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Whether this is your child's first season or their 10th, you may have questions. Read on for answers to the most frequently asked questions about our house league!
I’ve registered my child for House League, what do they need? Your child will receive a jersey, shorts and socks. They need to have shin pads, and proper footwear. At U6 and under, running shoes are recommended. Older than that, cleats are recommended, but running shoes are still acceptable. What night does my child play? Each division plays on a particular night, the schedule is available here. What time do games start and how long are the games? Each division has their own start times, and length of games, depending on ages. U4-U6 in the East start at 6:15 and run for approximately an hour, with the first half hour being practice, and the second 30 minutes consisting of a game. U4-U6 in Central start at 6:30 and run for approx. an hour, with the first half hour being practice, and the second 30 minutes consisting of a game . For U8 East and Central, refs start the games at 6:30. Coaches may have their team come at 6:00 or 6:15 for practice. Each game is 2-20 minute halves, so the session may last longer than an hour. For U10, refs start the games at 6:30. Coaches may have their teams come earlier. Each game is 2-25 minute halves. For U12, refs start the games at 6:30. Coaches may have their teams come earlier. Each game is 2-30 minute halves. For U14 Girls and U15 Boys, refs start the games at 6:30. Coaches may have their teams come earlier. Each game is 2-35 minute halves. For U16 Girls refs start the games at 6:30. Coaches may have their teams come earlier. Each game is 2-40 minute halves. For U18 Girls and Boys, refs start the games at 6:30. Coaches may have their teams come earlier. Each game is 2-45 minute halves. How will I find out what team they are on? Our convenors start making up the team lists and contacting coaches near the beginning of May. By May 24th, you should receive a call from a coach, telling you what team your child is on. Please write down the coaches name, phone number, and the team colour. If you have not heard anything by May 26th, please contact registrar@kingstonsoccer.ca so that we can figure out what's going on. Perhaps we have mis-typed your phone number, or your child has been sorted into the wrong age groups. Mistakes can happen, so please be patient! We start the week after the May long weekend, so this year the first day is Monday May 31st. For U4 the season is 8 weeks long, so they finish on July 19th. For U5 they finish on August 9th. U6 finish on August 10th. Older divisions have their tournament weekends on August 14th, 15th or August 21st, 22nd. Each group will have their own start time, but most games start at 6:15 or 6:30. For U8 and younger, practices are right before the games. So each session would consist of approximately 30 minutes of practice, followed by the game. I filled out some information wrong on the form, what do I do now? Please email registrar@kingstonsoccer.ca with your child’s name, and the information that needs to be changed. My child really wants to play with her best friend, what can I do to make sure that happens? There is a spot on our registration form that allows for ONE friend request. We try to accommodate these requests, but sometimes it just isn’t possible. Registering early helps, as team formation is done near the start of May, but there are no guarantees. It is easier to place children together when the request is mutual. So Susie requests Annie and Annie requests Susie. That is much easier to work with than the chain of requests. Nathan requests Dylan, Dylan requests Jason, Jason requests Matthew, Matthew requests Chris. Those are very difficult to work with, for the convenor. Also, sometimes be aware that 1 child can be very popular and is requested many times over. In that case not everyone will be able to have that request honoured. We try not to have “school” teams, as this can lead to children feeling left out (“But everyone from school is on the green team, and I’m on the blue team”), and it can also lead to unfair games (“that team has played at recess together all spring, and now they are beating everyone”.) At 4, 5, 6 etc most kids are happy to make new friends. And it usually works out that you know someone from swimming lessons, or from the neighbourhood. Another thing for parents to remember is that sometimes it isn’t as important to the child, as it is to you. You would like to socialize and visit with friends on the sidelines. But your child may be happy to make new friends. Why do U10 and younger divisions get photos, and older kids do not? There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that older kids are usually less interested in having their photos done in a formal way. And this would lead to poor attendance, and also inappropriate posing in the pictures. It is no longer “cool”. As well, in older divisions referees cost more per game, and to balance out the value for the younger kids, we added in photos. Why aren’t the bathrooms open at McCullough, Shannon, John Machin? This is a City issue. They will not leave the bathrooms unlocked, because of the risk of vandalism and damage. Any parent or coach is welcome to get a bathroom key from the City. You go to the Invista Centre, and pay a $25 deposit. When you return the key in the fall, they will give you back your deposit. Why isn’t the grass cut? Why aren’t the fields in better shape? Again, this is something that the City handles, and we have no control. We can request that fields are cut, or tell them when there are problems. So please do let us know, gm@kingstonsoccer.ca My child is small/has never played/ has a friend that is younger, can they play down an age group? We do not allow playing down at all. Children do best when playing with their peers, and learning age appropriate skills. My child is big/very skilled/has a friend that is older, can they play up an age group? We do allow playing up, in some situations, but again feel that playing with peers is the best place for children. If a division becomes full, your child may be moved back down to allow other children to play. Children can only play up 1 age. So if your child is born in 2003, and should play U8 with children born in 2002 and 2003, they will not be allowed to play up with children born in 2000 and 2001. If you wish to have your child play up, you must note it on the registration form, and for online, email registrar@kingstonsoccer.ca. It's raining, are the games still on? Soccer is played in the rain. Games are only cancelled if there is lightning, or if the rain is so heavy that there is danger to players and fields. At U4, U5 and U6 convenors make the decision to cancel and will tell coaches, who will pass the word to parents. At U8 and up it is the referees call. All teams should go to the fields and then wait to hear the decision. Remember, the kids often enjoy playing in the rain, but parents and spectators find it less enjoyable! |