Registration FAQs 2010

Registration FAQs

General Information

Q: How do I register my child?
Registration is a two-step process.
Step One: Prepare Registration Forms. You can enter information online starting May 1, 2010. Follow the instructions provided on this website to login to your account. Once logged in, update information for returning players or complete the forms from scratch for first-time players. When finished, you should lock your record and print forms. To do this, select “DONE” and you will see the instruction “If you are finished editing, press LOCK.” Select “LOCK”, then “PRINT PREVIEW”, and then select [Print] at the upper left-hand corner of your screen. Sign your forms and get ready for Step Two: Walk-In Registration.

Step Two: Walk-In Registration. Bring your completed forms and check payable to AYSO REGION 109 to one of the two walk-in registration sessions at Hillview Middle School library on Saturday, May 8, or Saturday, May 22, 2010 from 9 am to 1 pm.

Important! Your child is not registered until you have delivered your paperwork during the walk-in registration process. The only exception to this is if you are a returning coach, assistant coach, or referee. In that case, follow instructions for returning coaches, assistant coaches, and referees (see Must I come to walk-in registration if I served as a coach, assistant coach, or referee last year?)

Q: Why are parents required to volunteer for a job assignment?
AYSO is an all-volunteer organization. Every AYSO coach, referee, board member, and other official is a volunteer. In addition to these roles, AYSO needs many other volunteers to help with field set up, equipment, photography, and other tasks. We ask that each player have a parent or guardian volunteer for one job for each child playing (except for the jobs of coach, referee, and board member which fulfill your volunteer requirements for all your children due to the greater time commitment involved).

You will not be able to complete the registration process without signing up for a volunteer job.

Volunteer job assignments are made online, on a first-come, first-served basis, so you should login and select an assignment early to get the job you want. And then we hope that you will perform your job, or find a substitute if something comes up. Without everyone’s contribution, we are not able to provide a quality soccer experience for your child or to run a successful soccer season.

Q: What paperwork do I need to complete registration?
The system will automatically print the required forms for you once you have successfully entered your information, locked your forms, and selected the “print” option. You will need the following forms and items for each child to complete registration in addition to signing up for a volunteer job. Bring all of these items with you to walk-in registration:
q   Two signed original Player Registration Forms (printed on two separate pages – one for the Registrar and one for the Coach)
q      Volunteer Form (required for coach jobs, assistant coaches, referees, and board members)
q   Kids Zone Parent Pledge (signed and initialed)
q      Proof of Birth Date (e.g., original or copy of birth certificate, baptismal certificate, passport, or immunization record) for all children who are playing for the first time in our region (this includes most kinderleague players and older players who have recently moved to our area)
q      Check or money order payable to AYSO REGION 109 (no cash or credit cards accepted) You may submit one check for all children being registered. See How much are registration fees?

Q: I don’t live in Menlo Park or Atherton; may I still register my child in Region 109?
Yes. One of the six Philosophies of AYSO is “Open Registration.” Our program is open to all children between 4.5 and 19 years of age who want to register and play soccer. Interest, enthusiasm, good sportsmanship, and proper completion of the registration process are the only criteria for playing. You need not be a resident of Menlo Park or Atherton to register in our region. However, you can only register in one region, so if you live in one region and your child attends school in another, you must choose where you want your child to play.

Q: When will I be notified of my child’s team assignment?
Your child’s coach will contact you once team assignments have been made. Players are usually notified of their team assignments by mid-August, depending on the coaches' schedules. Kinderleague players may be notified later. If you have not heard from a coach by late August, contact the Division Commissioner for your child's division. You will find contact information for your Division Commissioner on our website by clicking the Board Members button on the left.

Q: When does the season begin?
Practice for teams in all divisions except Kinderleague will begin sometime in or after mid-August. Each coaching team will decide when its team’s first practice will be held and will notify the players. The season will start with a practice game in early September. Games will be played on Saturdays throughout the season except for our U16 and U19 divisions, which play on Sunday.

