FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
(FAQs)
WHAT IS INCLUDED AS PART OF MY REGISTRATION FEE?
Fees collected by the Region are not paid to any volunteers (Board Members, coaches, referees, etc.). Registration fee paid to the Region are used for player jerseys, shorts, socks, a basic player photo package and $20 for the AYSO membership fee. In addition, registration fees are used to pay for field rental costs, insurance, equipment (coach bags, field painters, paint, corner flags, goals, etc.), costs for volunteer background checks and volunteer training. AYSO is an all-volunteer organization.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DOES MY PLAYER NEED?
Shin guards – are required for all practices and games. Players cannot play/practice without them.
Soccer cleats – while not mandatory, soccer cleats are highly recommended to ensure proper traction on the fields. Please ensure the cleats are for soccer and do not include metal spikes. Baseball, softball, or football cleats are not acceptable.
Soccer Ball – not required, but highly recommended so that practice goes smoother. Coaches are only given a few soccer balls. Soccer balls should not be expensive as they sometimes get lost. Each ball should be marked with a phone # in case it is lost. Soccer ball sizes are as follows:
5U through 8U use a size 3 ball.
10U through 12U use a size 4 ball.
14U through 19U use a size 5 ball.
Water – each player should have plenty of water for practice and games. On hotter days players should bring extra water to stay hydrated.
HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER TO HELP?
AYSO is an all-volunteer organization. Board Members, coaches, referees, team managers, etc. are non-paid volunteers. Each season we need volunteers to help many roles required for the soccer season to operate. We provide you with the training. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact [email protected], to let you know about the various roles and what is required for each. Thank you in advance for wanting to help the kids of the Canyon Country community!
WHO WILL BE MY PLAYER’S COACH?
We hope the coach is you! If you are interested in volunteering as a coach, please contact the Coach Administrator at [email protected]. As a coach you control the day(s) and location your team practices. With that said, all coaches are AYSO registered volunteers. They must complete appropriate training for the level they intend to coach and comply with all Federal, State and AYSO requirements before they can coach a team.
WHEN WILL MY PLAYER HEAR FROM A COACH?
Teams are usually formed by the beginning of August. Any delays to this are generally a result of not having enough volunteer coaches. Once coaches are in place, the coaches will contact players. In some cases, certain Divisions may get calls sooner than others due to not having coaches in a given Division.
WHEN DO PRACTICES START AND WHAT DAYS?
As a benefit to our volunteer coaches, each coach decides when they want to practice.
WHERE ARE GAMES AND PRACTICES HELD?
The Region permits various fields for the purpose of games and practices. Practices are generally held at La Mesa Junior High, Sierra Vista Junior High, or the Sports Complex (Skate Park) for the 8U – 19U Divisions.
Games for 5U, 6U, 12U are held at Sierra Vista Junior High.
Games for 8U and 10U are held at La Mesa Junior High.
Games for 14U are held at Sierra Vista Junior High, Central Park, or Placerita Junior High School. In the 14U Division some games are played against other Regions in Area 10S (Canyon Country, Castaic, Saugus, and Valencia) so game locations vary at the mentioned locations.
Games for 16U and 19U are scheduled by Area 10S, not Region 677. Most games are held at Central Park or Placerita Junior High School; however, the 16U and 19U Divisions sometimes travel to Areas outside the Santa Clarita Valley. Area 10S will publish a schedule with all game times and locations.
DOES MY CHILD HAVE TO GO TO EVERY PRACTICE AND GAME?
While AYSO cannot mandate that your child attend every practice it is important for parents/guardians to take note that soccer is a team sport. The other players and coach need to be able to count on your child. As such, it is important that your child attends each scheduled practice and game. To add, missing practices and games slows down both team and player development. With this said, please have the courtesy of notifying your coach as soon as possible if your child will be absent. Coaches prepare training and game plans based on player attendance. Waiting to the last minute to advise a coach of an absence impacts the team.
WHEN ARE GAMES PLAYED?
