(Or What I Do With My Weeknights and Weekends)
For us, youth soccer started with a YMCA recreation team. We discovered a local soccer league and moved Connor to that when he was old enough. We moved during his kindergarten year and were fortunate to find another league in our new city. That league had rec and travel opportunities. This guide covers the basics of rec through the first years of travel. All levels have volunteer roles. All levels require water, ball, shin guards, cleats and patience/sense of humor.
Stage 1 (age 3-4)
Recreation. The most stressful part of this age/stage for me was getting Connor out of the house. He had weeks where he did not want to play soccer. Read more about that here.
The second-most stressful part: Snacks! I wanted to have something the team will want to eat. But I didn’t want to be judged by the other parents. I didn’t hit Pinterest or poll my friends for ideas. I asked Connor, but doughnuts weren’t happening.
Then I relaxed. The team has played for maybe 45 minutes. Nutritionally speaking, they have not depleted their calories and they don’t need to carb load.
I kept it simple: water and fruit, graham crackers and juice box, granola bars and water. Have extras (the players’ siblings may snag snacks, too).
Uniforms at this age: T-shirt or jersey issued by the organization. It is included in the program fee. Kids need shin guards and sneakers or cleats.
Skills introduced:
- Teamwork and play
- Sportsmanship
- Not to use hands on the ball
- Coordination
Stage 2 (ages 5-6)
Recreation program with practices. The fee is a little higher because the teams may include the kit (uniform) in the fee. The uniform likely includes a jersey or T-shirt, shorts and socks. It also may include a home and away shirt. Ideally, you will use the kit for the fall and spring seasons. Kids need shin guards and sneakers or cleats.
Practices were one hour, one day a week when Connor moved up to the Sanford Area Soccer League (SASL) in Lee County, N.C. Games were on Saturdays or Sundays. Coaches are volunteers and usually appreciate any help you can provide – I sure did.
New Skills:
- Team play
- Sportsmanship
- Dribbling
- Kicking and passing
- Offensive and defensive techniques
Snacks are still a thing here and kids will tell you if they don’t like something.
By March, we had moved to Guilford County, N.C. I was able to sign up Connor for the spring rec season with Greensboro United Soccer Association (GUSA). He played through the following spring on their rec teams. In 2017, he was eligible to try out for GUSA’s Junior Academy.
Stage 3 (age 7)
Travel program and lots of practices and higher fees. If that’s a concern, check with your organization. They likely have a financial assistance program. They also split the dues over the season, which allows you to make a smaller payment each month. The team may also have a team fee, if tournaments are not included in the program fee.
When you and your player commit to the travel program, you are agreeing to at least two practices a week and games on either Saturday or Sunday – sometimes both. Those games include tournaments, and your child is expected to participate. In our case, the game dates are set at the start of the season, but the times are not.
This is the age where players transition to positions. Goalkeepers in our league have two additional practices each week. Those are optional.
Uniforms are not built into your dues. They cost more and you must order from the team’s store or website. The uniforms include (for us): shorts, two jerseys and two pairs of socks. They’ll wear the uniform for two years (four seasons). The store will have all sorts of add-ons: team bag, team jacket, team training pants, team this and that. And if you want to buy it, great. But don’t feel pressured. Everyone has a different budget. Kids need shin guards and cleats.
New skills:
- Ball handling and footwork
- Communication
- Position training
Stage 4 (age 8-11)
Travel out of state
The team’s travel through this fall was kept to a 70-mile radius. Our first out-of-state tournament will be in April 2019. The tournament fee is covered by dues; hotel and transportation are not.
On uniforms, we paid $200 for this two-year season. I’ll probably be buying a new white kit. Red sports drinks are stronger than my stain-removing game.
New skills:
- Communication
- Position-specific training
- How to combine knowledge
- How to build off plays and passes