Kinderleague teams do not have mid-week practices but meet once a week on Saturday afternoons for drills and scrimmage games.

For more details about key dates during the season, click the Calendar button on the left.

Q: What if my child's school or any other information changed through the year or before the season starts?
If your mailing address, telephone number, or child’s school or grade level changes after registration, please inform the Registrar of the change by sending an email to registrar@mpsoccer.org. Note that you can change your email yourself by logging in to your account and clicking the Edit button.

Q: How do I withdraw my child if he or she decides not to play?
We hope that you and your child select AYSO because you agree with the AYSO philosophy and look forward to a fun and enriching experience together in soccer. Occasionally, special circumstances may require a child to withdraw from a team. Please remember that a player’s withdrawal from a team may negatively impact all players on the team and change the balance of skill on the team. Thus, we urge you to submit any requests for withdrawal by early July, before final teams are formed. If circumstances require you to withdraw after that, we will continue to honor all refund requests made on or before September 1, 2010. (Note that starting in 2011, the deadline will be August 1.) Submit your refund request in writing postmarked no later than September 1 to the Registrar at the following address. Please include your child's name, address, and age and send requests along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Menlo Park AYSO
Attn: Registrar
P.O. BOX 403
Menlo Park, CA 94026
Any refunds not requested will be applied to the Menlo Park AYSO Field Refurbishment Program. Refunds will be mailed during October 2010.

Fees

Q: How much are registration fees?
The early registration discount fee is $125 ($85 for Kinderleague players) for registration on or before May 22, 2010. After May 22, players are waitlisted and will pay the regular fee of $175 ($115 for Kinderleague).

Registration Fees	Kinderleague	Other Divisions
Registration on or before May 16	$85	$125
Registration after May 16	$115	$175

Q: Can I get a scholarship?
Full or partial scholarships in cases of financial hardship are available. Come to walk-in registration at Hillview Middle School to submit your request for a scholarship and obtain approval from the Regional Commissioner.

Walk-in Registration

Q: When and where is walk-in registration?
Walk-in registration is being held on Saturday, May 8, and Saturday, May 22, 2010, from 9 am to 1 pm, at the Hillview Middle School library. Hillview Middle School is located at 1100 Elder Avenue, Menlo Park (corner of Elder Avenue and Santa Cruz Avenue). You must attend one of these sessions (and have signed up online for a volunteer job) to complete the registration process. (The only exception is for returning coach, assistant coach, or referees. Refer to I served as a coach, assistant coach, or referee last year; must I come to walk-in registration?)

Q: Why do you require walk-in registration?
We continue to work toward streamlining the registration process, but AYSO National still requires original signatures on all registration and volunteer forms (as opposed to electronic signatures) for our players to be covered by its insurance program. You must attend walk-in registration unless you are a returning coach, assistant coach, or referee. Plus coming to walk-in registration is a great way to hear more about the AYSO program and our summer cams, to get guidance on what volunteer job best suits your skills, find answers to any other questions you may have about AYSO, and greet neighbors and friends. We register over 1600 children at walk-in registration, so it has become a fun community event.

Q: What happens if I am not able to attend one of the two walk-in registration sessions?
You may ask a friend to bring all necessary forms and payment to the walk-in registration session for you. But please be sure that you have all necessary paperwork and that you have signed up for a volunteer job for each child playing, or your friend will be unable to complete registration for you. If your child is not registered at one of the two walk-in registration sessions, your child will be waitlisted.

Q: What if I missed walk-in registration altogether?
Only players who have completed registration on or before May 22, 2010 will be guaranteed a place on a team and will be entitled to the early registration fee. All other players will be waitlisted and will pay the regular registration fee. You may still prepare online forms after May 22, but your child will not be ensured a place on a team. If you wish to have your child placed on a waitlist, complete the online forms. Print out all forms and mail all forms, proof of birth date, if required, and payment (see What paperwork do I need to complete registration?) and send to the following address:

AYSO Region 109
Attn: Registrar
P.O. Box 403
Menlo Park, CA 94026

Your child will be placed on a waitlist only after your complete registration packet has been received by the Registrar. Entering and locking online data does not place your child on a waitlist: you must send in all materials. Your check will not be deposited unless your child is taken off the waitlist and placed on a team. In the event your child does not get placed on a team, your check will be shredded. Some divisions may be able to accommodate late registrants, while other divisions will be full as of May 22. So please register on time.

