Soccer Info for Parents

Welcome to the Broadview Heights Recreational Soccer Program!

Thank you for registering your son or daughter to play recreational soccer in Broadview Heights. We hope that everyone involved will have a fun and exciting experience. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help you or your child enjoy soccer more.

Soccer

We have been running a youth soccer program here for many years. In a typical year we will have well over 600 players participating in our recreational soccer program and about 50 additional players participating in our travel soccer program.

Our soccer season is split into a Fall and Spring season. The fall season runs for 8 weeks starting in early September. The spring season begins in early April and runs for 6 weeks. Practices can start as soon as the snow melts. You will remain with your team through both fall and spring sessions.

The following is information about our age groups:

U5 and U6 or munchkins

U5 and U6 means under five or six years old as January 1st of the current year. Because of a mandate from the US Youth Soccer Federation we changed our age groups to be in line with the rest of the county. It's a little confusing but your group is based on your child's birth year. So for the 2016/2017 season, a U5 player would be one who was born in 2012.

U5/6 teams play their games Saturday mornings at either 9:00 AM or 10:30 PM. We try to keep teams small but we usually have well over 100 players and finding enough coaches is tough. The most we would put on a team would be 10. Boys and girls play together on teams.

U7 Co-Rec

Sometimes these leagues are referred to as our "in-house" leagues. That means that all games are played in Broadview Heights against other Broadview Heights teams. At this age group they are starting to play something that actually looks like soccer. We don't officially keep score or have champions in this league.

Teams play with five players on the field. You will sometimes hear this referred to as 5 versus 5. Each player on a team must play at least half the game. Since we try to keep teams small, usually they play a lot more.

U7 games are played Saturdays at either 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM or 12:00 PM. Occasionally we will need to play a weekday game. These games are played on our "A" Soccer fields.

U9 though U15 Soccer

You might also hear this referred to as the "Suburban Leagues." That is because at this age teams play in the Suburban Recreational Soccer League or SRSL. Teams in the SRSL are from nearby communities such as Parma, Middleburg Heights, Seven Hills, Macedonia, etc. The SRSL league is a somewhat competitive league in that we do keep score and we do have champions and runners up but it is not a "travel" league.

In the Fall teams play 8 games. Based on how they do in the Fall, they are matched against similarly skilled teams in the Spring. After the Spring season, league champions and runners up are crowned.

Information about the SRSL, rules and team standings are available on the SRSL website.

U9 through U15 games are mostly played on Saturdays between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. If there is an odd number of teams in the league, there will be an occasionally weekday game played at 6:00 or 6:30PM.

Commonly asked questions asked about Broadview Heights Soccer

1. When and where are practices and games?

Munchkin games are played Saturday mornings at either 9:00 AM or 10:30 AM. U7 games are played Saturday mornings at either 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM or 12:00 PM. U9 and above games are played throughout the day Saturday and on some weekdays. Practice days are chosen by the coach and will be at either 5:30 PM or 6:30 PM and held at the rec center campus.

Munchkin and U7 games are played at "The Fields" sports complex located at 8938 Broadview Road U9 and above home games are played at "The Fields." Away games are played in nearby communities. Practices take place at the rec center campus. Maps of our fields will be on our website prior to the first game.

2. Can I request to play with a friend or for a particular coach?

Although special requests are not guaranteed, as long as you register before the registration deadline we will make every effort to accommodate your request to play with a friend, however, special requests on registrations received after the registration deadline will NOT be accommodated.

We no longer accept coach requests. 

 3. When will I hear from a coach?

Coaches are selected and teams are formed after the registration deadline. This takes about 3 weeks. You should hear from a coach about 3 weeks after registration ends. If you do not hear from a coach in a timely manner, please email me. Often your emails in our system are incorrect and the coach may been trying to contact you and unable to.

4. What if it's raining?

Soccer is played in the rain and the cold and occasionally the snow. Games will only be cancelled if the weather presents a dangerous situation to the players or may severely damage the fields. The best way to get information about your game on game day is by calling our rainout line: 440-526-3996. You can also sign up to receive text messaged via an automated service called rainedout.com. If we know in advance that games will be cancelled we send out a text or email through the service. If the decision to cancel the game takes place during the day on Saturday, use the rainout line as your guide.

5. My daughter just got her ears pierced. Can I put band aids or tape over them?

No. Our league rules do not permit that and all soccer organizations in the US abide by that same rule. It might seem silly, but we have had incidents in the past where earlobes have been torn requiring stitches because of earrings.

6. My child can't practice on certain days. What do I do?

We ask on the registration forms what days are not good for practices. However, often a child is placed on a team before the coach has chosen a practice time. We try to be as accommodating as possible but occasionally conflicts arise. We try to work through them on a case by case basis.

7. What size ball do you use?

Munchkins use a size 3, U7 to U13 use a size 4, U15 use a size 5

8. What does my child need to get ready?

Soccer shoes with rubber cleats are a good idea and shin guards are a must.

9. How do I find out if my game in another city is cancelled?

Just because games in Broadview Heights are cancelled, does not mean your game in another city is cancelled. The opposing coach is supposed to call your coach and let him or her know the status of your game.