Winter Stars 2025
-
- Winter Stars will be Sunday afternoons at McKinley, 3:30 – 5 pm, starting Jan 12, 2025..
It runs for 8 out of 10 weeks (expect a few weeks to be rained out)
This is a child-centered, pickup game. If you want someone to tell your child what to do and how to do it, this is not the program for you.
You’re expected to sign up for a volunteer job twice, whether it’s setting up the field, cleaning up, hauling equipment, or doing laundry: https://www.wejoinin.com/aysoregion13
Register to play soccer
The fee for Winter Stars 2025 is $125 per player, which includes a shirt, skills training, and the expectation that some weeks will be rained out. Region 13’s policy is Everyone Plays, so if the cost is a financial hardship for your family, please write to [email protected] to request a scholarship. If you can donate a little extra to cover the cost for those other families, please do so.
Plans change, and players need to withdraw from a soccer program. At the same time, when a player is registered for any program, the fee is used to purchase insurance, pay bank fees, reserve fields, purchase uniforms, and purchase equipment to support the player’s enrollment.
For the Winter Season 2025
-
- 80% will be refundable until December 31, 2024.
- 60% will be refundable through January 5, 2025.
- No amount will be refundable on or after Saturday, January 11, 2025.
- If you register for Winter Stars and then are invited to an All Star team, your registration will be transferred and payment will be credited toward All-Stars.
If you have any general questions about this Refund Policy or about the Refund Request Form, please direct them to our Registrar ([email protected]) and Treasurer ([email protected]). If you have questions about your AYSO National Membership, you are welcome to call the national headquarters at 800-872-2976. You may also contact national headquarters using the contact page at http://www.ayso.org/aboutayso/contact.htm.
General Information
Winter Stars is an informal soccer program for players who enjoyed the fall season so much that they want to keep playing soccer through the winter with their friends. Coaches let the kids play and run players through some training, then divide players into balanced teams so that players can explore the game in scrimmage play and learn from each other. Coaches play along and introduce skills as the need arises. It’s once a week for all soccer players in your family to enjoy at the same time. There are no other practices and no permanent teams.
In Winter Stars, to create balanced teams, we will have girls and boys playing together, based on ability. We want to empower your player to make this decision on her own. Fields are designated “friendly” or “competitive,” and kids decide where they want to go from week to week. In the younger division (mostly 6U/7U/8U players), 4-on-4 games will be played on a 25-yard field with a size 3 ball. In the middle division (mostly 10U/12U players), we will add goalkeepers and a slightly larger field. Older kids (14-19U) are new for 2022 … we’ll figure it out as we go along. Players may play up or play down, and the coaches will endeavor to let friends play together. Sometimes, a 10-year-old will decide to join a 6-year-old sibling and friends. Sometimes, the 3rd graders will decide to challenge the 5th graders. The kids work it out with guidance from the coaches playing along. As a parent, you can just enjoy the view from the sidelines.
More Info
When: Winter Stars meets once a week on Sunday afternoons. Program members should look for an email. The program runs for 8 weeks beginning January 12, 2025 (subject to change). Expect about 2 of those weeks to be skipped on account of rain, with makeup sessions added at the end.
Where: McKinley School
Who: Players 6U and older are eligible. Winter Stars encourages families to support kids of all skill levels playing soccer. If you are an AYSO coach or referee, come join us!
Equipment: Coaches will provide balls (easier to keep track that way). Shin guards are mandatory. Turf shoes are ideal. Soccer cleats are optional and sneakers are fine. Wear shorts without pockets that could snag a hand, and any color socks that fully cover the shinguards. As always, no earrings or jewelry. If you forget shinguards or socks, come anyway, because we may have a few spares.
Volunteers: As always, AYSO works because you volunteer to make it happen. There will be sign-up sheets to carry goals, set up the fields, clean up, wash pinnies, etc. If you coached in the fall, and want to explore this style of coaching, you’re welcome to get involved.
Questions? email [email protected]