Registration FAQs

Table of Contents

Registration Process

Fees

Walk-in Registration

General

Team Formation

Kinderleague

FAQs

Log on to update your child's information, add a new player or create a new account if this is your first time in our region. 

For 2024 our registration will be simple: create an account on this website or log into an existing account to register all players.  

Financial aid is always available (see Can I get a scholarship?). 

Note: We will not be holding walk-in registration this year. All registrations will occur online.

Q: Why are parents required to volunteer for job assignments and how many jobs do I need?

AYSO is an all-volunteer organization. Every AYSO coach, referee, board member, and other official is a volunteer. In addition to these roles, AYSO needs many other volunteers to help with field set up, equipment, photo day, and other tasks. We ask that each player have a parent or guardian volunteer for one job for each child playing (however the jobs of coach, referee, and board member fulfill your volunteer requirements for all your children due to the greater time commitment involved).

Do not volunteer for jobs unless you plan to fulfill the responsibilities!

You will not be able to complete the registration process without signing up for a volunteer job or paying a volunteer donation. If you register late and cannot find a job that fits your schedule, email [email protected]

Q: I don’t live in Menlo Park or Atherton; can I still register my child in Region 109?

Yes. One of the six AYSO philosophies is “Open Registration.” Our program is open to all children between 4 and 19 years of age who want to register and play soccer. Interest, enthusiasm, good sportsmanship, and proper completion of the registration process are the only criteria for playing. You need not be a resident of Menlo Park or Atherton to register in our region. However, you can only register in one region, so if you live in one region and your child attends school in another, you must choose where you want your child to play.

Q: When will I be notified of my child’s team assignment?

Your child’s coach will contact you once team assignments have been made. Players are usually notified of their team assignments by mid-August, depending on the coaches' schedules. Kinderleague players may be notified later. If you have not heard from a coach by late August, contact the Division Commissioner for your child's division. You will find contact information for your Division Commissioner on our website. You will also be able to see the team assignment by logging into your account here and pressing the Team button.

Q: When does the season begin?

Practice for teams in all divisions except Kinderleague will begin sometime during or after mid-August. Each coaching team will decide when its team’s first practice will be held and will notify the players. The season will start with a practice game in early September. Games will be played on Saturdays throughout the season except for our  high school divisions, which play on Sunday.

Kinderleague teams do not have mid-week practices but meet once a week on Saturday afternoons for drills and scrimmage games.

Q: What if my child's school or any other information changes  before the season starts?

If your email, mailing address, telephone number, or child’s school or grade level changes after registration, send an email to [email protected].

Q: How do I withdraw my child if he or she decides not to play?

We hope that you and your child select AYSO because you agree with the AYSO philosophy and look forward to a fun and enriching experience together in soccer. We do understand that special circumstances may require a child to withdraw from a team and ask you to remember that this will negatively impact all players on the team. Thus, we urge you to submit any requests for withdrawal by early July, before final teams are formed. If circumstances require you to withdraw after that, we will continue to honor all refund requests made on or before August 1, 2024

Any refunds not requested will be applied to the Menlo Park AYSO Field Refurbishment Program. Refunds will be mailed before the end of this calendar year.

Fees

Q: How much are registration fees?

The registration fee is $250 ($225 for Kinderleague players). You will also be asked to pay a $25 per-player fee to the national organization when you register as well as additional processing fees to SportsConnect, the platform we use.

Q: Can I pay with a check? Or do I have to pay online?

We accept online payments only. If that is a problem, email the registrar.

Q: Can I get a scholarship?

Full or partial scholarships in cases of financial hardship are available. Email the Regional Commissioner.

General

Q: What if I do not have Internet access?

• The Menlo Park City campus (Burgess Park, skate park, library, police department, city hall) has free wifi. You can sit in your car and access the internet. 
• You may use public access systems at your local library 
  

Q: My account is locked and I want to add another player or change my volunteer job.

Contact the [email protected].

Team Formation

Q: How are players and teams organized in AYSO?

Players are separated by gender and by age. See the age grouping chart below to determine your child's division. For example, GU8, also called U8G, refers to the "girls under 8" division. Players in this division are typically seven-year-old girls in second grade. The U10 and above divisions encompass multiple ages. 

