NSC Premier
Mission & Aims
- Provide Northampton families with a local alternative to traditional premier soccer clubs
- Continue developing Northampton players within our own soccer community
- A true non-profit focused on helping highly competitive, skilled, and committed players grow and compete at a high level —both individually and as a team
- Compete against top club teams throughout New England
Soccer Philosophy
- Play a possession-based style of soccer
- Develop the team as a cohesive unit
- Build strong individual technical skills
- Foster mental performance, resilience, and confidence
Core Principles
- More affordable and accessible than traditional premier clubs
- Convenient training locations and schedules for Northampton families
- An ethical, positive, and competitive club culture
- Rosters capped to maximize playing time and player development
- 9v9: 13 players
- 11v11: 15 players
- Paid, experienced, and knowledgeable coaches
- Coaching Independence
- NSC prioritizes recruiting independent coaches who are not parents, guardians, or relatives of players on their team. This promotes objectivity in player development, evaluation, and playing time decisions. However, as the program launches, there may be situations—particularly early on—where parent coaches are necessary. In those cases, all coaches will be experienced, qualified, and held to clear standards to ensure fairness and professionalism.
- Teams will aim for at least 70% Northampton residents
- Premier players must also participate on their NSC Travel team, allowing Premier teams to train just twice per week while ensuring appropriate overall development
Player Expectations
- Highly competitive, skilled, and committed players
- Value team play as much as individual ability
- Enjoy training through a love of the game, competition, and improvement
- Willingness to play multiple positions
- Coachable mindset with a strong desire to grow
- Consistent sportsmanship and respect
- NSC Premier is designed for committed players. Attendance at most practices and games is expected.
Tryout Process
- Open tryouts held in late May / early June
- Players from outside Northampton may attend, but:
- Teams must be at least 70% Northampton residents
- Non-residents must demonstrate a clearly higher level of play
- Players are selected based on ability, attitude, commitment, and willingness to learn
- Coaches and the Director of Coaching will evaluate players and extend offer letters to selected players
- Offers must be accepted within 96 hours, otherwise their spot will be given to someone else
- Final roster decisions are made by the head coach, with input from the Coaching Director
- Roster spots offered:
- Top 13 players (9v9)
- Top 15 players (11v11)
- Players not selected will be notified via email
Coaching Standards
- Minimum requirement: appropriate grassroots license for age group + PCA training
- Coaches must balance competitiveness with positivity and long-term player development
- High expectations paired with a supportive, growth-focused environment
Commitment Timeline
1-year commitment: August – June
Fall (Late August – Mid November)
Fall (Late August – Mid November)
- 2–3 trainings per week
- Weekly NECSL game (typically Sundays, ~8-week season)
- One fall tournament
- Intentional 30-day recovery break to rest body and mind
- Recommended: limit to one soccer activity per week (pickup, indoor league, clinics, etc)
- Encouraged: participate in another sport
- 1 team training per week
- Optional indoor soccer league with friends, town, or club (not included in cost)
- Encouraged: participate in another sport
- 2–3 trainings per week
- Weekly NECSL game (~8-week season)
- One spring tournament
Costs
$1100 for 1-year commitment: August – June
NSC Premier Director of Coaching
Evan Horton
- USSF C License
- Head Coach Boys Varsity Frontier Regional HS
- Former player – Shenandoah University (D3)
NSC Technical Director
Bryan Jersky
- USSF Grassroots License
- 20 years experience coaching U8 - U13
Eligibility & FAQs
1. Who is eligible for NSC Premier?
All players registered with NSC are eligible to try out.
2. Is placement automatic based on Division 1 teams?
No. All players must attend separate Premier tryouts.
3. Can players from other Divisions tryout?
Yes. Players from any division are eligible to tryout.
4. Can players join after tryouts?
At the discretion of the Coaching Director and/or team coach, players who missed tryouts may attend a practice as an evaluation opportunity.
5. Can players from other towns participate?
Yes, however, the team must be made up of at least 70% of players from Northampton, and non-Northampton players must demonstrate a clearly higher level of play
6. Can players play on another club team like the Bolts, IFA, or Pioneers in addition to NSC Premier?
No, they can only play on one of those teams
7. Can players play on the NSC Travel team and the NSC Premier team?
Yes, participation in both is expected, as a way to ensuring appropriate overall development, while reducing the amount of training days
8. What is the difference between NSC Travel and NSC Premier?
NSC Travel is the Northampton town team that is coached by volunteer parents and part of the Roots League. NSC Premier is for more committed and advanced players with paid and highly qualified coaches that is part of the NECSL League.
