Ages and Divisions
Below are descriptions of what you can expect at each age division. To learn what division your child is in, based on birth year, click on Age Chart at the very bottom, under Useful Links.
For our youngest children, we have a great program that is part soccer, part physical fitness, and plenty of fun. We have been running this program for the younger kids a few seasons already, and have had great feedback.
Note that Playground Soccer is not a team-based program. There are usually eight to ten children per group, led by a Master Coach. Children are welcome to request to be put into the same group with friends.
The primary focus for players at this age is Imagination.
Saturdays, roughly 45 minutes. (This program is 6 weeks long.)
Safe shoes, shin guards. no jewelry.
Division Coordinator, Coach, Team parent, Event Staff
Our 5 and under players get to play 5u Jamboree Soccer, a great program to introduce players and parents to the fun activity called Soccer. This program is a little different from the older age groups. In Jamboree Soccer, we aren't yet focusing on teamwork or team-based skills.
Just as we do with the 4u Playground Soccer, in 5u we make use of a Master Coach. We also train a handful of 5u parents to help the Master Coach work with the kids. This program is more about basic development, communication, fine motor skills, fitness, and developing a love of the game through encouragement.
General format - drills and skills with the Master Coach and parent helpers in the practice area first. A short break when finished, and then over to the scrimmage field, where players are put into teams of three or four for a fun scrimmage, with the helpers just keeping time, and making sure the match doesn't get too chaotic. This should be four 5-minute quarters.
The primary focus for players at this age is Exploration.
Saturdays, roughly 75 minutes. (40 minutes drills, 30 minutes scrimmage)
Safe shoes, shin guards. No jewelry. Size 3 soccer ball. Water.
Division Coordinator, Assistant Coach, field prep. Our biggest volunteer need at this age is Assistant Coaches (parent helpers) to help the Master Coach. No soccer knowledge or experience is needed. We provide all required training. Our Jamboree program has been very successful, but in order to keep it running smoothly, we need your help.
Our under-6 players get to enjoy small sided practices and games, a great continuation to introduce players and parents to the fun activity called Soccer.
In 6u we also make use of a Master Coach, similar to 5u. Our parent coaches get lots of guidance and direction from the Master Coach, as well as the other parent coaches, helping them along. This program is more about basic development, communication, fine motor skills, fitness, and developing a love of the game through encouragement.
General format - drills n skills with the Master Coach and parent helpers in the practice area, then players move over to the scrimmage field. A scrimmage will be 3 against 3, and will play for four 5-minute quarters against another team. There will be 8 players on a team. This means that 3 players from a first team will play against 3 players from a second team, and the remaining 3 players from the first team will play the remaining players from the second team. And that leaves one or two players to substitute each quarter. See the diagram.
The primary focus for players at this age is Exploration.
Saturdays, roughly 75 minutes. (40 minutes drills, 30 minutes scrimmage)
Safe shoes, shin guards. No jewelry. Size 3 soccer ball. Water.
Division Coordinator, Assistant Coach, field prep. Our biggest volunteer need at this age is Assistant Coaches (parent coaches) to help the Master Coach. No soccer knowledge or experience is needed. We provide all required training. Our Jamboree program has been very successful, but in order to keep it running smoothly, we need your help.
Our program for the kids in these age groups begins the more traditional AYSO season experience. Players at this age may be more mature than the 5u or 6u, but we need to be patient and not force them to develop too fast. Teams of 5 are formed, and They compete 4 v 4, and we form a team of about 9 or 10, that will split up. That means that half the players from one team will play against half the players of the second team, and the other half from first team plays against the other half from the second team. (See diagram.) Also, at 7u, players begin practicing during the week, with games still on Saturdays.
The primary focus at this age is Discovery.
Practices are an hour each, one evening a week. Usually at 5:00 or 5:30, but we work with our volunteer coaches to find the right time slot. Soccer matches are an hour on Saturdays.
Safe shoes - soccer cleats preferred, shin guards. No jewelry. A size-3 soccer ball. Water.
Our biggest needs for this age group are coaches and referees. We have a great (but small) ratio of players to volunteers, that means we need lots of families in thiese age groups to volunteer. No experience or soccer knowledge is needed, we provide all required training, you provide some energy and enthusiasm. We also need families to help as event staff and field prep.
Our 8U program continues the more traditional AYSO season experience. but we need to be patient and not force them to develop too fast. Players compete 5 v 5, with most teams at 7 players.
The primary focus at this age is Discovery.
Practices are an hour each, two evenings a week. Usually skipping a day, so you might be on Monday/Wednesday, or Tuesday/Thursday. And usually at 5:00 or 5:30, but we work with our volunteer coaches to find the right time slot. Soccer matches are an hour on Saturdays.
Safe shoes - soccer cleats preferred, shin-guards. No jewelry. A size-3 soccer ball. Water.
Our biggest needs for this age group are coaches and referees. We have a great (but small) ratio of players to volunteers, that means we need lots of families in these age groups to volunteer. No experience or soccer knowledge is needed, we provide all required training, you provide some energy and enthusiasm. We also need families to help as event staff and field prep.
After 8U, players jump right into the 10U, this means there is a larger (2 year) range from youngest to oldest player. The game is played with 7 v 7, including a goal keeper. Teams usually have 9 or 10 players.
This age division introduces an aspect of competition into the program, while still maintaining our 6 AYSO Philosophies. There are standings, and chances for post season play such as Region and Area Playoffs, and our All-Star program.
Good Sportsmanship is a key ingredient and goal for all players.
