Competition: What level of competition should my child play at?
The “level” that a player should play at to participate in one of SnVYSA's soccer programs depends on a combination of their age and the players competition and ability level.  The SnVYSA Recreational program starts at age 5(U6)and the competitive Cascade FC  Premier club start at age 8(U8).

For more information on understanding which level may be a good fit for your child go to Player Pathway.

Age Division: What age division should my child play at? 
Your child will be placed by their birth year.  Please reference the Birth Year chart  to view the appropriate age division for your players age.  

Preschool Age: I have a 4 year old, can he/she play in the recreational program?
No, the fall recreational league begins at age 5(U6).  For preschool ages 3-5 years, we have the Cascade FC Futures program which introduces soccer to the younger players in our community. Our aim is to create a fun and safe learning environment, allowing players to develop balance, coordination, and work on concentration. These sessions are active, engaging, and social.. 

Play Up: I have a player that would like to play in an age-group different than what his/her birthday allows, can he/she "Play-Up" a year?
A player who is U8 and up can request to play-up one age group. However any such request will be considered on an individual basis and consideration to play-up will be based on the following factors:

a.) There is room in the older age group for the move. No age appropriate player will be removed or denied placement on a team if they register on time, to make room for someone requesting to play-up.

b.) The reason for the request - if your player is placed in a higher grade level in school for their age bracket and they are requesting to play with other players in their same grade.

c.) The effect that the move will have on an existing team. If your player is already assigned to a team, and then decides to 'play-up', having that player move to another team cannot jeopardize the viability of the original assigned team.

If there is no room in the older age group, the player may elect to be placed on a wait list (there is no guarantee that the player will be placed at the older age group level), or they may elect to play at their same age group level.

Play Down:  I have a player that would like to play in an age-group below what his/her birthday allows, can he/she "Play-Down" a year?  No, there are no play downs allowed by the league.  SnVYSA follows the policies and guidelines set by US Youth Soccer and Washington Youth Soccer.  Any player requesting to play down an age level, must have a medical reason for requesting the play down.    The medical play down request must  include a letter from a medical physician with the following information:  

• Brief explanation of the child’s medical examination
• How specifically will the player benefit from playing with children one year younger?
• Does the player pose a danger to children younger than the player during physical activity?

Parents considering to play their player down  must contact the SnVYSA Registrar at registar@snvysa.org  to receive  the required play down request forms.  After all forms are reviewed, the parent or guardian will be notified on whether their request has been approved or denied.

For the U6 – U8 teams:  No, we do not take coach requests at this age.  Teams are formed based on birth year, geography, and school and in most situations a player will know someone on their team.   

For U9 -U12 teams: Yes, for this age group we do try to keep returning players with returning coaches when possible.   In the event there are not enough returning players, new players will be added to the team based on birth year, geography, school, and registration date.  In some cases, we do have to place players in a different town if there is not a local team or room on a local team. 

For U13 and older teams: Yes, for this age group we do try to keep returning players with returning coaches when possible.   In the event there are not enough returning players, teams will be formed based on player numbers and may be comprised of players from multiple towns to form a team.

Coaches will be announced with player team assignments. 

Team Placement: When will my child be placed on a team? 
A player will not be placed on a team until full payment has been made and applied to their registration.   Players registering after May 31st are waitlisted and will be placed on teams if there is room available.

Coach Communication: When should I hear from a coach about my child's team? 
You should expect to hear from your child’s coach after rosters have been finalized and published to coaches and parents.