Age Group Changes
2026-27 Season

• To better align players with their school grade peers.

• Helping to reduce “trapped” players, i.e., players (usually with birthdates in the last quarter of the year) who continue in high school after the rest of their cohort have moved on to college.

• To improve player identification for collegiate soccer.

• Better alignment with school-grade peers for social and developmental benefits.

• Increased inclusivity and participation opportunities.

• Unified approach across major youth soccer organizations.

• Expert recommendations supporting the school-year model.

• The governing bodies of soccer in the USA - US Soccer, USYS, US Club, & AYSO.

• Starting in the 2026/27 season, youth player age groups will be organized by school year (Aug 1- July 31) rather than by calendar year (Jan 1-Dec 31).

• All current Recreation League players.

• All ECNL, ECNL-RL, Travel level players.

• Many players will experience a shift into a different “age group” than they would under the old model. This new parameter will influence how we form our teams. Read through the FAQ’s to see how we are diligently working on a smooth transition for the 2026/27 season.

• No, teams will remain under the birth year system through the end of the 2025/26 seasonal year.

• July 31, 2026 is when current player passes expire.

• Our Summer Academy teams for Summer 2026 will be formed using the 2025/26 season birth year age groups (Jan-Dec).

• YES, school grade is the main determining factor for team placement.

• The vast majority of players will play on the age group that aligns with their school grade (*only if their brith date does not restrict them - ie players can not play ‘down’ an age group).

• Selected players may be asked to play in an age group different to their school grade for developmental reasons per the Technical Staff (*only if their DOB allows this).

• Our Technical staff are meeting regularly to ensure that all players are considered for the appropriate level.

• Reviewing new age group player pools to forecast roster depth/assignment.

• Communicating with current Head Coaches to receive feedback on players.

• Planning tryouts.

• Creating clear communication processes and parent support resources such as this FAQ.

Players with birthdays in August through December are most likely to be affected by the change, as they will probably remain in their current age group for 2026/27. For example, a player with an October 2016 birth date (current U10) will remain a U10 for the 2026/27 season.

Academy/Travel:

• Playing up may be an option for select players, for developmental reasons only.

• These ‘select’ players will be contacted by the Technical Staff ahead of tryouts.

• Communication will be only initiated by the Technical Staff to families (not in reverse order).

Rec Players:

• Players may only ‘play up’ if it aligns players with their appropriate school grade.

Academy/Travel

• Jersey number conflicts will arise as players transition to new age groups.

• Our club is currently developing policies with our apparel vendors to address this situation and minimize the financial impact on families.

• We will communicate specific guidelines regarding jersey numbers prior to the Academy/Travel team tryouts.

Rec League:

• Rec League players are provided a new jersey at the start of every season, so there will be no jersey conflicts.