This age group moves on to bigger fields, introduces additional aspects to the game such as Goal Keeper, Build-out Line, and starts pushing position concepts, such as attacker, defender, midfield, and how they work together. Players will be rotated frequently between these different positions, to learn not just the technical skills but also the tactical strategies for each position.
The primary focus at this age is Adventure.
Practices are an hour each, two evenings a week. Usually skipping a day, so you might be on Monday/Wednesday, or Tuesday/Thursday. And usually at 5:30 or 6:00, but we work with our volunteer coaches to find the right time slot. Soccer matches are an hour on Saturdays.
Safe shoes - soccer cleats preferred, shin-guards. No jewelry. A size-4 soccer ball. Plenty of water.
We need coaches and referees for each team at this age to jump in and getting involved. Additionally, Team parents will help manage the administrative part of teams, such as frequent reminders to parents. Parents at this age are also great for more involved roles, such as program helpers or board members, as they may have been around a few years already, know the program, and can help run it and shape it for the future.
At 12U, players are no longer the young kids from earlier years in soccer. Many of these children really start acting more mature and independent, yet still need support and guidance. Soccer for these players is a fantastic opportunity to help with that guidance, and provide a great opportunity for fun, escape, and growth.
Games for this age will play 9 v 9, and usually teams will be 11 or 12 on a team. We often partner with our neighbor regions for games, so 'home team' and 'away team' become more meaningful.
There are standings, and chances for post season play such as Region and Area Playoffs, and our All-Star program.
The primary focus at this age is Inspiration.
Practices are an hour each, two evenings a week. Usually skipping a day, so you might be on Monday/Wednesday, or Tuesday/Thursday. And usually at 6:00 or 6:30, but we work with our volunteer coaches to find the right time slot. Soccer matches are an hour on Saturdays.
Safe shoes - soccer cleats preferred, shin-guards. No jewelry. A size-4 soccer ball. Plenty of water. Also,
As with most age groups, we need coaches, referees, and team parents for each team. We encourage 10u coaches to continue on to 12u, so they can bring their experience with them. Parents at this age are also great for more involved roles, such as program helpers or board members, as they may have been around a few years already, know the program, and can help run it and shape it for the future. Or relax and opt for Event Staff, where you can just go to one or two events during the year to help out. And one more thing to note - players in this age group can become volunteer referees, and help out with the 7u and8u games. This is a great opportunity to help your child learn the value of contributing, as well as teach them some great leadership skills early. And it gets them away from video games for a little bit.
Often, kids this age will start to focus on one or two activities each season. At 14U, there are more players per team, and less players staying in soccer. The game is played with 11 v 11, including a goal keeper. Teams usually have 14 or 15 players. And the field is getting pretty big, usually at least 50 x 80 yards or bigger.
14u There are standings, and chances for post season play such as Region and Area Playoffs, and our All-Star program.
Good Sportsmanship is a key ingredient and goal for all players.
This age group moves on to bigger fields, introduces additional aspects to the game such as Goal Keeper, Build-out Line, and starts pushing position concepts, such as attacker, defender, midfield, and how they work together. Players will be rotated frequently between these different positions, to learn not just the technical skills but also the tactical strategies for each position.
The primary focus at this age is Adventure.
Practices are an hour each, two evenings a week. Usually skipping a day, so you might be on Monday/Wednesday, or Tuesday/Thursday. And usually at 6:00 or 7:00, but we work with our volunteer coaches to find the right time slot. Soccer matches are an hour on Saturdays.
Safe shoes - soccer cleats preferred, shin-guards, no jewelry. A size-5 soccer ball. Plenty of water.
Many of you have put in your time as volunteers or have managed to avoid it. The best way most of you can help at this age group is with something easy, low time commitment. Event Staff a few hours during the season at an event booth or table check-in, or being a Field Captain are both great tasks that you can help with. Another option is to remember that players in this age group can become volunteer referees or VIP buddies, and help out with the younger kids or VIP. This is a great opportunity to help your child learn the value of contributing, as well as teach them some great leadership skills early. And it gets them away from video games for a little bit.
Once into 16u and 19u, the program changes a little bit. There are fewer teams, the players are often involved in additional activities, whether athletic, academic, or social. At these age groups, there are more players per team, which helps with the more frequent schedule conflicts. The game is played with 11 v 11, including a goal keeper. Teams usually have around 18 players. And the field is getting pretty big, often full sized at 70 x 100 yards or bigger.
16u and 19u have standings, and chances for post season play such as Region and Area Playoffs, though it is often a slightly different schedule to avoid high school conflicts.
Good Sportsmanship is a key ingredient and goal for all players.
This age group moves on to bigger fields, focuses on sportsmanship and player development, and continues to strive to create a well-rounded well-balanced character from our players. There is strong focus on both the technical skills and tactical strategies for each position.
The primary focus at this age is Patience and decision making.
Practices are an 60 to 90 minutes each, two evenings a week. Usually skipping a day, so you might be on Monday/Wednesday, or Tuesday/Thursday. And usually at 6:00 or 7:00, but we work with our volunteer coaches to find the right time slot. Soccer matches are an hour on Saturdays.
Safe shoes - soccer cleats preferred, shin-guards, no jewelry. A size-5 soccer ball. Plenty of water.
Many of you have put in your time as volunteers or have managed to avoid it. The best way most of you can help at this age group is with something easy, low time commitment. Event Staff a few hours during the season at an event booth or table check-in, or being a Field Captain are both great tasks that you can help with. Another option is to remember that players in this age group can become volunteer referees or VIP buddies, and help out with the younger kids or VIP. This is a great opportunity to help your child learn the value of contributing, as well as teach them some great leadership skills early. And it gets them away from video games for a little bit.