Commitment includes both the fall and spring seasons. Players are expected to prioritize their travel team commitment during the soccer season. Athletes who play private club soccer or other sports in the same season should only register for the travel program if they will consistently attend at least one travel team practice per week and make a sincere effort to attend every game.
The 2026 fall season starts on Saturday, September 12 and ends on Saturday, November 14. Sessions are held on the Saturdays around holidays, including Rosh Hashanah and Columbus Day. Please take a minute to read our holiday policy.
The 2027 spring season starts on Saturday, April 10 and ends Saturday, June 12. Sessions will be held during the Saturdays around NPS spring vacation and Memorial Day (April 17, April 24, and May 29). Please take a minute to read our holiday policy.
All NGS Travel Teams are registered to play in the BAYS League, which has more than 50 member towns in the greater Boston area.
Teams from all BAYS member towns are divided by grade and placed in divisions that range from division 1 (highly skilled, highly competitive) to division 4 (less skilled, more recreational). They are then divided into sections of similarly skilled teams with some consideration for geography.
NGS submits initial placement requests to BAYS using
If a team is not placed correctly, NGS can request a mid-season swap.
Our Travel Program combines professional trainers, dedicated volunteer coaches, and a comprehensive development curriculum to provide the best possible learning environment and opportunities for every player.
Each travel team will have 1- 2 weekly practice times. Training begins the week leading up to the season opener. A player cannot be in the travel program if they cannot regularly attend at least one practice per week. One of the biggest challenges in recent years has been scheduling around players participating in multiple sports and activities, particularly private club soccer commitments. Consistent attendance is important for player development and overall team success.
Grades 3 – 4
Players in the third and fourth grade participate in a weekly practice run by professional coaches. These 60 minute sessions are held at Fessenden Fields on Mondays. Third grade teams meet at 5:00 PM and fourth grade teams meet at 6:00 PM. Pro Trainer sessions are designed to help both players and parent coaches learn fundamental technical skills, basic tactical concepts, and the foundations of the 7v7 format.
The 2nd practice time and location are determined after teams are announced and will depend on field and coach availability. After teams are announced, coaches reach out to families to discuss practice. Teams with a high percentage of players in the Academy program are asked not to practice on Wednesdays.
Grades 5 – 8
All team practices are led by a parent coach, so they will select the dates and times in consultation with player families. Team practice times and locations are determined after teams are announced and will depend on field and coach availability. Teams with a high percentage of players in the Academy program are asked not to practice on Wednesdays.
Coaches may also sign their team up to participate in 1- 2 special sessions run by our professional coaching staff throughout each season.
NGS Travel teams play in the Boston Area Youth Soccer league — or BAYS for short. Travel teams play a ten-game schedule each season with 5 home and 5 away games. (The furthest towns in BAYS are approximately 22 miles from Newton.) Games are typically Saturday mornings, but rescheduled games (due to, for example, rain outs) could be at other days and times. Players are expected to participate in all games. In case of an emergency, illness, or conflict with an important family, school or religious event, players must notify the team manager and/or coaching staff.
The game schedule is determined by BAYS and announced in late-August / late-March. Schedules are uploaded to TeamSnap One as soon as BAYS has released them. Kick off times for all regularly scheduled games will typically be between 8:30 AM – 11:45 AM. Players are expected to be at the game field to warm up and check in at least 30 minutes before the game starts.
