What is a soccer club?

A soccer club is simply a collection of soccer teams that are made up of players of various ages and genders that share a common name.  Players who participate in a soccer club usually begin playing soccer in area youth recreational leagues for all the reasons that kids try anything new.  Over time these players become more adept, more skilled, and more passionate about soccer and seek a more challenging environment to play. 

What ages can play soccer with Southwest Louisiana Soccer Club?

 The "age" of a soccer player is determined on August 1 of each year, and your "age" holds throughout the academic year until the next summer. The youngest players for the Southwest Louisiana Soccer Club are  "U6" which stands for "Under 6".  Players have to be at least 4 years old on July 31 to play U6 because of insurance issues, but there is not a formal minimum age for any other year bracket.  To see what age bracket your player will fall in... See the Age Matrix page.

Who runs the Southwest Louisiana Soccer Club?

The Southwest Louisiana SC is an all-volunteer community organization run by its members, overseen by an elected Board of Directors. 

I've heard through the grapevine that Southwest Louisiana Soccer Club is "competitive". What does that mean?

Frankly, this is a misnomer for our programs. The term "competitive" is subjective, but usually relates to teams that are formed through the use of tryouts and are typically focused more on game day scores and ranking, than on player development.  Our teams are not formed through the use of tryouts or evaluations of any sort. There are no "all-star" teams so actually all of our teams are considered recreational by our governing state soccer association. We make no apologies for trying to teach your child to play the game well, but we emphasize individual player development over trying to win.  We emphasize teaching soccer skills "the right way" in a fun, age-appropriate, game-based environment.

Who coaches the teams?

Teams are supervised by a staff of licensed coaches and former players who have been selected by our Board of Directors.  All training sessions, practices, and games are run by a Head Coach and his/her Assistant Coaches.

I registered my child for soccer. When will I hear something?

The electronic registration provides you a confirmation receipt. If you do not get an electronic receipt, contact us immediately. Our club posts each team's schedule online and can be accessed at any time.  About a week before practice is due to start you will hear from us by email and/or from your coach.  All families are added to an email list to announce things like the first day of practice, game schedules, special events, and so on using the email address that is used during the registration process. Families should make certain that the email address on file is one that is used frequently.

We're going to our first practice next week. What should we bring?

A big smile. A water bottle. Shin guards with socks that cover them. A ball. (U6-U8: size 3; U9-U12: size 4; U13+ size 5) Cleats are strongly recommended but soccer shoes are ok for the youngest ages.  Soccer cleats are different from baseball/softball cleats in that they do not have a central cleat in the front toe area.  No metal cleats are allowed.

Are there special rules for the younger kids or do they play the regular game?

As part of the Louisiana Soccer Association, we play "small-sided games" on smaller fields in our younger age divisions. We strongly endorse these small-sided games, because they give greater opportunities for every player to touch the ball and achieve success, something that is critically important for our younger players. 

What about tournaments?

Teams make the decision whether to play in tournaments on their own.  We encourage teams in the U8 & U10 programs to play in local tournaments, such as the Kohl's Cup. Teams are responsible for their own entry fees. The U12 and older teams sign up for tournaments at the beginning of each season and typically play 2-3 tournaments in the Fall and 2-3 tournaments in the Spring.  Entry fees are calculated into the registration cost for the U12 and older teams. 

Can my child play up?

The Southwest Louisiana Soccer Club believes it is in the best interest of the player and the team for players to participate in their respective age group. Therefore, when you register your child, only those programs for which your child is age eligible will be displayed.   Players whose birthdate is within 3 months of the next age group cutoff date and whose coach feels they are capable of playing at a higher level, will be allowed to participate with the older age group when it is in the best interest of the child. 

Are your teams coed?

We will have separate girls/boys teams where possible. In the event that we do not have enough registered girls to form a girls only team we will combine the boys and girls to form co-ed teams. Understand that there is no guarantee or refund given based on not having gender specific teams. Plus, if you have ever watched any of our girls play you would know they definitely have no problem playing with the boys. 

