REC SOCCER FAQ'S
How old does my child have to be to play Recreational Soccer at ZYSA?
Recreational soccer at ZYSA is U5-U18. The U means they are Under a certain age as of December 31st.
Is my child old enough to play in the ZYSA recreational league?
Children that are born before December 31 (birth year 2018) are eligible to play 5U recreational soccer for the upcoming fall and spring season.
When will I hear from a coach?
You may not hear from your coach before the first practice. That is ok. Please plan to meet your coach at the field on the first day of practice.
When will practices begin?
You can find a list of game dates on REC Soccer page.
How often do we practice?
Recreational teams practice once per week for an hour maximum on weeknights.
When will I know when my child practices?
We will post the practice schedule at the same time that we post the team assignments.
Can my neighbor’s children participate in a game or practice?
No. Only ZYSA registered players are insured and may participate in practices and games.
Can a coach conduct a practice at their home or Lion’s Park?
No. All practices must be conducted at the ZYSA facility.
When do games start?
You can find a list of game dates and other important dates on the REC Soccer page.
How many games are played?
We play 8 games per season, and these are scheduled on either Saturday or Sunday. The earliest Sunday games begin at 1pm. Game dates are listed on the REC Soccer page.
What equipment do I need to have for my child?
Ball Sizes:
- U5-U8: Size 3
- U10-U12: Size 4
- U13+: Size 5
Players should bring a ball, a water bottle, soccer cleats (not baseball cleats, baseball cleats have a spike at the top center of the sole), and shin guards (with long soccer socks over the shin guards) to each practice and game.
Do we play in the rain?
Soccer is an outdoor sport and played in many weather conditions. We will play games in the rain. The decision to cancel a game day is complex and involves field conditions (how much the fields might be damaged and are the fields safe to play on), the forecast, as well as scheduling considerations for whether or not we have the capacity to make up the games at another date. If the fields are open it is safe to practice. Absolutely no practices if the fields are closed. You can view the Severe Weather Policy.
Can a coach or team re-schedule a game?
No. Games will be re-scheduled by the Rec Director.
How are players assigned to teams?
Children of parent coaches are placed on the team with their parent. Siblings in the same division are placed on the same team unless requested otherwise by a parent. Otherwise, players are assigned baed on their practice day request.
Do you take requests for players to play together?
Not exactly. While we do not directly address these types of requests, some players can be requested on teams by coaches. In order to ensure your requests/concerns are addressed we highly encourage you to volunteer with your child's team.
Can my child play in an older division (“play up”)?
For additional consideration on this, please contact Director Dan Kapsalis.
Can my child play in a younger division (“play down”)?
Playing down is permitted for children with special physical or mental needs. Please contact Dan Kapsalis for such requests. “My child is a little small for their age” is not generally considered a special physical need.
Is there a ZYSA activity scheduled on...?
ZYSA makes every effort to do our scheduling in a manner that is as compatible as possible with major school functions, holidays, significant community events, major religious holidays, and other community sports. However, there are a limited number of dates to work with in a season and sometimes we have to compromise with our scheduling. Please understand that we make every effort to accommodate these events when we do our scheduling. However, if there are events of which you know prior to the season, please contact us and let us know the details.
What about conflicts between soccer practices/games and other sports?
ZYSA strongly believes that kids should participate in multiple sports. When possible, we work with the other sports in the community and coordinate our game scheduling (e.g. Fall 2008 flag and youth football). However, conflicts will naturally arise with other practices and games. A few guidelines we try to encourage include: (1) a game in any sport generally takes precedence over a practice in another; (2) try as best as possible to balance which sport is missed when conflicts do arise; (3) most importantly, communicate with your coaches of both sports to make them aware of the conflicts so they can plan accordingly.