One of AYSO's key philosophies is that EVERYONE PLAYS! This means that there are no benchwarmers. Our program's goal is for kids to play soccer so we mandate that every player (with the required equipment) on every team must play at least 50% of every game. It’s no fun to spend the game on the bench…and that’s no way to learn soccer!
And, to help keep things SAFE, FUN, and FAIR, we do our absolute very best to form BALANCED TEAMS (another key AYSO philosophy). Each season (fall and spring), we form new teams within our region (Loudon County/Region 325). It is our goal to form teams as evenly balanced as possible because it’s more fun and a better learning experience when teams of similar ability play. It allows for each player to gain the experience of a wide variety of teammates of different skill levels. (Please note however, in the upper age divisions, we do play teams from outside our region and will encounter a wide range of other skill levels.)
Balancing teams is perhaps the most difficult activity our region volunteers face each season and we use our best efforts to distribute our players fairly. Coaches do not get to pick their favorite players to form a select team. Teams are formed using player skill evaluations provided by the coaches. Players are distributed among teams to provide an even balance of skills for each team.
To assist us in balancing our younger teams, each season, we hold a Player Evaluation session for all U5/U6, and new U8 players. This allows the coaches to evaluate the new players to assist in team formation. No one gets cut!!!
AYSO focuses on "what's good for kids" as its basis. Every girl and boy stepping on a soccer field for the first time can have fun. AYSO's child-first approach also makes it one of the finest player development programs. Everybody likes to win, but developing successful players and people is what's fundamental in AYSO.