HOW OLD MUST MY CHILD BE TO PLAY?

YOUR CHILD MUST BE 3 YEARS OLD in 2017 IN ORDER TO PLAY SOCCER IN THE FALL.

 

WHAT ARE THE AGE GROUPS?

THE AGE GROUPS OR DIVISIONS ARE Playgorund, JAMBOREE/U5, U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 AND U19.

(THE “U” STANDS FOR UNDER.)

 

WHAT AGE GROUP WILL MY CHILD BE IN?

THE DIVISIONS ARE BASED ON YOUR CHILD’S AGE AS OF JULY 31ST.  IF YOU CHILD IS 7 YEARS OLD ON JULY 31ST, YOUR CHILD WILL PLAY IN U8. DIVISION.  IF YOU CHILD IS 8 YEARS OLD ON JULY 31ST, YOUR CHILD WILL PLAY IN THE U10 DIVISION. FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK ON THE “FALL PROGRAM” IN THE MENU BAR AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE.

 

DO I HAVE TO VOLUNTEER?

YES!  WE ARE AN ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION WITH APPROX. 1500 PLAYERS EACH SATURDAY.  IT’S A TREMENDOUS UNDERTAKING.  THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO VOLUNTEER, IT IS NO PROBLEM TO FIND YOUR OWN WAY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE REGION.  NO EXPERIENCE OR SOCCER KNOWLEDGE IS NEEDED.   CLICK ON “VOLUNTEER” ON THE HOME PAGE TO FIND HOW YOU CAN HELP.

 

ARE THERE FUNDRAISING OBLIGATIONS?  HOW IS THE REGION FINANCED?

AYSO 177 IS A NON-PROFIT, ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.  OUR FUNDING COMES FROM SEVERAL SOURCES.  YOUR PLAYER REGISTRATION FEES PAY FOR UNIFORMS, INSURANCE, NATIONAL AYSO SUPPORT, AND FIELD PERMITS.   EACH TEAM IS REQUIRED TO HAVE A TEAM SPONSOR.  SPONSORSHIP FUNDS MUCH OF OUR PROGRAM COSTS.  FINALLY OUR REGION HOSTS A TOURNAMENT CALLED “THE BEACH CLASSIC” IN THE SPRING.  WE ASK THAT EVERYONE VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO HELP WITH THE TOURNAMENT, SO THAT WE DON’T REQUIRE ANY OTHER FUNDRAISING PROJECTS.  

 

WHEN ARE PRACTICES AND GAMES?

GAMES ARE HELD EACH SATURDAY BETWEEN 8AM AND 4PM DURING THE FALL SEASON (SEPT.-NOV.)  PRACTICES ARE GENERALLY TWICE A WEEK (M/W OR T/TH).  FOR YOUNGER PLAYERS: 4-5PM OR 5-6PM AND FOR OLDER PLAYERS 4:30-6:00PM OR 6:00-7:30PM.)

 

WHERE ARE PRACTICES AND GAMES?

PRACTICES ARE HELD AT LOCAL PARKS:  ELDORADO PARK, WHALEY PARK, STEARNS PARK AND MARINA VISTA PARK.  GAMES ARE HELD AT WHALEY PARK, MCBRIDE HIGH SCHOOL, STANFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELDORADO PARK. SEE FILED LOCATION PAGE FOR DETAILS. 

 

WHAT DO I NEED TO PURCHASE FOR MY CHILD?

YOUR REGISTRATION FEES PAY FOR YOUR CHILD’S UNIFORM (JERSEY, SHORTS AND SOCKS).  YOU WILL NEED TO PURCHASE SHIN GUARDS, SOCCER CLEATS (THEY DIFFER FROM BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL CLEATS) AND A SOCCER BALL.  GENERALLY LOCAL SPORTING GOODS STORES HAVE SOCCER PACKAGES WHICH INCLUDE ALL THREE THAT ARE INEXPENSIVE. SHIN GUARDS AND CLEATS ARE REQUIRED AT ALL PRACTICES AND GAMES.

 

WHAT SIZE SOCCER BALL SHOULD I BUY?

 U5, U6, U8                          SZ. 3

 U10 & U12                          SZ. 4

 U14, U16, U19                    SZ. 5

 

 

CAN I PICK MY CHILD’S TEAM?

NO.  ONE OF BASIC PHILOSOPHIES OF AYSO IS “BALANCED TEAMS”.  WE USE BOTH A COMPUTER PROGRAM AND EXPERIENCED COACHES TO TRY TO GET THE TEAMS AS BALANCED AS POSSIBLE.  EACH TEAM IS DESIGNED TO HAVE AN EVEN MIX OF PLAYER’S SKILL LEVELS AND EXPERIENCE.  WE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BALANCE THE TEAMS SO THAT EVERYONE HAS GOOD MATCHES ON SATURDAY.  CLOSE GAMES ARE ALWAYS THE MOST EXCITING!

 

CAN I PICK MY CHILD’S COACH?

THE ONLY WAY TO CHOSE YOUR CHILD’S COACH IS TO BE YOUR CHILD’S COACH. COACH’S ARE GUARANTEED TO HAVE THEIR OWN CHILD ON THEIR TEAM.  VOLUNTEER!  WE WILL TRAIN YOU TO COACH!

 

CAN MY CHILD BE ON THE SAME TEAM AS HIS/HER FRIEND?

EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY WITH THEIR FRIENDS! SO IN JAMBOREE/ U5 AND U6, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO ACCOMMODATE A SINGLE BUDDY REQUEST.  PLEASE ONLY ONE SUCH REQUEST AND NO “DAISY CHAINS” BECAUSE EVEN AT U5 & U6 WE TRY TO HAVE AS BALANCED TEAMS AS POSSIBLE.  U8-ABOVE NO BUDDY REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

 

HOW DO I REGISTER?

CLICK ON “FALL REGISTRATION” OR "SPRING ACADEMY" ON THE MENU BAR FOR REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS.

 

CAN I BRING OUR DOG (OR ANY ANIMAL) TO PRACTICES OR GAMES?

NO.  THE SCHOOLS DO NOT ALLOW ANIMALS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS. WE RISK LOSING OUR USE OF THE FIELDS FOR OUR ENTIRE REGION.  ANIMALS ARE NOT ALLOWED AT AYSO EVENTS (SOCCER GAMES, PRACTICES, PICTURE DAY ETC.) IN THE CITY PARKS.   (WHILE WE UNDERSTAND DOGS ARE ALLOWED ON LEASH AT THE PARKS, AYSO 177 DOES NOT ALLOW DOGS ON THE SIDELINES OR NEAR THE GAMES OR PRACTICES FOR LIABILITY REASONS.  IN THE SIMPLEST OF TERMS WE ARE ALLOWED TO CONTROL THE FIELDS WE HAVE PERMITTED.)  PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE LOVE DOGS, JUST NOT AT THE FIELDS. ---THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THE “NO ANIMALS RULE” ARE DOGS THAT ARE RECOGNIZED AS SERVICE ANIMALS UNDER TITLES II AND III OF THE ADA AND MUST HAVE PROOF OF THAT DESIGNATION WITH THEM.

 

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EVERYTHING?

AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE IS A MENU BAR, CLICK ON “MORE INFO” AND YOU WILL FIND A PAGE FILLED WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.