Atlanta Region 1612 Frequently Asked Questions - Spring 2024 Season
What is AYSO?
When and where are practices and games held?
What equipment does my child need?
Who are the coaches?
How are teams formed?
I’ve submitted my registration. Now what?
Does AYSO Atlanta offer scholarships?
When are team assignments announced?
When do players meet their coaches & teams?
It’s almost time for Jamboree, and I’ve not been contacted. What should I do?
What is the cost, and does AYSO 1612 issue refunds?
When does the season begin? When will the game schedule be posted?
What about late registration and waiting lists?
What happens if there is inclement weather?
What do the divisions mean?
Can I make a buddy request for my player?
Is there anything else I should know, and who do I contact for assistance?
What is AYSO?
The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is the oldest national youth soccer program in the US, and is a non-profit organization that provides youth soccer programs for near 400,000 players nationwide.
AYSO is a soccer program for the whole family, and our goal is for every girl and boy stepping on a soccer field to learn soccer and have a fun, fair and safe experience. In AYSO, every player on every team plays at least 50 percent of every game.
We run on volunteer power! Every coach, referee, and board member is a volunteer. Atlanta’s Region 1612 is managed by a local board that oversees recruitment, training, team formation, game schedules, and more. We rely on your volunteerism to make youth soccer fun and safe for all players.
Read more about AYSO
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When and where are practices and games held?
Upper Division & 10U practices are held one or two times a week depending on coach and team preference. 8U division practices are held for about one hour per week. Practice days and times are determined by the Team Coach and Coach Administrator, based on availability and input from the registration forms. 6U teams only meet on Saturdays and they will practice for 30 minutes before a 30 minute game. 5U and 3 for Free will meet on Saturday mornings only for a 1 hour play session.
Games are held on Saturday mornings or afternoons. There are no games during holiday weeks or school breaks like Spring or Fall Break.
This season:
• Practices will held at the Boulevard Crossing Park, Monday-Friday, evenings.
• Games will held at the Boulevard Crossing Park on Friday nights for Upper Divisions and/or Saturday mornings. All other divisions will play on Saturday mornings at the Boulevard Crossing Park.
Click on location for link to google maps:
Boulevard Crossing Park - 500 Englewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30315
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What equipment does my child need?
The registration fee includes: complete uniform (jersey, shorts, socks), supplemental accident insurance, and team and individual pictures*.
In addition, your player will need:
• shoes (cleats are helpful, but not necessary; sneakers are fine),
• shin guards (mandatory; must be worn at all practices & games),
• a soccer ball (3 for Free, U5,U6,U8 - size 3, U10, U12 - size 4). Extra balls can be provided, if needed.
• a water bottle.
Please make sure your child does not wear any jewelry to any practice nor game: this includes earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, fitness trackers, etc.
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Who are the coaches?
AYSO coaches are volunteers who give their time to bring a quality soccer experience to children. Coaches receive age-specific training for every experience level through online certification courses and supplemental local instruction and clinics. Learn more about becoming a coach here.
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How are teams formed?
The Regional Board is committed to ensuring all teams are well-balanced. Coaches rate players’ skills from previous seasons. AYSO then uses a computer generated system to randomize teams with an emphasis on creating balanced teams.
Please note: AYSO 1612 cannot honor requests that friends or siblings play on the same teams; our focus is on forming well-balanced teams so that everyone’s soccer experience is enjoyable. However, if a parent would like to volunteer to coach and the friend's parent would like to coach they can be on the same team.
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I’ve submitted my registration. Now what?
Once you’ve created an account and enrolled in a program at ayso1612.org, work begins behind the scenes to register your player. Fees are due upon registration.
About one month before the first game, the Regional Board balances teams, and finalizes coach assignments and schedules. These details will be communicated to you via email. General updates are also posted on AYSO Atlanta's Facebook page.
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Does AYSO Atlanta offer scholarships?
Yes. Each season we offer a limited number of need-based scholarships to cover registration fees. The scholarship application can be completed online. Please note, there is a national AYSO fee of $20 that cannot be covered by the scholarship.
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When are team assignments announced?
Your player (and coaches) will be able to view their roster online at http://ayso1612.org before each season begins. AYSO volunteers do their best to have a first draft of all team placements several weeks before the first practice; however please be aware that this is not the final team assignment. If a volunteer coach has not been identified or if there are practice day scheduling conflicts, some player/team swaps may be made to ensure teams are appropriately balanced. You can prevent delays by signing up early to be a coach or assistant coach! Email [email protected] to find out how.
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When do players meet their coaches & teams?
Coaches and teams meet together at Jamboree, about 2 weeks prior to beginning practice each season. Jamboree is the time for teams to get together, meet each other, and decide when to practice, team name, snack schedules, etc. After that all teams except 6U and 5U are permitted to begin weekday practices. 6U and 5U teams do not have separate weekday practices.
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It’s almost the start of the season, and I’ve not been contacted. What should I do?
Please don’t panic if you haven’t heard any information about your child’s team! If your child’s team does not have a volunteer coach, players' parents will be contacted to discuss to see if a volunteer can be identified. Again, AYSO is a 100% volunteer-run organization, and the best way to prevent delays in team formations is for YOU to step up and volunteer as a coach or assistant coach!
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What is the cost, and does AYSO 1612 issue refunds?
