Since Fairbanks Youth Soccer Association was first formed in 1978, we have taken advantage of the beautiful summers that Interior Alaska provides to bring the world's most popular sport to the youth of the Fairbanks area. Our large soccer complex on the corner of Wilbur and Davis has grown and developed over the years and we're excited for 2021 to have another summer of 'the beautiful game' for our young athletes.

This page will be where we post specific information for our summer programs to provide parents a resource to find answers to frequently asked questions. Some information is applicable to all players, while other sections below will be designated for specific age divisions. Please consult the information on this page and if you still have further questions, feel free to call or email FYSA and we'll be happy to help in any way we can. [email protected] 907-456-3972

   

When Will My Child Play?
Often, this is something we can't answer until closer to the season, after registration closes. However, since this is typically one of the most important question that parents ask during registration months, we've set our general age division schedule parameters NOW so families can plan their summer activities with a little more heads up. 

GAMES. The chart below shows which night each age group plays their scheduled GAME(S) at the FYSA complex. Younger ages like PreK and Kindergarten always have earlier games, traditionally at 6pm. 1st-2nd Grade games will be mostly at 6pm, though some may be at 7pm based on certain scheduling situations. Older ages are scheduled with start times of 6pm, 7:30pm or 7:45pm. The chart below gives details on which nights a particular age group may play on. If there is an 'OR' that means that this division plays once a week and when you register for that age group, you will be able to input your preferences for game night. We form brackets that stick with this same game night for the convenience of scheduling for families. For example, we will create a bracket of 1st-2nd Grade teams that only have games on Mondays, or a 3rd-4th Grade girls bracket that only has Thursday games, etc. 

PRACTICES. FYSA does not set practice schedules in advance for the summer seasons. All teams in grades K-12 have a weekly practice at a day/time/location of the coach and team's choosing. Usually, shortly before the season begins, coaches will reach out to families to determine the best options for practice days. Some volunteer coaches are more flexible whereas some may have limited schedules. ALL teams (Grades K-12, MSFC and Eclipse teams) will be provided one free hour of practice field time at the FYSA complex every week. This must be arranged in advance with FYSA. Coaches/teams that would like to utilize this will give their preferred day/time to FYSA staff and we will assign a specific field number for their use. There may be teams who prefer to use another location for practices which is fine (i.e. teams in North Pole, near Pearl Creek Elementary's field, etc.) but the one free hour a week of field time for practices will be available to all teams. 
Note: PreK groups meet just once a week for their hybrid practice/game, so this section does not apply to them. 

Remember, for summer programs, a child's 'Grade' is their school grade for the FALL of 2021 (i.e. 'the grade they're going into'). If a participant's birthdate puts them outside of a certain window, if their grade doesn't line up, or if you'd like to have your child 'play up', feel free to contact us for assistance. 

The following chart shows in green which night each age group will have scheduled games. If there is an 'OR', that means we will have specific brackets of teams that only play on Monday, one that only play on Tuesday, etc. (See section on 'GAMES' above).

Grades Kindergarten through High School will have 8 weeks of games/practices over an 9-week period from June 1st through August 2nd. First practices can be scheduled after Memorial Day weekend (earlier if everything is in place!). Remember, while FYSA sets game schedules, practice plans day(s) for all teams Kindergarten through High School are determined by coaches/parents closer to the start of the season after game schedules and rosters are posted and coaches confirmed. Teams and game schedules will be posted closer to the start of the season. This process doesn't begin until after the registration deadline (May 3rd).

The first Saturday of games for the Saturday Morning League will be Saturday June 5th. Saturday July 31st will be the final Saturday of games.

The first week of games for all weeknight league divisions will be the week of June 7th. The week of July 26th will be the final week of games for the weeknight league divisions (or Monday August 2nd for those who play on Mondays due to the holiday break. See below).

Please note: there will be NO games on Saturday July 3rd or Monday July 5th We hope everyone enjoys their 4th of July holiday weekend and the fields can get a little rest :) 

PreK groups have a 4-week session, with two options to choose from between. The 'June' session begins the same time as the rest of youth programs and 'July' session will begin after the 4th of July holiday weekend. FYSA will keep the majority of team placement from the first PreK session to the next, adjusting for any players that only participate in the early or later option.

Please also read the section further down on this page about our Saturday Morning League.

  

The following is a brief explanation of each age division's program. If you have specific questions, feel free to contact FYSA. Remember, a player's grade for summer soccer is based on the grade they will be in the coming fall. If you'd like your child to play up in an older age group, if their birthday is outside of the standard range for their grade, or for any other issues related to age group selection, contact us for options. 

PreK Division
We typically divide our PreK division into groups based on player ages as a recently turned 3 year old has a different soccer experience and needs than a 4 and a half year old. All players register under the same program (just called PreK) and we'll form groups after registration ends.  PreK teams will have 4 weeks of 1-hour sessions, once a week. Often, players at this age run out of steam after 45-50 minutes, so sessions typically do not last the full hour. There will be two options for 4-week sessions, one that starts in early June and the other in early July. The second session will start the week immediately after the first ends, so those who register for both won't miss a beat. Some adjustments to teams may occur based on numbers between the first and second 'season', keeping as much consistency as we can, modifying for any players that only participate in the early or later option. Players can register for either or both sessions (small discount automatically will apply). PreK groups are all co-ed.

