East College Park Community Association Youth Soccer
How is Youth Soccer in Saskatoon Organized?
Youth and mini soccer is organized by Saskatoon Youth Soccer. The introduction to soccer, up to age 10, is offered through the community association. At 10yrs of age, the players move to one of the city soccer clubs.
East College Park Community Association soccer is organized by volunteer coordinators and coaches. We are always looking for more assistance. If you are interested in helping out please contact soccer@ecpark.ca
What are the seasons?
East College Park Community Association offers soccer for the indoor and outdoor season.
The outdoor season runs May through June (weather dependent).
The indoor season runs from the end of October through March.
What are the leagues you offer, and when do they play?
Kindersoccer (Co-ed)
We no longer offer kinder Soccer but feel free to contact our soccer coordinator Mike at soccer@ecpark.ca for more info or answers to any questions you may have.
Under 5 (Co-Ed)
The focus of under 5 is on building elementary skills and learning the basics of match play. Typically teams will have one practice and one match per week. Practices and matches are usually held in area parks for the outdoor season and in local school gyms for the indoor season. Games are 3 versus 3 with no goal keeper and the coaches are on the field to assist the children in the game play and to act as a referee. Parental involvement is encouraged. This league is sponsored by Tim Horton’s and each player receives a Timbits Soccer shirt to keep. For indoor 2016, match dates are expected to be primarily on Wednesday's. Online registration opens Sept 9th (9:00am) to Sept 20 (9:00pm) and can be found under the online registration
Under 7 (Co-Ed)
The focus of under 7 is greater independence in play and greater awareness of team play. Teams are usually 8 to 10 players and match play is 4 versus 4. Typically, there is one practice and one match per week lasting around an hour each. Practices and matches are usually held in area parks for the outdoor season. For the indoor season practices are held in local school gyms and match play occurs at the SaskTel Soccer Centre on Nelson Road. Coaches are on the field during match play to assist the players and to act as referees.
Under 9 (Girls, Boys)
The focus at this level is independent team play. Teams are usually 9 to 12 players and match play is 6 on 6. Goalkeepers are introduced at this level. Typically, there is one practice and one match per week lasting around an hour each. Practices and matches are usually held in area parks for the outdoor season. For the indoor season practices are held in local school gyms and match play occurs at the SaskTel Soccer Centre on Nelson Road. Coaches provide assistance, guidance and refereeing during match play.
Other Soccer Options
Under 10 Developmental (Girls, Boys)
There is also a U10-Development League that is ran by Saskatoon Youth Soccer through its five Zones. It is an option for Community Association’s to offer a program for young soccer players who are looking to invest more time in learning the fundamentals of the game. This is done by offering a 2:1 practice to game ratio during the outdoor 8 game season. The objective of the U10-D League is to provide players with a solid fundamental base on which they can build when they graduate to the youth system (U12). It was also found that a “one fits all” program is not necessarily the best way to promote the development of young players, as they have different levels of commitment and a variety of reasons for participating. Zone 4 Groups will be made up of players from Brevoort Park, Briarwood, College Park, East College Park, Lakeridge, Lakeview, Lakewood SC, Rosewood, SE Development Area, Wildwood, as well as Clavet/Blackstrap.
For more information, please see visit:
http://saskatoonyouthsoccer.ca/files/d-league_poster.pdf
Astra and Happy Feet Private Academies
Happy Feet offers training at Kindersoccer and U6 ages and Astra offers programming for players in the U8 and older age groups. All coaches have formal certification, and players focus on individual skill development with a greater number of sessions per week. Players in this academy may enter tournaments, but do not participate in league play. More information can be found on their websites:
http://www.happyfeetsask.ca/content/about-us
Who are the coaches?
Youth soccer at the community level is coached by parent volunteers. Volunteer coaches and coaching assistants are always needed. Coaching clinics are offered through Saskatoon Youth Soccer to coaches. Without volunteer coaches, the leagues cannot run. Your child’s participation may depend on your willingness to volunteer.
Do I need to play soccer in order to coach?
No. There are coaching clinics available and the focus at this level of play is on building fundamentals and having fun.
(*NEW)Coaching Requirements…
U5 Coaches:
Criminal Record Check (All Personnel)
RESPECT IN SPORT- Free Online https://sasksrc.respectgroupinc.com/secure (All Team Personnel)
Active Start- In Person $50 (Optional)
Same Gender Rep Mandatory
U7 Coaches:
Criminal Record Check (All Personnel)
GoalLine Online Registration (All Personnel)
RESPECT IN SPORT- Free Online https://sasksrc.respectgroupinc.com/secure (All Team Personnel)
Fundamentals- In Person $100 (Minimum 1 Coach)
Making Ethical Decisions Course- In Person Clinic $35 (Minimum 1 Coach)
Making Ethical Decisions Online Evaluations- Free Online http://www.coach.ca/-p156128 (Minimum 1 Coach)
Same Gender Rep Mandatory
U9 Coaches:
Criminal Record Check (All Personnel)
GoalLine Online Registration (All Personnel)
RESPECT IN SPORT- Free Online https://sasksrc.respectgroupinc.com/secure (All Team Personnel)
Learning to Train- In Person $165 (Minimum 1 Coach)
Making Ethical Decisions Course- In Person Clinic $35 (Minimum 1 Coach)
Making Ethical Decisions Online Evaluations- Free Online http://www.coach.ca/-p156128 (Minimum 1 Coach)
Making Headway e-learning module- Free Online http://coach.ca/making-head-way-concussion-elearning-series-p153487 (All Team Personnel)
Same Gender Rep Mandatory
I would like to coach. How do I sign up?
