Do you need prior experience to sign up for recreational soccer?
No skill level requirement at any age, i.e. we will have children of all levels participating on each team in our Recreational program. We have developed a system that provides both a fun and productive environment for players at all levels.
When is registration?
Regular Registration for the Fall season begins May 1st and is open until July 20th. On July 21st, a late fee of $10 applies and team placement depends upon availability.
Regular Registration for the Spring season begins November 1st and is open until January 20th. On January 21st, a late fee of $10 applies and team placement depends upon availability.
Can we make SPECIAL REQUESTS?
All special requests regarding either playing on a specific team, or playing on the same team as another player will be considered but are not guaranteed. We also strive for parity among the teams to maximize the enjoyment of all players involved. All special requests must be received by July 20th for the Fall season and January 20th for the Spring season in order to be considered.
When will someone contact us after registration?
We have two coach’s meetings scheduled for each season, however the dates have yet to be determined. Once the dates have been determined, the calendar on the website will be updated as well as emails will be sent to all registered Recreational coaches. The coaches will receive their rosters at the meeting and are asked to contact their players over the following week.
When does the season start/end?
The first game of the Spring season is March 5th, 2016. The final game will be May 14th.
When do the teams start practicing?
Practices begin the week of February 22nd, 2016.
What age group will my player participate in?
Our registration system will automatically place your child in their appropriate age group based on the Georgia Soccer Age Group Chart. The birthday cutoff is August 1st. The “U” with an age group means “under”, i.e. a U10 team consists of players who were 8 or 9 years old as of August 1t.
Can my player play up an age group?
Generally, players will play in their own age group, but occasionally players will want to play up an age group. Any player wishing to play up to the next age group must first be assessed and approved by the Recreational Director. If approved, the Recreational Director will then go into the registration and move the player to the division they will be playing up to.
Can my player play down an age group?
No, we are governed by Georgia Soccer and they will not allow any players to play down, regardless of size, skill or handicaps. Even if a doctor’s excuse is received requesting that the player play down an age group, we still cannot do it.
What are assessments and why are they necessary?
Assessments are not tryouts. We make every attempt to form balanced teams to ensure every team is able to compete. Assessments play a large part in this process. This information is particularly important in helping us grant special requests. Also, we do not break up existing teams, but use the information identified in the assessments to fill open spots on teams with the appropriate level player to help balance the teams. If you’re not able to participate in assessments, please email William Mostellar, [email protected] .
Are the teams coed?
Teams are coed for the U6 division. Beginning with U8 and up, the teams are gender specific. The only time that UFA will put together a coed team, is if there are not enough participants in a specific age group, this happens occasionally in the U19 age group, but if the boys and girls do need to be placed together to form a team, all parents will be notified first and given the option to remove their player from the program.
What is the registration fee?
Mini League: U4 $70
Mighty League: U6 and U8 $90
Champions League: U10, U12, U14, U16 and U19 $90
What is included in the registration fee?
Georgia Soccer registration and insurance, uniform for the year, referee fees, coaching education, field use, league administration, and a professional trainer will rotate among the age groups throughout the season to provide assistance and guidance to the volunteer coaches.
What equipment will my player need?
Each player should have:
· Shin guards
· Turf shoes & soccer cleats, if desired. Dawson County and Lumpkin County Parks & Recreation now have a MANDATORY TURF SHOE policy for practices. All players are required to wear TURF SHOES for practices only. Cleats are not allowed for practices.
· Age appropriate soccer ball – U6 and U8 divisions use a size 3 soccer ball, U10 & U12 use a size 4 soccer ball, U14, U16 and U19 use a size 5 soccer ball.
· Water and/or sports drink
· Sunscreen is recommended for warm months
. Jewelry is not permitted
What are turf shoes versus soccer cleats?
Soccer cleats generally have about 9 or so large studs for traction. Turf shoes generally have 20 – 30 (or more) tiny rubber nubs for traction. Turf shoes are intended for hard ground but are much easier on grass fields than cleats.
What is the uniform process?
Our recreational uniforms are intended to be used for one seasonal year. Our seasonal year runs from fall to spring and each player receives one uniform per seasonal year, i.e. - If you participated in the fall season, you will not receive a new uniform for the spring season. Prior to the fall season each year, the recreational uniforms will be evaluated and the vendor and/or style will change. Once the uniform is chosen, we will make a one year commitment to that particular uniform. Due to the rapid growth of our club as well as time constraints, we will not be offering exact sizing. Each team will receive the manufacturer’s recommended sizes for their age group.