The youngest PreK groups are meant to be very simple, with the goal of being not just an introduction to the most basic soccer skills, but to organized physical activity in general. There are no formal 'matches' (against opponents) so groups meet together once each week to work on skills and at the end of the session, can divide into two groups for a scrimmage (informal mini-game). This age of soccer should have parents being very involved, with a buddy-system (can be older sibling, parent, etc.) so that children can learn with someone familiar. Volunteer 'Coaches' are more like 'Group Leaders' who likely have their own child participating, so parent involvement for the whole group is vital.

Older PreK groups are similar to the younger groups as far as the need for parents to be involved. But this is a good time to transition into learning more from a single 'Coach'. Teams meet once a week and their session involves first spending time working on basic soccer skills. Each week teams will be scheduled with another team and when both groups have spent enough time working alone on skills, they can then get together for an informal mini-game (scrimmage), with coaches or other parents helping to serve as the faux-referee. 

Kindergarten, 1st-2nd Grade, 3rd-4th Grade
Kindergarten aged players have their own single year division, while other age players are combined with a 2-year grade-span. Elsewhere on this page is a detailed chart of the specific parameters that vary between each age group. These differences aim to provide a natural progression for player development as they get older. Each of these age groups typically have one practice and one game each week, with 8 weeks of games. Teams in the Kindergarten, 1st-2nd Grade and the Saturday 3rd-4th Grade divisions are co-ed. Weeknight 3rd-4th Grade divisions are separated with boys and girls on different nights.

In gender-divided divisions, co-ed team/game situations may sometimes occur in some boys divisions during the weeknight league for specific reasons (ex. teams from Healy). Contact FYSA if you have any questions about this.

5th-6th Grade, Middle School and High School Divisions
Elsewhere on this page is a detailed chart of the specific differences between these age groups, such as field, goal, ball sizes, game length, etc. There you can see a natural progression for player development as youth get older.
5th-6th Grade and Middle School: Divisions are gender-divided, typically with just one practice once a week, playing once or twice a week for a total of 12 games over an 8 week season.
High School: Teams play once a week with typically 1 practice a week and are gender-divided. Check out our Adult Soccer League program info page for other options for High School players to participate in other divisions in addition to their youth league games. Min. age for adult league participation is 14.

In gender-divided divisions, co-ed team/game situations may sometimes occur in some boys divisions during the weeknight league for specific reasons (ex. teams from Healy). Contact FYSA if you have any questions about this.

Eclipse Soccer Club Players REGISTRATION
Currently, it is planned that players on established Eclipse Soccer Club teams will not have to do an individual player registration required to FYSA for the 2021 summer season. Instead, team managers and coaches will be contacted to confirm their plans for the summer as far as nights of the week for practices and games. A per-team fee will be billed to each ESC team to be paid by the same registration deadline as other summer programs. Some older teams may also be participating in an adult division which DOES require individual registration. Refer to your own coach and/or team manager to confirm your team's plans for the summer.

Across much of the United States, youth soccer programs are structured so that teams meet during the week to practice and then Saturday mornings are for soccer games! Here in Alaska, our summers are precious and our summer weekends even more so. As such, our summer leagues have traditionally only been held Monday-Thursday evenings. However, as a result of public input and in cooperation with the local youth baseball/teeball organization, there was a desire for many families to have an option for a Saturday morning soccer program. In 2016 we offered such an option for the first time and it was successful enough to make it a standard summer program. 

Who can register? This is open to PreK ages (min. age 3) up through those players 'going into 4th grade'. The primary goal is to allow those who play another sport, or are otherwise unable to participate in our weeknight league, to still have a chance to get their dose of summer soccer. However, those who register to participate in our regular Mon-Thur leagues are ALSO welcome to register for this Saturday league in addition to their other program participation (the system will apply a small discount if you register for both options). 

All teams for Saturdays will be co-ed, and games times will be split between 10am and 11am (10am and 11:15am for the 3rd-4th Grade division due to game length). Teams in grades K-4th will still meet once a week for a practice at a location of their choosing or at the FYSA complex at a coach's request. PreK teams just meet on Saturday mornings. Younger age groups will have their own divisions and game-play parameters just like the regular weeknight leagues. The oldest age group (3rd-4th Grade) may play as smaller format teams on smaller fields based on registration numbers. This program will include 8 weekends of games, with the first matches taking place the Saturday after Memorial Day, June 5th.

FYSA typically follows the established guidelines set forth by US Soccer for age division program structures in areas such as field, goal, ball and team sizes as well as game lengths and other parameters. Locally, we make a few adjustments based on traditional program structures of the past, and our Saturday morning league will have a few additional tweaks. But for the most part, the goal is for soccer to be pretty consistent across the country, league to league. The chart below outlines some details of how our age divisions and league games will be structured.*

Because no two seasons are exactly the same, sometimes certain variables may require adjustments closer to the season. Program structures and guidelines are subject to change at the discretion of the FYSA Executive Director and/or Board of Directors and are communicated to all participants involved. A Summer Program Handbook will be made available prior to the start of the season with additional information.

*Saturday division parameters for older players may vary slightly from their respective weeknight division based on final enrollment numbers.

  
For all info about player gear, such as cleats, uniforms, etc. visit our 'Soccer Gear' page here:
https://www.fysasoccer.org/Default.aspx?tabid=993676