5U, 6U, 10U and 12U games are all played on Saturdays.
14U games are played on Friday nights and/or Saturdays.
16U and 19U games are played on Saturdays and/or Sundays.
CAN MY PLAYER BE ON A TEAM WITH A FRIEND OR RELATIVE.
Each season we receive dozens of requests from parents asking that their player be placed on a team with a friend, cousin, classmate, etc. The reasons given range from this is the player’s first season, to carpool reasons, to the players are cousins, etc. Please know that there is limited ability to accommodate these requests for many reasons. First, there are between 800 – 1,000 players in our Region. It would be very difficult to ensure everyone’s request is granted. Second, one of AYSO’s philosophies is “Balanced Teams” which helps promote player development. The placement of certain players on the same team would cause an imbalance. Also, trying to accommodate all requests takes a lot of time that the volunteers for the Region just do not have. As explained below, some requests are considered in certain Divisions, but not in all cases.
Non-Competitive Divisions: 6U and 8U Divisions are considered Non-Competitive Divisions. This means win and losses are not tracked by the Region for post-season play. In these Divisions, the Region will consider, but does not guarantee, requests for players to be placed on certain teams. The exceptions are coaches having their own children on their team and siblings being placed on the same team if requested by the parents/guardians.
Competitive Divisions: 10U - 19U are in the Competitive Divisions in that wins and losses are tracked for placement in post-season play.
10U and 12U Divisions – teams in these Division are determined by a blind draw, balanced by age, and ability in line with the “Balanced Team” philosophy of AYSO. There is no choosing what players are on a given team. The exceptions are coaches having their own children on their team and siblings being placed on the same team if requested by the parents/guardians.
14U to 19U Divisions - teams in these Divisions are chosen by a draft. Coaches for each Division are provided with a list of all players along with any information obtained from prior year coach feedback, player evaluations or other information available for the player. The exceptions are coaches having their own children on their team and siblings being placed on the same team if requested by the parents/guardians, but there is an impact on the draft that is explained to coaches. Coaches then meet on an assigned date and select their teams based on the draft criteria set forth ahead of the draft. After the draft is completed, rosters are prepared by the Region and given to the coaches to reach out to their players.
HOW LONG IS THE SEASON?
The season for the 5U Division is about 10 weeks long. The first game is the Saturday after Labor Day which is September 9, 2023, this year.
The season for the 6U and 8U Divisions is about 12 weeks long. The first game is the Saturday after Labor Day which is September 9, 2023, this year.
The regular season for the 10U to 14U Divisions about is 12 weeks long. The first game is the Saturday after Labor Day which is September 9, 2023, this year. Teams that qualify for Region 677’s Post-Season Invitation Tournament (PSIT) will play for 2 to 3 weeks longer after the season. Generally, the PSIT ends before the holidays but depending on weather delays it may extend into the New Year. If a team does well at the Region level, then it will advance to Area 10S playoffs. These games are generally played in January over the course of 2 – 3 weekends. If the team continues to do well it is possible that it advances to the Section 10 playoffs in Bakersfield, CA. These playoffs generally take place on one weekend in February. If the teams continue to do well, then they advance to the Western States playoffs in March. The location of the Western States games varies each year.
The season for 16U and 19U runs from September through the end of November. The season finishes ahead of the high school soccer season in compliance with CIF regulations.
WHAT IS THE REFUND POLICY?
The refund policy can be found on the bottom of the following page at the Region’s website under Registration: https://ayso.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=867360
The policy is as follows:
Once registration is complete, please note that $35 is nonrefundable.
A full refund (except for the $35 mentioned above) of the remainder is refundable until June 30th.
A 50% refund (except for the $35 mentioned above) is refundable from July 1st until July 31st.
There is no refund available from August 1st onward.
You can download a Refund Form at the above link. You can fill it out electronically and email the form to [email protected] or you can print it and mail it to the Region: AYSO 677 - Canyon Country, PO Box 2943, Canyon Country, CA 91386.