How do I get my uniform?
The uniforms are given to the coach and/or team manager prior to the first game and will be distributed at practice. We recommend the coach and/or team manager line up the children and distribute the uniforms according to size, smallest to largest or vice versa.
What is included in the recreational uniform package?
The U6 & Up uniform includes a jersey, short and socks. Each U4 Mini League participant is given a UFA Mini League t-shirt and ball.
Who will coach my player’s team?
Each team requires a volunteer parent coach, however we provide a professional trainer who will rotate amongst the age groups throughout the season to provide assistance and guidance to the volunteer coaches.
Each season volunteer parent coaches are in great demand. Our intent is to provide as many players as possible the opportunity to play, therefore every season UFA has to search for additional people to coach because there are often not enough coaches to cover all of the teams. Prior coaching and/or soccer experience is not required. We encourage our coaches to attend the coaching courses offered by Georgia Soccer.
Please click on the link below to view courses.
http://gs.affinitysoccer.com/eventmanager/public/calendarlist.asp?calguid=&eventtab=current
Where will my player practice?
Practices will be held at Rock Creek Sports Complex or Yahoola Creek Park. Teams will have all of their practices at the park of their team's practice park preference. The practice park assignment and team assignment is based on location preference (Dawson or Lumpkin) selected during your registration.
What day and/or time will my player’s team practice?
The practice schedule by field can be found on the website by going to Programs>Schedules>Dawson Practice Schedule.
Where will the soccer games be played?
Most U6 games will be played at your practice park location (an occasional game may be scheduled at the other park). U8 - U12 games will be played at either Rock Creek Sports Complex or Yahoola Creek Park (with an occassional game at Central Park). U14 & Up will play home games at your practice park location. Please note, the U14, U16 and U19 age groups are Inter-league between neighboring clubs, so please anticipate some traveling on the weekends for some games.
When will the soccer games be played?
Most games are on Saturday’s. Saturday games start anytime from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Teams may have some games on Sunday’s, with all Sunday games starting at 1:00 pm or later when scheduled at United FA.
When will the game schedule be available?
The full Spring season game schedule should be available 1 – 2 weeks prior to the first game. The only exception may be the U14 and above divisions. Because we coordinate with neighboring clubs, the full game schedule may not be available until the week of the first game.
How many games will the teams have?
All teams are guaranteed to have 8 games during the season.
How do I check field status for games/practices?
UFA has a field status hotline (678) 648-7033 ext 1 Forsyth, ext 2 Dawson/Lumpkin; however, the most expedient way to learn of field closings will be to check our website by clicking on Field Status on the home page. The website is updated daily by 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on game days. For directions on how to receive text and/or email alerts about field status from rainedout.com, please visit our Home page and scroll to About Us>Fields.
What is Fast Track?
A demanding training program, “Fast Track Training Program” will not only challenge its participants during sessions, but will also specifically require players to keep perfecting their skills through extra work at home. The focus will be on acquiring and mastering proper basic soccer skills, crucial for the Academy level.
In addition to the usual one practice a week on their recreational team, a more intense training will be held once a week by a UFA staff trainer.
- 1 hour/week practice
- 10 week training program
- Fees are $10.00 per session
*This program is not a guarantee to move up to the Academy, but an opportunity to be exposed to a higher level of training. Fast Track is for U7 & above United FA Recreational players who are interested in a more serious and intense training program. If interested, please contact William Mostellar .
What if I need a refund?
United FA has a no refund policy.
What happens if my child is placed on the Waiting List?
The number of teams in each age group is determined by the number of registrants in said age group. A waiting list occurs when we have enough registrants to fill the roster for each team in the age group. Upon registration, if a player is placed on the waiting list, every attempt is made to place that player by forming new teams if at all possible. The more players we have on the waiting list, the easier it is to form new teams. If upon registration you see that your player will be placed on the waiting list, we encourage you to please proceed with your registration. If for any reason we are unable to place your child on a team, you will receive a full refund of the registration fees.
Does United FA offer financial assistance?
Scholarship applications are available through the United FA Dawson website on the Registration Page under Scholarships. All scholarships are confidential and require all proper paperwork to accompany the application before being considered. The Scholarship Application can be found in your account under Available Programs once you've created your family account within our registration system.