Q: Must I come to walk-in registration if I served as a coach, assistant coach, or referee last year?
If you coached, assistant coached, or officiated in our 2009 season and plan to volunteer as a coach, assistant coach, or referee again, you must still complete the online registration process. You do not need to come to walk-in registration. Instead, mail your forms and payment to:

AYSO Region 109
Attn: Registrar
P.O. Box 403
Menlo Park, CA 94026

Be sure to send in all the necessary paperwork (see What paperwork do I need in order to complete registration?) postmarked no later than May 22, 2010. Please note especially that we need two original signed copies of the player registration form printed on two separate pages. This is the most commonly missed piece of paperwork in mail-in applications. Your child's registration will not be complete until the Registrar has received all required paperwork.

Region 109 Website

Q: What information is on this website ?
Region 109 maintains informational postings such as game cancellations, field locations, practice field layouts, coach and referee information pages, volunteer job listings, a regional calendar, and regional guidelines on the www.mpsoccer.org website. Parents and guardians must create an account on this website to enter private family and player data, prepare and print registration forms, and to see the team roster and calendar.

Q: When can I create or login to my account to complete the online forms?
For the Fall 2010 season, you can create or update your Region 109 account at www.mpsoccer.org starting May 1, 2010. You can also signup for Volunteer Jobs at this time. These jobs are available online on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to signup early. At this time you can and should also prepare and print forms for walk-in registration. This saves time during walk-in registration, ensures data accuracy, and streamlines the walk-in registration process. Your information remains confidential and will be used solely for the purposes of identifying volunteers, building teams, communicating electronically with families about soccer and safety, and managing the divisions. Also, you can maintain your child's school information and your own email address. When you log into your account, you will see all your information from your last registration. Please be sure to update this information and make any changes necessary to bring your information current.

Q: What if I do not have Internet access?
You may use a Hillview library computer at walk-in registration. It's free. Otherwise, try a neighbor or friend, or use an Internet connection at the local public library!

Q: I am trying to login to my account, but I don’t know how or I can’t get in. What do I do?
First-time Registrants. If you have never registered a child in AYSO Region 109, then you will need to create an account. Just click on “NEW ACCOUNT” and follow the instructions there. Please keep a record of the phone number and password used to create the account for future reference. You will need this information throughout the season to check your child’s registration status and to access your child’s team roster and game schedule. You will also need it again next season to register your child.

Returning Registrants. If any of your children have played in AYSO Region 109 (Menlo Park & Atherton) in the past six years, your information is in our system and you have an account. EACH FAMILY SHOULD HAVE ONLY ONE ACCOUNT. Multiple children from one family should be registered under the same family account. Log into the online registration system by clicking on the Login button (visible as of May 1) using your telephone number and password. If you have forgotten what telephone number you used to create your account initially, then click on “New Account” and answer “Yes” to the question “Has any member of your family played AYSO soccer in region 109 Menlo Park Atherton?” Follow the prompts there. If you are still unable to login, please send an email to registrar@mpsoccer.org with your child’s name and birth date. The Registrar will provide you with login instructions and assist you in gaining access to your account.

Important! PLEASE DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT IF YOU HAVE ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT OR HAVE REGISTERED ANY CHILD IN THE PAST. This creates duplicate records. Instead, contact registrar@mpsoccer.org.

Q: I am trying to log in to my account, but I don’t remember my password. What do I do?
If you have forgotten your password, click on “Email Me My Password” on the login screen, and your password will be sent to the email registered in the system. If you still need assistance, or if for some reason you do not receive your password by email, please send an email to registrar@mpsoccer.org. The Registrar will provide you with login instructions and assist you in obtaining access to your account.
Important! PLEASE DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT IF YOU HAVE ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT OR HAVE REGISTERED ANY CHILD IN THE PAST. This creates duplicate records. Instead, contact registrar@mpsoccer.org.

