About the Program
The Under-5 (U5) division is an instructional soccer program for four-year-old players. All children of this age can join the program – there’s no need to have played before. Players are grouped into teams at the start of the season, and you can request that your child be assigned with a special friend or coach.
In this division we start to teach the children some elements of competition and structure, focusing on basic soccer skills, the names of the areas of the field, and positioning. Players also learn how to throw the ball in after it goes out of play, and what a goalkeeper does. Each session starts with a period of instruction and ends with a game.
U5 is structured with guidelines for the coaches on the progression of activities and skills to teach throughout the season. This program coordination keeps everyone on the same page as players evolve towards the U6 level. We believe this approach provides a structure and balance for teaching the fundamentals.
When We Play
U5 sessions are scheduled on Saturday mornings and last for about an hour. There are no separate practices.
We do not schedule make-up dates for U5 sessions that are rained out, because of the difficulty of finding a week-day time that suits children of this age.
Who Can Play
The U5 program is for players who are age four on April 1st (Spring season) or October 1st (Fall season).
We strongly recommend registering early, as the number of teams, and therefore players, are limited by the willingness of parents to volunteer to coach. Registration in this division usually closes several weeks before the start of the season.
Please consider helping your child by volunteering to coach. We always need coaches in this age-group, and by getting involved you can learn more about the game and help your child and the team.