General Information about the NYSA Rec League Program

House Team Formation: Players are placed on teams based on their age. The younger teams are formed based on the area of the city where each child lives. The U12 age group might be subject to open boundaries and not formed based on your area of town. The older teams (U14& and up) draw from the whole city. Players that sign-up at Late Registration may not be placed on a team in their neighborhood. Age and experience are used to attempt to balance the teams. The teams will be formed in June. A postcard will be sent to each player in early July with the name of the coach. If you are not notified by late July please call your age group coordinator (see Board Members)

Please Note: Requests to play with a specific player or for a specific coach will not be accepted or considered when teams are formed. Exceptions are a request to play for a parent who is coaching, or for siblings to play on the same team. Sometimes our rules or procedures don’t fit some parents’ expectation for the needs of their children -- such as requesting that their child be with a certain friend or carpooling. We understand this, but it has proven too difficult to try to accommodate every individual request and so we ask for your understanding and acceptance with our team formation decisions. The objective is to create balanced teams within each Division of play. Once teams have been formed, no transfers will be granted except to correct a league mistake. Coaches cannot transfer, add or drop a player. Only the League can do this.

Practices: Teams may start practicing in late July. Usually they practice 1-2 days per week depending on the age group and the coach.

Games: League play begins on (tba) following the parade. The kids will play 1-2 games per week. We play every Saturday except Labor Day weekend when there is a citywide tournament. A few games could be played on weeknights or Sunday afternoons. The league play ends by the end of daylight savings time.

Proof Of Birth: Per CYSA by-laws, the following documents only can be used to validate a player’s date of birth: birth certificate, passport or other official government document. Proof of birth is needed at registration

Refunds:

A refund will be made if the request is postmarked prior to September 2nd. Only mail or email refund requests will be accepted. Include the child’s name, birth date, why you want the refund and to whom the check is to be made and where to mail it. Refund requests made in July will be reduced by $20.00 per player and refund requests made in August and September will be reduced by $30.00 per player. There will be no refund after September 2nd. The $20.00 late fee is not refundable.

Mail to: NYSA Refund, Attention: Allow 2 weeks for the refund.

Pictures:

Pictures are individual and team. Once the teams have been formed and the game schedule set then the teams picture day can be scheduled.

Equipment Required:

Uniforms: A standard NYSA uniform is required to be worn by all players at games. Please look for Uniforms under Recreation League for where to purchase)  The cost is approximately $34.00 per player. Uniforms consist of a reversible green and white jersey, green shorts and green knee length socks, with white stripes at the top.

Shin Guards: Shin guards are required for player safety, and must be worn at all practices and games. The best shin guards are hard plastic in the front and sides for protection and fit tightly so they won’t move out of place. They usually last for several seasons. The costs may vary. They can be purchased at Sports Authority, Target, Big 5 or Wal-Mart (located in Rohnert Park) for a few ideas.

Recommended:

Shoes: Soccer or all-purpose shoes with molded cleats are best. Fit and comfort are more important than cost. No toe cleats are allowed (found on most baseball shoes). Proper shoes can help on wet or tall grass.

Soccer Ball: Sizes: Under 6 & 8: No. 3; Under 10 and 12: No. 4; Under 14 and older: No. 5. An inexpensive ball can provide hours of fun and skill building. Your child should bring a soccer ball to practice. The coach is provided with one soccer ball from the league.