Age Group Formation Change - Get Ready for next Season
Tom Tianich • June 28, 2026
US Youth Soccer officially shifted from calendar-year groupings (Jan 1–Dec 31) to a school-year format (Aug 1–July 31). The claim is that this seasonal model aligns players closer to their academic classmates.
Why the shift?
- Social Cohesion: Players are grouped with school peers, which supposedly boosts team chemistry and social development.
- Retention: Lessens the "trapped player" dilemma, especially during middle school and high school, allegedly reducing player dropout rates.
- Age Brackets: Teams will now span two birth years (e.g., U12 includes kids born between Aug 1, 2014, and July 31, 2015).
If you want to know exactly how your child fits into the new setup, see the charts below or try the "calculator".
- "Competitive" Chart
- Recreational "GHSL" Chart
- Hollywood FC Chart (includes PK Soccer)
- FYSA-provided chart, for those that prefer it
LINK HERE
Age Calculator Coming Soon!
Each year in May, we have tryout season. The angst within the Youth Soccer Community is easy to feel. We hope that the infographic and the blog post can help some players and families during this process. It's not easy to navigate. WHAT COACHES ARE LOOKING FOR ☺ PLAYER NO'S ☺ SOME INSIDER TIPS
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9 Things Coaches Want Parents to Understand Being a Head Coach is HARD Work. I have talked to MANY coaches over my long career. Here are 9 Things Coaches Want Parents to Understand. We CARE about your Child - Even if your child doesn't get much varsity playing time, we care about them. Nothing is ever personal. We love your child. Everyone has a Role. They are all different. But they are all important. Help us celebrate their role. TIME - There are only two people who understand the time commitment of a coach. The Coach and their Spouse. We are always "on," constantly thinking about our team. We sacrifice our Family time to be with your child. We don't need a pat on the back. Just respect this fact. We LOVE this job - But it is a hard job. Please don't steal our Joy. Our Passion. Our Commitment. We are losing too many coaches. Help Support us. Coaches want to WIN more than you do - We are very competitive. We put our heart and soul into this job. We are not perfect. Either are you. No one is. Strategy or X's and O's matter much less than you think. We are at practice every day. Trust what we see and do. Everything is EARNED - You get what you earn. Don't blame the coach. Encourage your child to be committed. It is your child's job to get in the weight room, shoot in the driveway, go to the gym or field, etc. Encourage them to do this. You get what you earn. Trust the PROCESS - Team Sports are the ultimate lab setting for life. There will be bumps in the road. It is guaranteed. It is part of the process. Accept this fact. Trust the Process. The life lessons learned will last a lifetime. Winning is HARD - Other teams want to win too. Other teams put time in too. Other teams compete too. The season is a grind, and the process is more important than the prize. Learning how to win ...and how to lose...is an important part of this process. Your child GETS it - Your child understands. They are at every practice. They know their strengths. They know their weaknesses. They know their role. Don't feed their youthful insecurities by questioning the coach. This will hurt their experience and the team. Finally, and Most Importantly, this is your child's experience, not yours - This is important. Let them enjoy the experience with your support. Don't judge them. Don't be critical. Just be there. Tell them you LOVE watching them play. Be a fan of the TEAM.