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Columbia Soccer Association (TN)

Youth

2024 Spring Youth Recreational Outdoor - Birth Years 2020-2006


All information is tentative and subject to change due to situations out of our control.

Like most recreational programs, we rely on volunteer parents/guardians to coach. No experience is needed, and we have a Director of Coaching and training tools to assist you. Each team must have a volunteer coach. Volunteering at signup and completing your risk management early means your team will get to practice sooner and be ready before game day.

If you do not hear from a coach by your first game, arrive at your allotted time shown on your dashboard to receive your uniform and to play.

2024 Spring Youth Registration Opens: 01/01/2024
Regular Registration Ends: 01/31/2024 at 11:59 pm
Late Registration Ends: 02/17/2024  at 11:59 p.m. ($10 late fee)
Placement to a team after the late registration closed date is not guaranteed.

There is no paper registration. You must register online. Please do not create another account if you have forgotten your login information. You will lose all your player's history. To register, login and click the available programs button next to your child's name.

Cost
$120 Per Player
Late fee $10

TBA- Coach’s Saturday - 10 am at Ridley Conference Room
All volunteer coaches will meet at 10 am to discuss the upcoming season. Only volunteer coaches who have completed all of their risk management will be able to receive their team kits that will be distributed at the meeting. Coaches will also sign up for their practice day and time at the meeting.

If the volunteer coach attends the meeting and has completed their risk management, they will receive their roster. Coaches will then begin reaching out to parents/guardians regarding practices, games, and distribution of team uniforms the week after Coach's Saturday. Give your coach time to contact you. Make sure your account email and phone number are correct. Your team info and schedule will be posted as soon as possible. If your team does not have a coach, a parent or guardian will need to volunteer. You can also message through your account dashboard once your team and schedule have been posted.

After the coach's meeting, practices will begin.

Schedules for games will be posted after the coaches' meeting. Once schedules are posted, you'll be able to view upcoming games, use the messaging system, and view other team details.

Games
March 23 - Rain-out/Rescheduled to May 18
March 30
April 6 - No Games/Ridley is closed for Mule Day/Spring Break
April 13
April 20
April 27 - Picture Day
May 4
May 11
May 18 - make up day for March 23 rain out.


Be sure to check your calendar or upcoming events on your account dashboard for updated schedules.

Blackout Dates (No recreational games on these days):
April 6 – Mule Day/Spring Break


Times and dates are subject to change, please check back for updates. Once volunteer coaches have completed their risk management and received their team packets at Coaches Saturday, then rosters, and schedules, will be posted. Coaches will contact parents regarding days and times of practice if applicable to your age group.

Rain-out game information will be sent as early as possible via email and our Facebook page.

 

Registration

Registration is open for a specified period. We must close registration on time to allow us time to build teams and divisions. Anyone registering after the close date will be placed on the waiting list for free. If there is room on a team, you will be notified by email. You will then log in and complete your sign-up by paying and submitting. There is a non-refundable late fee on all late registrations. All registrations are online, we do not process paper sign-ups or cash/checks.

Refund Policy

Any request for a refund must be received in writing, before the first game of the season (email [email protected] and include the player's full name, birth year, and reason for the request). No refunds will be issued after the first game of the season. A $25 processing fee is applied to all refunds. Late fees are non-refundable. Service fees are also non-refundable.

No refunds will be issued if a minimum of 6 games for an outdoor season or a minimum of 4 games for an indoor season were completed due to events outside our control (weather, field availability, etc.)

Special Requests

We are no longer accepting Special Requests.

Birth Matrix

We follow the US Youth Soccer Birth Matrix to determine divisions. We offer U04 through U18 in our youth recreational program. Divisions are based on birth year, not age.

Recreational Program

The emphasis of the recreational youth program is skill development and fun. All players get to play at least half the game. Game scores are not recorded. Teams are balanced to the best of our ability. Occasionally, players from one team may play on the opposite team if a team is short of players. If your player wants to compete at a higher level, we offer tryouts in our competitive program.

Volunteer Coaches

Each recreational team is led by a volunteer head coach who is a parent or guardian. We ask that you volunteer when registering if possible. All coaches must complete Risk Management requirements (background check, concussion, cardiac and safe sport).

Once the volunteer coach has completed all the risk management requirements, they are eligible to receive their team’s uniforms, rosters, and packet which are distributed on Coach’s Saturday. Coaches choose the days and times for practice if applicable to the age division.

When a team has no volunteer coach, parents or guardians from the team will be asked to volunteer. Practices and games for the team cannot start until a volunteer coach has completed all requirements. No experience is necessary, we have resources to help new coaches.

Practice

Volunteer coaches decide the day and time of practice and will communicate with the team when practice is canceled.  The U04 through U06 divisions generally do not practice. These teams meet at their designated game time each Saturday. CSA Mentors will administer training and games during the team’s allotted game time. A coach for each team is still needed to help organize the team (uniforms, picture day, etc.). Volunteer coaches set the days and times for practice and are responsible for communicating when practices are changed or canceled.

Teams

Once registration closes, we begin building teams. Depending on registration numbers, some divisions, and teams will be COED. Divisions are often combined as well, for instance, odd divisions are combined with even.

Games

Games are usually played on Saturdays starting at 9:00 am. Once the volunteer coach for the team has completed their Risk Management, you will be able to see your game schedule, messaging, and other team details on your account dashboard.

