Q. How old must my child be to play?
A. Your child must have turned four years old prior to August 1 to be eligible to play in that calendar year’s Fall season. Your child must have turned four years old prior to August 1 of the preceding calendar year to be eligible to play in the Spring season. There are no exceptions.
Q. When do you play?
A. There are two seasons: Fall and Spring. The Fall season usually starts the first weekend after Labor Day and runs until late October or early November. The Spring season usually starts in late March and runs until late May.
Q. Where do you play?
A. Games are held at St. Therese Field, which is natural grass. Please see the “Fields” page for directions.
Q. When are the games?
A. Games are held on Saturday mornings and afternoons, with the younger players playing before the older players.
Q. What about practice?
A. Generally speaking, each team practices once a week on a weeknight. The coaches determine practice days and times.
Q. What leagues do you have?
A. SVSC sponsors three in-house leagues: U6 (Under-6), U8 (Under-8), and U12 (Under-12). Each of the leagues is coed.
Q. May my child play in an older age classification?
A. Players are permitted to “play up” (e.g., a U6 player may play U8 soccer) provided you execute a “play up” form (available online at the “Registration” page). However, SVSC retains the ultimate discretion to determine whether a player may “play up.”
Q. May my child play in a younger age classification?
A. Generally speaking, “playing down” is not permitted, although exceptions can be made in rare instances.
Q. What about uniforms?
A. Each child must have a maroon t-shirt and a gold t-shirt for games. The t-shirts are available for purchase from SVSC. Also available for purchase are maroon shorts and socks, should you want them.
Q. Is there any other required equipment?
A. Each child must wear a pair of shin guards for practices and games. Highly recommended, but not required: a soccer ball (Size 3 for U6, Size 4 for U8 and U12); and a pair of soccer cleats. Please note that your child’s coach may require additional equipment, such as a ball. Pittsburgh Soccer & Sports offers SVSC players a 10% discount. It stocks maroon shorts and socks. Pittsburgh Soccer & Sports is located at 4205 Murray Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, across the street from the Giant Eagle (412-421-1880).
Q. Must I volunteer if my child plays?
A. SVSC is an all-volunteer organization, and strongly encourages every family to volunteer their skills and time. However, SVSC does not have a mandatory volunteer policy. Volunteer opportunities exist for coaching, refereeing, club administration, field preparation and maintenance (primarily lining fields and cutting grass), fundraising, concessions and sponsorship, among others.
Q. I want to coach. What do I need to do?
A. When you register your child, check the box on the registration form indicating your interest in coaching. If you are assigned a team, you will be asked to register for a background check. SVSC pays all costs associated with the background check. The background check is good for two years.
Q. Does the Club provide training to coaches?
A. SVSC provides training materials to coaches. Moreover, if you want additional training, SVSC highly encourages you to attend one of the coaching clinics offered locally by PA West. For beginning coaches, the PA “Y” certification is recommended. It is a six-hour course. Also recommended is the Introductory Coaching Certification. For more experienced coaches, the PA “E” certification is recommended. It is an 18-hour course. SVSC will reimburse you for all fees associated with the clinics. Periodically, SVSC will sponsor a “Y” certification or similar course.
Q. What is small-sided soccer?
A. In an adult soccer game, teams play with 11 players each, on a regulation soccer field (usually 110 by 75 yards). US Youth Soccer has recommended that children play with fewer players per team and on a smaller field. These “small-sided” games provide the players with more opportunities to touch the ball and allow them to better develop their soccer skills. For example, SVSC plays 3 players versus 3 players (3v3) in its U6 league, on a 25 by 15 yard field. For the U6’s, SVSC also plays a “dual field” format, which means that one team is playing two 3v3 games on two adjacent fields at the same time, thus allowing more children to be playing at the same time.
Q. What does SVSC emphasize?
A. Our emphasis is on developing players. We want all players to develop age-appropriate soccer skills and basic tactical awareness, which are the foundations necessary for becoming a good player. The emphasis is not on wins and losses, or goals scored. Accordingly, score is not kept and standings are not maintained.