Parents
The Rules
BE POSITIVE on the sidelines. Fans cheer. Coaches coach.
FUN—not winning—is everything.
RESPECT the volunteers, especially referees and coaches.
No drop-offs: parents are not permitted to drop off kids.
Players must stay with their coach; they cannot without the coach’s permission.
Players must wear shin guards to every game.
Players may not wear jewelry, earrings, watches, hats with brims, or any type of cast or splint.
Show up for games at least 20 minutes early.
Help set-up or take down goals if you have the first or last game.
Water is all that is necessary at halftime. No snacks until end of game. No snacks on the field.
No smoking. No Dogs. No swearing, geez!
COVID-19 Rules
*subject to change at any time
Due to the wide availability of vaccines, the steep decline in COVID cases recently, and changing health guidance, we will no longer require masks for outdoor activities. However, we do STRONGLY urge you to make sure you protect your child and others by getting everyone fully vaccinated (and boosted if available for your child's age group) prior to the beginning of the season.
If a player or volunteer tests positive for COVID-19, please notify our Safety Director. We will notify the rest of the team while keeping your information private, and recommend the team get tested. The positive player should follow the current CDC quarantine guidelines, but the remainder of the team will continue to play.
What is the commitment?
Soccer is a team game. It is difficult for a coach to run an effective team without having full and consistent player attendance, and it is even more difficult for a team to play a game without full player participation. Coaches will be closely monitoring attendance. If you cannot commit yourself and your child(ren) to making a one-hour game every week, then please consider signing them up another season when your schedule allows. There are many eager kids on our waitlist who would love to be playing. Thank you in advance for your consideration and cooperation on this front.
Are there tryouts?
There are no tryouts. Anyone who registers can play, unless we are at our capacity for field space. Read more about AYSO and the philosophy in our "About" section.
What is my child’s game schedule?
Once available, the SPRING 2024 Season Schedules can be found through your child/player's tab in Sports Connect. You must login to your Sports Connect account to view your child’s schedule.
How do I register my child?
Registration is done via Sports Connect (formerly Blue Sombrero).
How do I pay?
You make your payment during the registration process in Sports Connect. You must pay before your child is permitted to play. For payment inquiries, email the Registrar.
What is the fee breakdown?
An annual "Membership Year (MY)" NON-REFUNDABLE fee of $20.00 is transferred directly from your payment to AYSO National; this happens only once per AYSO Membership Year (August 1, 2022-July 31, 2023). Our base fee will be $145.00/season for SPRING 2024.
What is the refund policy?
Any time a player drops out of GWYSL, there is a significant disruption to the league, it can create real stress from an administrative standpoint, as well as to the chemistry of the team. Consequently, we ask that you sign up your child(ren) ONLY if you are committed to participating in all games. Please consider scheduling conflicts before registering.
If your circumstances unexpectedly change and you must take your child(ren) out of the league, here is our new refund policy.
If you drop prior to the end of registration, then you will receive a full refund (100%) of the $125.00/child.
If you drop after registration closes but before Opening Day, March 18, then you will receive a partial refund (75%).
If you drop after Opening Day, and return the uniform(s), then you will receive a partial refund (50%).
There is NO refund of the annual $20.00 fee. This fee is processed directly with AYSO and cannot be refunded or transferred to another year after it has been processed.
Can my child be placed on the same team as a friend?
Generally, no. We cannot accommodate these kinds of requests unfortunately as there are 700+ children in the league.
The division is full or my child was waitlisted. How do I get them on a team?
To get on the waitlist, please make sure to complete the registration process in Sports Connect (there is no fee to sign up for the waitlist). If a spot becomes available, you will be notified via email.
Will someone tell me where to go and what to bring?
Yes. Your coach will reach out to you before the start of the season. You should also log in to Sports Connect once the schedules are released to see your team. Memorize your division and team number (ie. 8U team 2). Equipment needs are discussed below.
What division does my child play in?
Use the following information to match your child's BIRTH YEAR with the DIVISION they will be placed in for the SPRING 2024 season. Age verification will be required for 6U divisions.
Age Division Guide
Note: ‘U’ stands for UNDER so, for example, a 7 year old kid is UNDER 8 (8U).
Birth Year 2019: 5U
This is called the Jamboree. parents are involved with one coach leading the parents. The focus is on fun, and individual skills development. There are no organized games but there is a scrimmage at the end. There are no goalkeepers!
Birth Year 2018: 6U
1/2 of the time is spent on individual skill development, and 1/2 half of the time is spent on a game of 4 field players per team.
Birth Year 2017: 7U
Five-a-side games. 4 field players per team, no goalkeeper. Saturday is game day at your allotted time.
Birth Year 2016: 8U
Five-a-side games. 4 field players per team, no goalkeeper. Saturday is game day at your allotted time. There are no offside offenses, no penalty kicks, and no direct free kicks. The buildout line is observed for goal kicks. No slide tackling or deliberate heading of the ball allowed. Size 3 Ball.
Birth Year 2014–15: 10U
Seven-a-side games. 6 field players and 1 goalkeeper per team. Saturday is game day at your allotted time. There are no offside offenses and the buildout line is observed for goal kicks. No slide tackling or deliberate heading of the ball allowed. Size 4 Ball.