Games are played at Ridley Sports Complex, 6148 Trotwood Ave, Columbia, TN 38401.

Game cancellations will be sent via email to the primary account holder and on our Facebook page.

Soccer Year

A soccer year starts August 1 and ends July 31.

Spring registration typically occurs in the month of January. The season is played in March, April, and May.
Fall registration typically occurs in July. The season is played in September, October, and November.

Rules/Laws of the Game - Coach's Corner

The youth recreational league is open to players in the U4 – U18 divisions. Divisions are based on birth year. The soccer year starts in the fall and ends in the spring. To verify the division birth year, refer to the US Youth Soccer Birth Matrix.

The emphasis of the recreational league is FUN. Players get to play at least half of every game regardless of skill level. Game scores are not kept, and teams are balanced to the best of our ability to ensure enjoyable play for everyone. If your player is interested in competitive play, we offer our Arsenal select program. Tryouts are once a year in the fall. For more information on Arsenal, contact our VP of Travel.

Please be aware that odd divisions are usually combined with even divisions. For example, players that register for a U5, U7, U9, U11, or U13 division will actually play in a U6, U8, U10, U12, or U14. Some divisions may be combined into coed teams and have a larger age range. For example, U15, U16, and U17 may be combined with the U18 division. This is all dependent upon registration numbers, division enrollments, and the number of volunteer coaches available. Females that are placed on a Coed team will show as being in Boys, this is due to the way our governing body's software handles teams.

Games are generally played on Saturdays, but sometimes games may be scheduled during the week. U4 - U6 games are administered by our Mentors on Saturdays and generally don't practice during the week. The practice may be one or two days during the week. Practice days and times are determined by coaches. 


How do I know what division my child should be in?
The system automatically places your child in the correct division based on their birth year according to the US Youth Soccer Birth Matrix. You can also determine the division by subtracting your child's birth year from the season-ending year (fall through spring). The new year starts August 1 and ends July 31.
For example, a child born in 2012 playing in the 2019 fall through 2020 spring would be in the U8 division. 
2012-2020=U8
Please note that odd divisions are usually combined with even divisions, such as U7 and U8. Some older divisions with smaller registration numbers may have a larger combination and be coed. For example, U16, U17, and U18 players may be combined into one U18 Coed division in order to have enough players to form teams.  If a female is on a COED team, the system will show it as a boys team due to the way our governing body sorts teams.

Special Requests:

We are no longer accepting special requests.

Weather and Illness:
We play in the heat, cold, and rain. Severe weather, lightning, or illness may cause games to be canceled. When 2 or more games are canceled due to weather or other events, we will attempt to make up 1 of the missed games, but due to field and referee availability, games may not be made up. 

Game Location
Ridley Sports Complex
6148 Trotwood Ave, Columbia, TN 38401

When will I know about games, practices, uniforms, and other information?
Coaches meet to receive their rosters, uniforms, practice fields, and other information on Coach’s Saturday. Most practices take place at Dr. Hunter's practice fields located behind his practice and Graymere Church of Christ. We encourage coaches to contact parents as soon as possible after the coach meeting. Coaches set practice times and days. We always need volunteer coaches, please consider volunteering. All volunteers must complete the Risk Management mandates. 

What equipment will my child need?
Your child will be provided a game-day uniform which includes a jersey, shorts, and a pair of socks. The uniform is theirs; they will not have to turn it back in. You will need to purchase shin guards, shoes (soccer cleats), and a soccer ball. Shin guards and shoes are required for both practices and games. A player must not use equipment or wear anything dangerous.

All items of jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, leather bands, rubber bands, etc.) are forbidden and must be removed. Using tape to cover jewelry is not permitted.

Ball Sizes

Age Group

Size

U13 - U18

#5

U09 - U12

#4

U04 - U08

#3



Do I have to live in Columbia to register?
We do not restrict registration to Columbia, anyone in Maury or surrounding counties is welcome to register to play in our program. 

When are games and practices?
Recreational games are played on Saturdays. Usually, the younger divisions play earlier and older divisions later. Game times range from 9 am to 3 pm, but this can vary depending on the number of players registered, the number of teams, and other variables. Coaches choose the day and times for practice. Some may practice twice a week. Teams in the U04 and U06 generally do not practice during the week. Mentors administer training and games at the allotted game times.

 

Tiny Toes

Our Tiny Toes program is designed for players in the 04U - 06U division to learn the basic technical (dribbling, passing, shooting, etc.) and physical (coordination, balance, etc.) parts of soccer as well as encouraging character and group building skills. This is also an ideal program if your child is curious about playing soccer and wanted to get an introduction.

The players will gain this experience through fun and team building activities, as an intro to the game of soccer. While parent involvement is highly encouraged, this session is coached by players in our mentorship program. This program does NOT host traditional soccer games but rather developing our young players to become familiar with the soccer ball and the expectations on the field.

This is a once a week program on Saturdays at Ridley Park.


What to bring on Saturday 

• Size 3 ball
• Water bottle
• Cleats (any closed toes shoes are acceptable)
• Shin Guards (optional but recommended)
• Jersey

Columbia Soccer Association (Tennessee)

1116 West 7th Street PMB 248 
Columbia, Tennessee 38401
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