019 HERSHEY MEMORIAL DAY CHALLENGE
Below is the Hershey Soccer Club’s invitation to its 2019 Hershey Memorial Day Challenge Soccer Tournament. The Hershey Soccer Club is a non-profit community based club, which strives to provide quality recreational and travel soccer opportunities for children of all skill levels and ages. The Hershey Memorial Day Challenge was created as a holiday weekend tournament for Premier and Travel teams. Our goal is to offer quality competition on high quality fields in Hershey while encouraging sportsmanship and fostering a love of the game.
We hope your team and club accepts our invitation to compete in the 2019 Hershey Memorial Day Challenge and learns firsthand why Hershey is the Sweetest Place on Earth!
INVITATION
Tournament Format
All games will be played at locations in Hershey (also known as Derry Township) or within a 15 mile radius of the Town. Each team will be guaranteed a minimum of three (3) games (see rules/format document for more info and conditions). Preliminary games will be held all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. All teams have the potential for 8:00 am game on both days. Any final matches will be held Sunday and will be dependent upon bracket.
Awards will be given to 1st (Champion) and 2nd place (Finalist) in each bracket.
Age Groups, Fees and Application Deadline
The Hershey Memorial Day Challenge Cup is a 2018/2019 Soccer year competition, which will follow US Soccer Birth Year and Season Matrix. Competition is open to USYS, US CLUB SOCCER and SAY Club teams in the following age groups:
U-8 2011 birth year -- Boys & Girls 7 v. 7
U-9 2010 birth year -- Boys & Girls 7 v. 7
U-10 2009 birth year -- Boys & Girls 7 v. 7
U-11 2008 birth year -- Boys & Girls 9 v. 9
U-12 2007 birth year -- Boys & Girls 9 v. 9
U-13 2006 birth year -- Boys & Girls 11 v. 11
U-14 2005 birth year -- Boys & Girls 11 v. 11
U-15 2004 birth year -- Boys & Girls 11 v. 11
U-16 2003 birth year -- Boys & Girls 11 v. 11
U-17 2002 birth year -- Boys & Girls 11 v. 11
U-18 2001 birth year -- Boys & Girls 11 v. 11
U-19 2000 birth year -- Boys & Girls 11 v. 11
2019 Fees Tournament Fees for teams
- U8 - U-10 (7 v 7) - $675
- U11 - U-12 (9 v. 9) - $775
- U13 – U-19 (11v11) - $875
7 v. 7 and 9 v. 9 (U-8 through U-12) Teams play 50 min games (25 minute halves)
11 v. 11 (U-13 through U-19 Teams play 60 min games (30 minute halves)
Payments may be made by check or credit card. Refunds will not be provided to any team withdrawing after acceptance. There is a 3% processing fee for payments made by credit card which is non-refundable at any time. Checks will only be accepted up to 1 month prior to event. Any open payments thereafter must be made by Credit Card. All payments are due within 7 days of the Application.
Note: Deadline to apply is Sunday, April 14, 2019 at midnight. Teams applying after Sunday, April 15th will be accepted if space remains or added to a wait list. We will notify the team manager if we are able to accept and place your team.
Levels of Play:
The Hershey Soccer Club Tournament Committee strives to bracket teams to provide a competitive environment.
In 2018, the Hershey Memorial Day Challenge hosted 450+ teams and is one of the fastest growing Tournaments in the Northeast United States. Team selection will be based on league record and league division, past tournament records and level of play, ranking points, date of receipt of application along with registration fee (early applicants will be reviewed during early acceptance period, and geographic balance.
To provide the best competition, the Tournament Committee may combine or eliminate age groups, move teams up to the next age group or move teams to higher or lower brackets. Please indicate on your application your preference and appropriate level of competition. The Tournament Committee retains discretion with respect to placement of teams in brackets.
Eligibility
Travel teams participating in regularly scheduled league play or premier teams that participate in a premier league are eligible as long as they belong to their local, state, and national association and have current and validated photo player and coaches' passes. DDP Competitive teams in ages U8 and U10 are also eligible. All U-8 through U-12 teams must participate in fall or spring league play to be eligible to compete in the Tournament. USYS, US Club Soccer, SAY, DDP and Travel Teams with photo player and coaches’ passes designated as competitive, travel or premier teams are eligible. (Age groups by birthdate are listed within our rules.)
Information
- Team rosters are limited to a maximum of 14 players for 7 v. 7, 16 players for 9 v. 9, and 22 players for 11 v. 11, with 18 suited players allowed for any given match.
- A maximum of up to five (5) guest players are allowed. Secondary players are considered guest players and their primary pass must be presented at registration. No mixed rosters permitted as all players on a team must be USYS or US Club.
- Players may compete for only one team for the duration of the tournament.
- U-8 through U10 will play 7 v. 7, U11 through U12 will play 9v9 teams; and U-13 through U-18 will play 11 v. 11.
- All travel team must be associated with the USYS and the appropriate state association or US Club Soccer. No mixed roster or pass teams will be accepted (i.e. all players on a team must be registered with either USYS or US Club).