Q: Why must all coach, assistant coach, referee and board member volunteers provide their social security numbers, birth dates, and driver’s license numbers on their volunteer applications?
It is for the safety of our children. Recent articles in the media have established that youth sports generally present an increasingly enticing target for predators. AYSO conducts criminal background checks on coach, assistant coach, referee and board member volunteers. A volunteer’s social security number, date of birth, and driver’s license number are necessary to ensure the viability of the background check. Collecting this information serves AYSO on two fronts. First, it helps ensure that we exclude those with the highest potential for harm to our children, and, equally important, it helps us avoid excluding a good and valuable volunteer due to mistaken identity. This information, which is collected and managed by our region’s Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate (CVPA), will be kept confidential. The CVPA uses it to run background checks and copies of the volunteer forms are securely archived by National AYSO. We respect that some people may refuse to supply their information. We will thank them for their interest, but will not accept their application to be a coach, assistant coach, referee or board member in AYSO. Our kids’ safety comes first, without exception.

Q: How do I know that I have successfully completed the online forms?
Once you have logged into the website, the Status Box will say “Incomplete” at login until you have successfully provided all necessary information. The system will prompt you for any missing information. Look for the red messages near the top of the screen. Once you have finished editing your information and all information is complete, the system will prompt you to “press LOCK.” Lock your forms and get ready to print. Click on “Print Preview” and then click on “Print” in the upper left-hand corner of the screen above your first registration form. All necessary paperwork should then print out. If you do not see this direction: “If you are finished editing, press LOCK” – then you are still missing some information or have not yet signed up for a volunteer activity. Go back and provide the necessary information.

Team Formation

Q: How are players and teams organized in AYSO?
Players are separated by gender and by age. See the age grouping chart below to determine your child's division. For example, GU8 refers to the "girls under 8" division. Players in this division are typically seven-year-old girls in second grade. BU10 ("boys under 10) primarily comprises nine-year-old boys in third grade.
A Division Commissioner (DC) oversees each division. The DC is responsible for forming teams and assigning players and coaches to the teams. Parents are always assigned to coach or assistant coach their own children. The DC attempts to balance the teams in terms of skill level and experience, and actively manages the division throughout the season, mentoring coaches, receiving feedback from parents, and facilitating the smooth operation of the division.
There are nine boys' divisions and nine girls' divisions in Region 109. You can find the names of the division commissioners and their email addresses by going to www.mpsoccer.org and clicking on the "Board Members" link on the left-hand side of the screen.

Q: In what division will my child be playing?
The default division for your child is always determined by birth date, as shown in the table below. If your child is among the youngest in his or her grade, depending on birth date, he or she could be placed in a division that is lower than his or her grade level. See “What is the policy for playing up?” to determine whether your child may be placed in the next division up in order to play with children in the same grade level.

Division	Age/Grade as of 7/31/10	Birthdates
Under 6 (U6) (Kinderleague)	4.5-5/Pre-K or Kindergarten	August 1, 2004 - January 31, 2006
Under 7 (U7)	6/ first grade	August 1, 2003 - July 31, 2004
Under 8 (U8)	7/second grade	August 1, 2002 - July 31, 2003
Under 9 (U9)	8/third grade	August 1, 2001- July 31, 2002
Under 10 (U10)	9/fourth grade	August 1, 2000 - July 31, 2001
Under 12 (U12)	10 and 11/fifth and sixth grades	August 1, 1998 - July 31, 2000
Under 14 (U14)	12 and 13/seventh and eighth grades	August 1, 1996- July 31, 1998
Under 16 (U16)	14 and 15, high school freshman and sophomore	August 1, 1994- July 31, 1996
Under 19 (U19)	16+/ high school junior and senior	August 1, 1991- July 31, 1994