9. Is this for boys or girls?
We currently just have boys NSC Premier teams, but hope to have girls NSC Premier teams in the near future. However, girls are welcome to tryout for the boys teams.
10. What age groups can tryout for NSC Premier teams?
This is for U11, U12, U13 and U14 teams. However, U10s can tryout for the U11 teams.
11. What opportunities are available to my player as they grow in terms of future pathways?
There are many future pathways in soccer. MLS Next, ODP, USL, high school soccer, college showcases, and direct recruitment relationships. Players move between clubs all the time as they grow. Players are not guaranteed any of those pathways just because they're at a specific club. They need to try out for each of those opportunities, and playing for one club now does not close any doors later. Clubs will always take you back.
Good coaching, consistent training, confidence, touches on the ball, and meaningful minutes prepares players better for those future opportunities. If a player reaches a point where another pathway makes sense, the goal is to help prepare them for it — not hold them back.
12. How will you manage training sessions and games since Florence Fields tends to close more then other fields due to rain?
There are some exceptions that can made to use the fields during rain. However, we are working on alternate locations to use when Florence Fields is closed.
13. Will the uniforms be different compared to the NSC travel uniforms?
At this time the uniforms will remain the same, however we will add a new patch to signify the NSC Premier team.
14. Is the league that NSC Premier will be a part of the same as Bolts/IFA/Pioneers?
Yes, the league is NECSL. There are a variety of different tiers/divisions within NECSL, but it is the same league.
15. What will playing time be like for players?
The coach of each team will make the final decision regarding playing time. However, at this level, the players that deserve more playing time will get more playing time. That said, the coach needs to be able to support their decisions. We also want to create an environment where players feel comfortable speaking with their coach about playing time and what they need to do to get more time on the field.
16. Is there a team for High School age players?
If we have enough players, then yes, we have the capacity to sustain that team?
All players registered with NSC are eligible to try out.
2. Is placement automatic based on Division 1 teams?
No. All players must attend separate Premier tryouts.
3. Can players from other Divisions tryout?
Yes. Players from any division are eligible to tryout.
4. Can players join after tryouts?
At the discretion of the Coaching Director and/or team coach, players who missed tryouts may attend a practice as an evaluation opportunity.
5. Can players from other towns participate?
Yes, however, the team must be made up of at least 70% of players from Northampton, and non-Northampton players must demonstrate a clearly higher level of play
6. Can players play on another club team like the Bolts, IFA, or Pioneers in addition to NSC Premier?
No, they can only play on one of those teams
7. Can players play on the NSC Travel team and the NSC Premier team?
Yes, participation in both is expected, as a way to ensuring appropriate overall development, while reducing the amount of training days
8. What is the difference between NSC Travel and NSC Premier?
NSC Travel is the Northampton town team that is coached by volunteer parents and part of the Roots League. NSC Premier is for more committed and advanced players with paid and highly qualified coaches that is part of the NECSL League.
9. Is this for boys or girls?
We currently just have boys NSC Premier teams, but hope to have girls NSC Premier teams in the near future. However, girls are welcome to tryout for the boys teams.
10. What age groups can tryout for NSC Premier teams?
This is for U11, U12, U13 and U14 teams. However, U10s can tryout for the U11 teams.
11. What opportunities are available to my player as they grow in terms of future pathways?
There are many future pathways in soccer. MLS Next, ODP, USL, high school soccer, college showcases, and direct recruitment relationships. Players move between clubs all the time as they grow. Players are not guaranteed any of those pathways just because they're at a specific club. They need to try out for each of those opportunities, and playing for one club now does not close any doors later. Clubs will always take you back.
Good coaching, consistent training, confidence, touches on the ball, and meaningful minutes prepares players better for those future opportunities. If a player reaches a point where another pathway makes sense, the goal is to help prepare them for it — not hold them back.
12. How will you manage training sessions and games since Florence Fields tends to close more then other fields due to rain?
There are some exceptions that can made to use the fields during rain. However, we are working on alternate locations to use when Florence Fields is closed.
13. Will the uniforms be different compared to the NSC travel uniforms?
At this time the uniforms will remain the same, however we will add a new patch to signify the NSC Premier team.
14. Is the league that NSC Premier will be a part of the same as Bolts/IFA/Pioneers?
Yes, the league is NECSL. There are a variety of different tiers/divisions within NECSL, but it is the same league.
15. What will playing time be like for players?
The coach of each team will make the final decision regarding playing time. However, at this level, the players that deserve more playing time will get more playing time. That said, the coach needs to be able to support their decisions. We also want to create an environment where players feel comfortable speaking with their coach about playing time and what they need to do to get more time on the field.
16. Is there a team for High School age players?
If we have enough players, then yes, we have the capacity to sustain that team?
