Schoolyard Program (formerly U5)
The Schoolyard program is for children who will be 4 by the start of the fall season and are not starting Kindergarten.
The program is a bit different than older kids; it is “jamboree style” meaning kids gather in a group and run through a series of games to help them learn the skills they need for soccer and the basics of the game. This is followed by a short “game”. Details of the program are below.
Program and Jamboree Schedule
The Schoolyard program meets once a week for about 1 hour at a location, day, and time chosen by the volunteer coaches. Each session will follow a schedule consisting of:
• 10 minutes warm-up
• 10 minutes of learning a skill with a parent/family member helping out
• 10 minutes of a fun activity to reinforce the skill
• 30 minutes of a 3-on-3 game within your jamboree group
The program generally meets once a week for 8-10 weeks, keeping with the older kids schedule.
Co-Ed Groups and Group Size
The Schoolyard program is co-ed—although there are many differences between 4 year old boys and girls, their soccer skill level is not one of them. Groups are formed with as even a gender distribution as possible given the program participants. Each jamboree group will have between 10 and 14 children and 2-3 coaches.
Parent Participation
As part of the Schoolyard program, Parents will work with their child during the first 10-15 minutes of the session, this is a way to make the players feel more comfortable and keep families involved!
Coaches Needed
We need one in four families to volunteer to coach. No soccer experience is necessary and you will receive full training in how to run the jamboree session and how to teach the skills necessary for Schoolyard. Please email [email protected] to express interest in coaching or with questions about coaching. Coaches also get a t-shirt and their child’s adoration.
“Uniforms” and Equipment Needs
Each child will receive a Schoolyard T-shirt
Each child must have shin-guards and socks that fully cover those shin-guards. Children without these two items will not be allowed to participate.
Shorts and comfortable athletic shoes (tennis shoes or cleats) are recommended but not required. Most children do not have cleats.
No soccer ball is required (coaches will have one for each child), but if you would like one for home Schoolyard kids play with a size 3 ball.
Other frequently asked questions:
Can I request that my child be placed on a jamboree group with their friends?
As a rule such requests are not granted. Creating teams is complicated process and Davis AYSO can only guarantee that siblings in the same age group are placed together. This is true for all age groups. Teams for are formed based on geography.
The time that my coach has chosen doesn’t work with our schedule, can we switch teams?
As a rule such requests are not granted. The only way to ensure that the time/place that sessions occur works with your schedule is to volunteer to coach since coaches choose the time/place of sessions.
Can I drop my child off at sessions and pick them up at the end?
No. We require parent participation in the sessions and children are more comfortable with their parents present at the session.