Q: What is the policy for playing up?
The default division for your child is always determined by birth date. Refer to What is the policy for playing In what division will my child be playing?
The cutoff date for placement in an age division is July 31. In some cases, this cutoff places a child in a division with a lower grade level. Therefore, children born between August 1 and December 1 have the option of "playing up" in order to be with their peers of the same grade level. The decision whether a child should play up is left to the discretion of the parents, provided that the child’s birthday falls between August 1 and December 1. Parents should consider not only the child’s size, motor development, and skill level, but should also give strong consideration to the child’s maturity level. Even if a child is physically more skilled than other players at his or her age level, he or she may not have the maturity to focus and participate effectively in a practice with older children. And it is rarely a good idea to have children play up in a grade level higher than their current grade. Parents must request that their children play up by selecting “Playing Up” at the Age Group field when entering registration information online. Otherwise, the child will be placed in a division solely according to birth date.

Q: Why can't my child play down a division?
For the well-being of all players, children may not play “down” in a lower age division unless there are significant physical or developmental reasons for doing so. The Regional Commissioner must approve the rare exceptions, and will require a doctor’s letter that explains the reasons for playing down.

Q: How are teams formed?

Players are grouped into divisions based on their age as of July 31 (except as noted above in What is the policy for playing up?). From there, players are placed onto teams. One of the six Philosophies of AYSO is “Balanced Teams.” Each year we form new teams as evenly balanced as possible, because it is fair and more fun when teams of substantially similar ability play. Our computer program distributes players among teams according to experience, age, skill level, and overall ability of the team. In Kinderleague, experience and skill are presumed to be equal for purposes of team formation since it is normally the first year of play. Your child will be on a team with at least one or two other children from his or her school (unless it is a very small school, in which case we will try to include another similarly-situated player on your child’s team), but teammates may be from different classes or even different grades. AYSO provides terrific opportunities for children to make new friends.

Q: May I request a particular coach? or request to play with a friend?
Because of all the factors that have to be managed and balanced to create teams for 1600 kids, AYSO cannot honor requests to play with a specific coach or player. Team assignments are made by computer; coaches may not request to have specific children (other than their own) grouped on their team. Each team includes players from your child’s school and from different schools, so that children can make new friends from around the region and so that we can minimize the likelihood of dominant teams emerging in an age division. We are counting on you to support your child's AYSO experience regardless of which team he or she is on, consistent with the AYSO philosophy.

Q: May I choose my child’s practice field?
No. Our field space is extremely limited (a situation which is only becoming more challenging), and fields are assigned by age to ensure that all teams have enough room to practice. Within those parameters, coaches select the fields and practice times to best synchronize with their own schedules and work commitments.

Kinderleague

Q: What is Kinderleague?
Kinderleague is another name for the Under 6 (U6) divisions. Boys and girls play in separate divisions (BU6 and GU6) on single-sex teams. Players are typically between 4 and 1/2 years old and 6 years old and are most likely attending pre-kindergarten/preschool or kindergarten during the fall season. In Kinderleague, children learn basic skills and play 3-on-3 games in an informal, no-pressure, fun-focused setting. Each player must be accompanied by a parent or other adult who will assist with drills as required. Parents will also be recruited to coach.
Kinderleague teams meet once a week, usually on Saturday afternoons, for one hour. Typically a team works on drills for the first half hour and then scrimmages with another team for the second half hour. No additional games or practices are scheduled during the week for Kinderleague teams. Teams usually have 14 players and break into four squads of 3 players each for scrimmages. Players receive a uniform and socks; parents must provide shinguards and appropriate shoes. Soccer cleats are not required.

The Kinderleague division plays a shorter season than other age divisions. In 2010, the season starts on September 11 and ends on October 30. At the end of the season, each player receives a trophy. The registration fee includes the cost of the uniform, trophy, and individual photographs.

Q: How do I register for Kinderleague?
Register for Kinderleague the same way you would register any other age level. Just make sure to bring a copy of your child's birth certificate, passport, immunization record, or other valid proof of birth date to walk-in registration if this is his or her first year playing.