For Spring 2024, player fees are $165.00 for all divisions except 3 for Free. Additionally, there is an annual AYSO national fee of $20.00 for all players, which is only paid once during a membership year (2 seasons starting in the Fall). Player fees cover insurance, uniforms, team photos, and help defray field leasing costs for AYSO 1612. There is also a processing fee of $2.75, so the total cost for a new player will be $187.75.
Early bird registration is from 1/15/2024-1/31/2024 and provides a $20 discount, for a total of $167.75 for new players.
$5 Family discounts are also applied to each additional sibling from the same family.
We are able to offer a limited number of need-based scholarships to cover registration fees. The scholarship application can be completed online.
Refund requests are individually reviewed by the Regional Board. For Spring 2024: Players withdrawing prior to 1/31/2024 can be issued a full refund of the AYSO Atlanta fee. Between 2/1/2024 and 2/10/2024 50% refunds, minus the AYSO national fee, can be issued. No refunds will be issued on or after 2/11/2024.
All refund requests must be submitted in writing to [email protected].
*Note: The AYSO national fee of $20 is separate from the AYSO Atlanta fee and cannot be refunded once it is paid.
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When does the season begin? When will the game schedule be posted?
Practices begin the week of September 5th. Note: 5U&6U does not practice prior to their first game.
First Games: March 8th & 9th
No Games: March 30th & April 6th (School Break)
Last Games: May 11th
In case of postponement, all make-up games will take place on pre-arranged dates.
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What about late registration and waiting lists?
Some divisions reach capacity before registration ends. When a division is full, players who attempt to register will be automatically placed on a waiting list. Players on the waiting list will be contacted if a spot opens.
Late registration may be available in divisions that are not at capacity by the end of regular registration. In that case, an announcement will be made on AYSO Atlanta's Facebook page.
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What happens if there is inclement weather?
Weather sometimes impacts soccer practice and game play. The City of Atlanta owns the field(s) where AYSO practices and plays games. They will not allow play if weather is unsafe or if there is standing water that could damage the fields. AYSO Atlanta uses Remind to send text messages for important updates like weather cancellations. Please visit the Remind page to join our group.
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What do the divisions mean?
We recognize that the names of the divisions may be a little misleading, as the AYSO national age groups are based on the child's year of birth. This means that your child may play with kids in different grades, but roughly the same age. Further, some divisions will be consolidated to allow for an appropriate number of teams. Below is a listing of each division and the corresponding birth years.
Please note that AYSO standards do not allow children to play in a division below their assigned age group, but if you believe your child's skill level allows them to play with the division age group above them, please email us [email protected].
3 for Free: Co-ed teams for kids who are 3 years old as of 9/9/2023 or who turn 4 during the Fall Season. We are excited to roll out an AYSO national initiative to welcome 3-year-olds into our AYSO Kickstart Program. This program requires parent participation and allows volunteer coaches to foster Fundamental Motor Skills while integrating aspects of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to create an engaging, safe, fun and age-appropriate soccer learning journey.
5U: Co-ed teams for children who are 4 years old and children who will turn 5 during Fall season. This programs meets one time per week on either a weekday evening or Saturday mornings for one hour (time & location TBD depending on volunteer availability). Players will participate in fun-focused soccer and gross-motor skills games and for those players who are interested will participate in a small sided scrimmage for the last 20 minutes of the hour.
6U: Co-ed teams for children who are 5 years old and children who will turn 6 this Fall. This programs meets one time per week on Saturday mornings for one hour at Grant Park. Teams will play fun-focused soccer skills games and will play a small sided game for the last 20 minutes of the hour.
8U Girls & 8U Boys: For children who are 7 years old and children who will turn 8 this Fall. Teams will practices one time per week for one hour, Monday- Thursday (team practice day and time will be agreed upon between coach and parents at Jamboree) between 6-7 PM- location either DH Stanton or Benteen Park. All games will take place on Saturday mornings at Grant Park.
10U Girls & 10U Boys: For children who are 9 years old and children who will turn 10 this Fall. Teams will practice two times per week for one hour, Mon-Friday (team practice day and time will be agreed upon between coach and parents at Jamboree) between 6-7 PM at DH Stanton or Benteen Park. All games will take place on Saturday mornings at Grant Park.
Upper Boys & Upper Girls - For children 11 & up. Teams will practice two times per week for one hour, Monday- Friday (team practice days and times will be agreed upon between coach and parents at Jamboree) between 5-7 PM at DH Stanton or Benteen Park. All games will take place on Saturday mornings.
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Can I make a buddy request for my player?
Unfortunately, no. AYSO focuses our team formation on one of our core values which is balanced teams. This is a complicated process and we must carefully divide players into teams to ensure that all teams are as balanced as possible so that everyone can have fun and develop their skills. ONE EXCEPTION: if you and a friend volunteer to coach together, we can assign your players to the same team! Please reach out to us via email to let us know you and another volunteer are interested in partnering together.
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Is there anything else I should know?
Yes! Please Remember…
AYSO is a parent-based volunteer organization established to provide a positive experience for our children. Go to the games. Learn the rules. Familiarize yourself with AYSO's unique philosophy. Above all, be tolerant of any mistakes the player's coaches and referees might make. And volunteer for a job!
More Questions?
Email [email protected] and check AYSO Atlanta's Facebook page regularly for updates on AYSO Atlanta Region 1612. Leave a voicemail for AYSO Atlanta at 803-868-2570 and your call will be returned.
For technical questions about the registration website, please call the Sports Connect help desk at 1-866-258-3303.
This page was last updated 01/31/2024 and will be routinely updated as information changes.
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