- A copy of your state stamped and approved US Youth Soccer or US Club Soccer Roster must be sent upon completion of Tournament application or sent with the fee payment.
- US Soccer rules regarding the use of US Soccer registered referees will be followed. The one(1) referee system will be used for U-8 through U12 small sided games. All 11 v. 11 games will use the three (3) referee system.
Application Procedures
Please complete the on-line Got Soccer Application. Upon successful completion of the Got Soccer application, you will receive a confirmation e-mail and your registration number. If paying by check, mail your check made payable to the “Hershey Soccer Club” noting the team name and confirmation number. Please mail the payment to P.O. Box 66, Hershey PA 17033. Include a copy of the email confirmation with the check and the confirmation number on the check. If paid by credit card you will receive an additional email with a confirmation of payment receipt. Credit card payments will incur a 3% processing fee (see details on payment page). Please include your team name and Registration Number as the "Subject" of ALL correspondence including email correspondence relating to the Tournament.
For non-credit card payments by check or money order, the payments should be made payable to the Hershey Soccer Club for the full amount of the tournament fee and a copy of your state stamped and approved or official US Club Soccer roster must be received by the Tournament Registrar within seven (7) days of the application date in order to be considered for acceptance. (See below for mailing address).
Fees will be refunded to teams not accepted (exception, the 3% processing fee for credit card payments will not be refunded). The Tournament fee is non-refundable after acceptance. Checks will only be accepted up to 1 month prior to event. Any open payments thereafter must be made by Credit Card.
See Rules for details regarding refund policy if tournament games are canceled in full or in part prior to or during tournament due to weather or field conditions, etc.
Important Dates
March 18, 2019 Early Acceptance.
April 14, 2019: Application deadline is midnight.
April 19, 2019: Team Acceptances Announced
April 23, 2019: Tournament fee and state-approved or official US Club Soccer roster deadline for teams that applied on or just before the deadline date. All others should be submitted within 7 days of application.
May 3, 2019: Deadline for ordering Discount Hersheypark Tickets. The discount Hersheypark tickets are available for purchase online. The Hersheypark Tickets may only be purchased by the team manager or coach listed on the Got Soccer application. The Hersheypark tickets will be sent via UPS, FedEx or USPS Priority Mail or similar carrier with tracking for delivery to the Team Representative one week prior to the Tournament. Please have a team manager or coach place ONE order for the team to minimize shipping costs.
May 9, 2019: Tournament T-shirt pre-order deadline.
May 11, 2019: Deadline for Electronic Team Registration
Friday, May 24, 2019 Mandatory team check-in. In-person check-in is open from 5:30 pm -7:30 pm Derry Township Parks & Recreations, 605 Cocoa Avenue, Hershey, PA 17033. All teams must be checked-in either electronically or in person on or before Friday, May 24th at 8pm (No Exceptions!).
May 24, 25, & 26 2019: Hershey Memorial Day Challenge Soccer Tournament Matches
Registration:
PLEASE NOTE: Mandatory team registration: Friday, May 24, 2019 at Derry Township Parks & Recreations Building located at 605 Cocoa Avenue, Hershey, PA 17033. All teams must complete either the electronic check-in or in-person check-in prior to competition.
At Registration
Each team must present properly authorized player and coaches' passes with photos, an official roster, and valid medical release forms for each participant at the time of registration. You may use your current medical release forms for your Association or utilize the EPYSA Medical Release Form.
Please note: Teams that fail to complete the check-in process either electronically or on Friday evening including producing an official roster may forfeit each game at the discretion of the Tournament Director. In any event, a team must produce all registration material prior to the first game or forfeit each game.
Secondary players are considered guest players and must present primary player passes. Check with your state or governing association to determine if they require completion of a guest player form.
Permission to Travel - USYS member teams from Region 1, except CT, DO NOT need to provide permission to travel at the Friday Night team registration (* please see info on our FAQ page for details). Teams from CT, NJ and USYS Region 2 must provide their state association's properly executed "Permission to Travel Form." No such permission is required of US Club Soccer member teams. (See our FAQs page for details.)
ALL teams should ensure that they have current and up-to-date team insurance - proof is not needed at Friday night registration.
HOTELS
To be considered for acceptance, teams requiring hotels must use the Hershey Soccer Club’s designated Housing Coordinator’s reservation system - Halpern Travel. Any team that does not use the Official Housing Coordinator’s reservation service will not be accepted into the Hershey Memorial Day Challenge Tournament. Any Team found to have booked outside the Housing Coordinator system will be disqualified from competition.
The Housing Coordinator for the 2019 Hershey Memorial Day Challenge is Halpern Travel. Please visit the Hershey Memorial Day Challenge page at www.halperntravel.com for hotel reservations.
**Please make checks payable to the “Hershey Soccer Club”.
The mailing address of the Tournament Registrar is:
Anthony Potter – Tournament Director
Hershey Soccer Club
P.O. Box 66
Hershey, PA 17033
Questions?
Email us! We strive to respond promptly.
Registration or Rostering Questions?
Please email Tournament Director Anthony Potter [email protected]
To contact the Tournament Registrar
Please email Tournament Registrar Maribeth Briggs at [email protected]