We don’t live in Moss Bluff, can we still sign up for your club's programs?

Absolutely!  We have players from all across areas of Calcasieu Parish and Beauregard Parish that participate in our programs.

My child also plays baseball/softball/another sport in the spring, can we still register to play soccer?

Yes but you need to know that you’ve made a commitment to your coach and the team. It is unfair to everyone if you child continually misses practices and/or games. That should be a consideration in your decision. 

I can only have my child make practices on certain days, when do you practice?

Teams typically meet 2 times per week however it is not usual for teams in the U10 and older age groups to have an additional session.  Practice times are selected by the Coach based on field availability.  When you sign up to play soccer, it is a commitment to get the child there. Your children may be active in other activities, like dance or baseball, but it is unfair to your child, the other children on the team, and the volunteer coach if you consistently cannot make practices or will consistently miss one practice each week. If the practice date/time is going to be an issue that you are not willing to try to accommodate, then we recommend you DO NOT sign your child up to play soccer.  If you want to control the practice dates, then sign up to coach and then you can decide when the practice dates will be.

My child has only played in a recreational soccer league, will club be too advanced?

No, our programs focus on individual player development.  For this reason we don't have tryouts to form teams and we don't have "all-star" teams.

Do you have a playing time policy?

We take pride in developing soccer players, and that does not happen by spending all of the game sitting on the bench.  Players who attend 75% of practices and put effort into training sessions will play the equivalent of at least one half of all friendly games and no less than a 15 minute minimum during tournament play.  The coaches make the decision on tournament play above the 15 minute minimum, and other factors such as off the field issues and conduct at practice may play a role in reduced playing time.  

When is the registration deadline?

Our registration will remain open until the maximum number of rostered players being allowed on each team is reached or until September 1. 

Your registration fee typically does not fully cover the costs associated with the program (uniforms, field supplies, ...). We receive no government subsidies.  Our Ward, as compared to the neighboring wards, does not consider soccer to be a primary sport and our fields suffer from that aspect.  Additionally, fundraisers allow our teams to be able to participate in other events that promote soccer in our community at little to no out of pocket expense for our families.

How are you associated with Moss Bluff Youth Rec League?

We are not associated nor affiliated with the Moss Bluff Youth Recreation League in any capacity. We are a separate non-profit volunteer organization that has been around since 2011. Our organization is focused solely on providing exceptional year-round soccer development programs.

We can’t afford the registration fee. What can we do?

Contact the Registrar as we do offer scholarships based on financial need.  Money is limited so please keep in mind, this fund is for children who really are in true need.  We do not want any child not to have an opportunity to play due to cost issues. The arrangement is private and confidential.

I don’t want to register online, how do I enroll?

We do not offer in person registration nor paper registration forms  Our online service uses a secure internet connection and is the only method we accept for registration.

I need to change some information on the registration form, how do I get it fixed or I have a registration issue.

You will be able to fix a lot of information yourself by logging into your family account.  For information that is not editable, please send an email to [email protected]. 

What if I order the wrong size uniform? Can I trade it in?

No, uniforms are purchased based on registration information that you provided. We do not buy extras. We will have a uniform fitting date for each team during one of the their practice sessions after the season has started so your player will be able to try on different sizes to ensure that the jersey size you are ordering is the correct fit before the jersey order is submitted. 

I have the purple/gold rec jerseys, do I need to buy a uniform?

We are not part of the Rec league. Your registration fee includes 2 Southwest Louisiana Soccer Club jerseys (royal blue/white).  You are responsible for the black shorts & black socks (the brand is entirely up to you) that your player will need as part of their uniform kit.  

Games are rarely cancelled due to weather. Soccer is played in the rain, cold, mosquitos, etc... Only the referee can terminate a game if conditions become unsafe (i.e. lightning). Practices however may be canceled due to poor field conditions during inclement weather conditions.  Any changes to game schedules will be announced through a cell phone text system and/or posted on the website.   

If you still have questions, or there is an issue that we have not covered here, please contact us at [email protected] and one of our staff members will get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.