Birth Year 2012–13: 12U
Nine-a-side games. 8 field players and 1 goalkeeper per team. Buildout line is observed for goal kicks. No slide tackling or deliberate heading of the ball allowed. Size 4 Ball.
Birth Year 2010–11: 14U
Nine-a-side games. 8 field players and 1 goalkeeper per team. No slide tackling allowed. Size 5 Ball.
Birth Year 2006–09: 19U
Nine-a-side games. 8 field players and 1 goalkeeper per team. No slide tackling allowed. Size 5 Ball.
You may find this link to AYSO Birth Year Registration Chart to be helpful, but remember that GWYSL usually does not have 9U, 11U, 13U. Instead, where you see those divisions, plug in the next higher division, e.g. 10U, 12U, 14U.
Is there any special equipment required?
We will provide a uniform, including jersey, shorts, and socks. Shin guards are mandatory, and go under the socks. Youth shin guards are available on Amazon, Soccer.com or from your local sports store such as BQ Sports (where we are pleased to be able to offer a 10% discount on all soccer equipment to GWYSL families) or Upper 90. Absolutely no earrings earrings or taped-over earrings allowed.
What about cleats?
Please purchase Turf Soccer Shoes, not cleats. Turf shoes feature raised, dense, aggressive treads that are shallower than the blades or studs used on normal soccer cleats, and are much more effective on artificial grass as they are designed to interact uniformly with the turf surface. Traditional cleats, on the other hand, are designed to dig into the dirt and will rip up the artificial turf used on our fields, and are therefore not allowed. Additionally, turf shoes are also much more comfortable to wear on surfaces that are made of artificial grass. They can be purchased at Upper 90, Soccer.com, and many other sports stores.
What about a ball?
5U–8U: size 3
10U, 12U: size 4
14U, 19U: size 5
Buy them at a local sports store like BQ Sports or Upper 90, or online at Soccer.com.
Safety first! Put your ball in a bag. In the recent past, there was a terribly sad accident where a young boy from an AYSO league in Brooklyn was struck and killed by a car. Though we now have traffic lights just outside the entrance to BIP, vehicles and bikes still pose a risk.
Remind your children, your coaches, and fellow parents: keep your soccer ball in a bag, not in your hands, and not in your child's hands, until you get to the park. Don't kick it anywhere near Kent Avenue. It's just not safe.
What about water?
Bring a water bottle filled with cool, refreshing water. It's hot in the fall and spring.
What is the weather policy?
Weather is a factor for our league. The members of the board are required to make judgment calls whether to allow play in the event of inclement weather. Game cancellations are based on a number of factors such as the intensity of the rain and/or wind, actual temperatures, "feels like" temperatures, and conditions on the field.
Like weather forecasters, we don't always get it right, but we try our best. We all want our kids to have fun, and play in a safe environment. We do play in the rain and the cold and the snow, and kids have a great time doing this, so please don't assume games are cancelled if you see rain or snow or if it seems particularly cold.
We will do our best update the front page of our website with news about game cancellations 1 hour prior to game time, but for real-time weather and cancellation updates, follow us on Instagram @gwysl1328
Whereas in the past, cancellations were made in 2 hour blocks, we have moved away from this policy to allow for changing weather conditions (quickly passing storms).
Please Note: once a game has been CANCELLED, it will remain cancelled even if the weather changes.
Additionally:
Cancellations are made by league board members or designated officials ONLY. Coaches are not responsible for making game decisions regarding weather, EXCEPT in the case of lightning.
In the event of LIGHTNING, all players MUST IMMEDIATELY CLEAR THE FIELD and seek safe shelter. There must be a period of at least 30 minutes with no lightning sightings before players may return to the field.
In the event of changing weather conditions, the game's REFEREE may postpone or cancel play; the referee will usually consult both coaches in this decision, except in cases of lightning.
In the event of heavy rain in the forecast, or snow, we may cancel the entire day; this will likely be done early morning on Saturday, unless the forecasted weather is so bad that we can cancel in good faith on Friday night.
Cold Weather Gear
In the colder weather it’s okay for players to have long sleeves, stockings, or sweatpants underneath, not over their uniforms. Team shirts, shorts, and socks (useful for identification of last to touch the ball) must be visible and worn over any other clothing. Gloves must be all fabric (no hard bits). Close-fitting cloth caps with no bobbles, brims, or dangling strings are permitted. All other hats, hoods or hoodies (worn or unworn), and scarfs are not permitted. Rather than wearing a lot of extra clothing, it’s often preferable for players to have easy on/off clothing available that they can add or remove as they come on or off the pitch.
Where do we play?
FALL 2023 season U5 through U12 games will be played at McCarren Park OR Bushwick Inlet Park. Games for 14U and 19U will be played with Brooklyn AYSO in Prospect Park and BIP.
The specific field layouts can be found on the field info page.
Bushwick Inlet Park
86 Kent Avenue
McCarren Park
776 Lorimer Street (between Bayard St. & Driggs Ave.)
Prospect Park Parade Grounds
1501 Caton Ave.