Please fill out the following form OR when you are registering your child to play, please indicate your willingness to coach, co-coach or act as a team manager in the notes section. An early identification of parents willing to help out assists greatly when it comes time to make teams.
In which league do I register my child?
League registration is determined by birth year not age. Please note that we are not able to register Kindersoccer age players in the Under 5 league.
In the 2021-2022 indoor season if your child was born in:
2018 or 2019 we no longer offer Kindersoccer so please contact the soccer coordinator for more info or answers to any questions you may have.
2017 register in Under 5 (co-ed)
2015 or 2016 register in Under 7 (boys or girls)
2013 or 2014 register in Under 9 (boys or girls)
In the 2022 outdoor season if your child was born in:
2018 or 2019 we no longer offer Kindersoccer so please contact the soccer coordinator for more info or answers to any questions you may have.
2017 register in Under 5 (co-ed)
2015 or 2016 register in Under 7 (boys or girls)
2013 or 2014 register in Under 9 (boys or girls)
If your child was born outside of these years, you would need to register them in the appropriate zone, East College Park is Zone 4. Visit the Saskatoon Youth Soccer website at http://www.saskatoonyouthsoccer.ca
How do I register my child?
Registration for East College Park Youth Soccer is online <click here>. If you miss this registration, please contact the soccer coordinator at soccer@ecpark.ca to inquire about late registration. Please note that a $25 charge will be applied to all late registrations.
How are teams made?
Once the registrations are completed we compile all the information and begin to sort children into teams based on the number of registrations and the available number of coaches. We work to balance teams with a combination of new and experienced players as well as taking into consideration special circumstances that have been brought to our attention.
My child has special circumstances. How do I communicate this at registration?
We encourage parents to provide as much information to us at the time of registration so that soccer is an enjoyable experience for their child. Information such as which school a child attends, particular friends they would like to play with, or other considerations that could affect their placement on a team is very helpful to include in the notes section. We make every effort to honour requests, and appreciate everyone’s understanding if we can’t accommodate each request.
What are the fees?
Fees are set each season to cover the costs of running the league, registering the players for tournaments and supplying equipment. Spring Season is a short season so costs less than the Fall/Winter Season.
*Spring & Fall Fees *note that these prices are approximate until posted on our registration page.
Under 5 Co-ed - Spring *$45, Fall *$155
Under 7 Co-ed - Spring *$70, Fall *$175
Under 9 (boys/girls) - Spring *$85, Fall *$195
*Prices are subject to change from season to season so please refer to our online registration page for current enrollment fees.
If you do not have a valid community association membership you will need to purchase one to register for soccer. The annual ECPCA membership fee ($15) will be automatically added on when you register your child for the first time during the new fiscal year (Aug 1st to July 31st the following year).
Why do I need a Community Association Membership to register for soccer?
To register for any program offered through the community association, a membership is required. This helps offset the costs of the programming that are covered by the association. Memberships cost $15.
Is there financial assistance available
KidSport funding deadline is the 30th of each month (allow for 30 days prior to season start for approval process). When you apply, ensure you list East College Park Community Association as the organization you are registering with so that your fees are forwarded to the correct association in which you owe your fees to.
Jumpstart through Canadian Tire applications can be accepted up until November 1 of each year but you should apply prior to when your fees are due. When you apply, ensure you list East College Park Community Association as the organization you are registering with so that your fees are forwarded to the correct association in which you owe your fees to.
For more information, or contact your soccer coordinator at soccer@ecpark.ca
When do we get the schedule?
Saskatoon Youth Soccer prepares the schedule and the Community Association coordinators usually receive it 1 to 2 weeks prior to the start of the season. As soon as it is received it is passed to the volunteer coaches to inform their teams. Practice times are scheduled around the matches. Once the match dates for each team are known, practice time will be allocated. For more info, visit http://saskatoonyouthsoccer.ca/page.php?page_id=85857
What kind of equipment does my child need?
Your child is required to wear a pair of shin guards and soccer socks. Also, a pair of non-marking gym shoes is required in case of indoor practices in inclement weather and a pair of cleats is recommended for use on turf or grass fields. Shirts to be used for matches/games will be provided.
What is the cancellation policy?
If you have registered your child in soccer and they become unable to play please contact one of the coordinators at soccer@ecpark.ca and we will assist you.
I still have questions.
We are happy to answer other questions. Please contact soccer@ecpark.ca with your question(s) and we will get back to you as soon as possible.