FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

Starting Fall 2026, U.S. Soccer moved to a school-year model for age groups. The cut-off date is August 1st, which aligns with school grade cut-offs: players born Aug 1 of one year through Jul 31 of the following year are grouped together, and each "U-" age group now spans two birth years. (Example: U9 – U10 = Aug 1, 2016 – Jul 31, 2018.)

All rates increase $15 after June 15th. U6 — $110 · U8 — $135 · U10 — $170 · U12 — $175 · U14 — $195 · U16 — $210 · U19 — $210.

The cost of running youth sports organizations is continually increasing. RYSL strives to keep costs as low as possible through donations, sponsorships, and negotiated contracts. Major league expenses paid from registration fees include: background checks on all coaches, insurance for players and coaches, game field rental at California Soccer Park, uniforms and equipment, referees, league administration fees and rentals, district and state association registration fees, seasonal tournaments, and coaches training.

We do not recommend playing in a different age group for safety. If your player is large for their age or exceptionally good, you can request to play up 1 BIRTH YEAR, NOT 1 AGE GROUP. There are 2 birth years in each age group — for instance, U10 covers players born Aug 1, 2016 – Jul 31, 2018. Only a player in the older birth year of their group may request to play up; a player in the younger birth year cannot. To play up, email support@reddingsoccer.com and select the next age group up during registration (e.g., if U10, select U11 to land in U12; if U12, select U13).

Yes to both. Registering on time saves you $5 with the early bird discount, and a $20 late fee applies to registrations received after the closing date for each season. Early registration is also the best way to lock in a spot before an age group fills.

Registrations received after a season's closing date go onto a waiting list for that age group. If space opens on a team, you'll be placed; if it doesn't, we cancel the registration and refund the fees paid. You'll typically hear from us about a week before the season if we can't place your player.

We never want cost to keep a kid off the field. Need-based help is available across our programs — email support@reddingsoccer.com and we'll walk you through the options in confidence. Scholarships are funded in large part by our sponsors and the annual Dinner Auction.

Assuming they are in the same age group (or near age groups), then yes. Make sure you mark the registration form that you wish this to occur. This is especially important for siblings that do not share a last name.

Yes. We attempt to honor requests to have players play with their friends or for certain coaches. However, we cannot always honor every request — sometimes there are too many requests, players have changed age groups, or we need to move kids around to balance team sizes.

Coaches should contact players approximately 1 week prior to the beginning of the season. In the Spring you should hear from a coach in the first week of March. In the Fall, they should be in contact by late August.

Rec games are played at California Soccer Park in Redding, on Friday nights and Saturdays. Game times are published once team assignments are finished, and your coach will share your team's specific schedule before the first match.

Practice nights are set by each volunteer coach after team assignments are made, and most teams practice one or two evenings a week. You'll hear the day, time, and field from your coach before practices begin — exact nights aren't assigned until teams are formed.

Cleats, shin guards (required), a water bottle, and a ball. Ball sizes by age: size 3 for U6–U8, size 4 for U10–U12, and size 5 for U14 and older. Bring both a light and a dark shirt to the first few practices until uniforms are handed out.

Fields, goals, and equipment are inspected before every session, and we monitor weather and air quality against league heat and air-quality thresholds. Practices and games can be shortened, moved, or cancelled — your coach will notify the team, and current conditions at the park are posted on our Risk Management page.

Email support@reddingsoccer.com as soon as you know. Refund eligibility depends on how close to the start of the season the withdrawal happens — see the refund policy below.

For Rec, uniforms and equipment are included in your registration fee. Academy players receive official CDA training and match jerseys, and competitive players order the official Adidas kit (two jerseys, two shorts, two socks) through the club store after tryouts.

The Adidas kit is ordered through the club store. The ordering link and deadline are sent in your team welcome email after tryouts, and kit orders need to be placed early so everything arrives before the first league match.

Rec is the community foundation — no tryouts, everyone is placed on a team, and games are local. CDA Academy is the bridge: year-round training twice a week for U10 players who want more coaching, still with no tryouts. Competitive is our traveling KAOS (boys) and MISSFITS (girls) teams in the NorCal Premier League, entered by tryout. The Programs page has a full side-by-side comparison.

CDA Academy has no tryouts — it's open registration and built to be inclusive. Competitive tryouts are held each May and June, are free, and require registration. Coaches assess maturity, soccer IQ, and technical ability.

Competitive starts with a $250 registration fee at signup, followed by nine monthly payments (or all nine paid upfront). That covers fields, league fees, two to three tournaments a season, Veo video, equipment, referees, insurance, and operations. Optional away tournaments and winter indoor leagues may add cost, and scholarships are available — email president@reddingsoccer.com.

Players typically play two or more Rec seasons before moving into Academy or trying out for a competitive team. If your player is ready for a bigger challenge, talk with their coach and register for the next tryout window in May or June.

Withdrawals require a Refund Request Form submitted by the parent or guardian. Withdraw three or more weeks before the season starts and you receive a 70% refund; within three weeks of the start date or later, no refund is issued. The withheld portion covers state association registration, uniforms, and online registration fees already paid out. If a season is cancelled, refunds are processed less the transaction fee. The full policy and form live on our Registration Policies page.

We're always looking for parents — with soccer experience or just a willingness to learn. Head coaches and assistants complete a background check and risk-management clearance before the season. Start with the Coach Registration page, or email support@reddingsoccer.com and we'll match you with an age group.

We're always recruiting referees, and it's a paid way to stay close to the game. The Referees page covers certification, training, pay, and how to get on the assignor's list.

Use the incident report form on our Risk Management page — it takes a couple of minutes and reaches club leadership directly. For anything urgent at the fields, find a board member or field marshal first, then submit the report.

Sponsorships start with the back of the jersey and run through field banners, tournaments, and event partnerships. The Sponsors page has every placement, current rates, and a downloadable packet, or email support@reddingsoccer.com to talk through a custom partnership.

Your coach is the fastest source for team-specific news, and our Facebook page posts weather calls, registration windows, and event announcements. For anything account or registration related, email support@reddingsoccer.com.