A Division Commissioner (DC) oversees each division. The DC is responsible for forming teams and assigning players and coaches to the teams. Parents are always assigned to coach or assistant coach their own children. The DC attempts to balance the teams in terms of skill level and experience, and actively manages the division throughout the season, mentoring coaches, receiving feedback from parents, and facilitating the smooth operation of the division.

Q: In what division will my child be playing?

Our Region offers flexibility in our younger divisions for players with Fall birthdays to play with grade level peers in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grades or up in their birth year division. Starting in the U10 Division, National policy requires that players play in divisions strictly by birth year rather than grade in school. See our Player Age Divisions webpage for the breakdown. We also make rare exceptions to allow players to participate in an older age division. Refer to “What is the policy for playing up?” to determine whether your child may be placed in the next division up.

Q: What is the policy for playing up?

The division for your child is always determined by birth date. Refer to “In what division will my child be playing?”

Consult with the registrar at [email protected] if you believe your child should be playing in an older division. Even if a child is physically more skilled than other players at his or her age level, he or she may not have the maturity to focus and participate effectively in a practice with older children.

Q: Why can't my child play down a division?

For the wellbeing of all players, children cannot play “down” in a lower age division unless there are significant physical or developmental reasons for doing so. The Regional Commissioner must approve the rare exceptions, and will require a doctor’s letter that explains the reasons for playing down.Email [email protected]

Q: How are teams formed?

Players are grouped into divisions based on their age. From there, players are placed onto teams. One of the six Philosophies of AYSO is “Balanced Teams.” Each year we form new teams as evenly balanced as possible, because it is fairer and more fun when teams of substantially similar ability play. Our computer program distributes players among teams according to experience, age, skill level, and overall ability of the team. In Kinderleague, experience and skill are presumed to be equal for purposes of team formation since it is normally the first year of play. Your child will be on a team with at least one or two other children from his or her school (unless it is a very small school, in which case we will try to include another similarly-situated player on your child’s team), but teammates may be from different classes or even different grades. AYSO provides terrific opportunities for children to make new friends.

Q: May I request a particular coach? or request to play with a friend?

Because of all the factors that have to be managed and balanced to create teams for 1600 kids, AYSO cannot always honor requests to play with a specific coach or player. Each team includes players from your child’s school and from different schools, so that children can make new friends from around the region and so that we can minimize the likelihood of dominant teams emerging in an age division. We are counting on you to support your child's AYSO experience regardless of which team he or she is on, consistent with the AYSO philosophy.

Q: May I choose my child’s practice field?

Our field space is extremely limited (a situation which is only becoming more challenging), and fields are assigned by age to ensure that all teams have enough room to practice. Within those parameters, coaches select the fields and practice times to best synchronize with their own schedules and work commitments. If you are coaching, you will be able to specify your practice field preferences.

Q: How many times a week will my child practice?

Kinderleague (U6) holds a combined practice/scrimmage session on Saturday. U8 teams practice once or twice a week. Most teams U8+ practice twice a week. Practices are approximately one hour long.

Kinderleague

Q: What is Kinderleague?

Kinderleague is another name for the Under 6 (U6) divisions. Boys and girls play in separate divisions (BU6 and GU6) on single-sex teams. Players are typically between 4 and 6 years old and are most likely attending pre-kindergarten/preschool or kindergarten during the fall season. In Kinderleague, children learn basic skills and play 3-on-3 games in an informal, no-pressure, fun-focused setting. Each player must be accompanied by a parent or other adult who will assist with drills as required. Parents will also be recruited to coach.

Kinderleague teams meet once a week on Saturday afternoons for one hour. Typically a team works on drills for the first half hour and then scrimmages with another team for the second half hour. No additional games or practices are scheduled during the week for Kinderleague teams. Teams usually have 14 players and break into four squads of 3 players each for scrimmages.Players receive a uniform and socks; parents must provide shinguards and appropriate shoes. Soccer cleats are not required.

Q: How do I register for Kinderleague?

No different from registering any other age.  See How do I register my child?