Age Group Changes

Vale SC Age Group Mandate (Effective 2026/27 Season)

1. Purpose & Background

Beginning with the 2026/27 season, U.S. Soccer and its member organizations will implement an updated age-group cutoff moving from the current January 1–December 31 (calendar-year) model to an August 1–July 31 (school-year-aligned) model.
This change is designed to:

• Better align youth soccer with the traditional school year.
• Reduce the “split-year” effect where players born August–December are often separated from classmates.
• Create more balanced and developmentally appropriate environments across the country.

Vale SC will fully adopt this new structure for the 2026/27 season and beyond.

2. Age Group Definitions

Under the new model, a player’s soccer age group will be determined by their birthdate between August 1 of one year and July 31 of the next.
For example:

• A player born August 1, 2015 – July 31, 2016 will play in the U11 age group for the 2026/27 season.

Below is the annual birth-year chart showing the new ranges for each “U” age group.

3. Transition Considerations for August–December Birthdays

We recognize that the transition to an August-to-July cutoff may impact players born in August through December who have historically been grouped with teammates from the same school grade.

To ensure fairness and consistency:

• Players born August–December may request to try out with the age group that aligns with their school grade, if that is different from their official birth-year team.
• This flexibility aims to maintain social and developmental continuity with teammates they have trained and competed with previously

4. Playing Up Policy (2026/27 Onward)

Players will be placed primarily according to their U.S. Soccer-defined age group. However:

1. Eligibility to Try Out for Older Group:
   Players born August–December may be considered to try out one age group above if that aligns with their school grade.
2. Evaluation Criteria:
   Placement decisions will be based on:
   • Technical ability and understanding relative to the older age group.
   • Physical readiness to handle the demands of higher competition.
   • Emotional maturity and team fit.
   • Roster composition and developmental pathway considerations.
3. Final Placement Decisions:
   The Technical Director and coaching staff will make final decisions based on what best supports each player’s long-term development and experience.
   Being eligible to try out does not guarantee placement in the older group.
4. Monitoring and Review:
   Any player placed in an older age group will be monitored throughout the season to ensure the environment remains appropriate for their growth and well-being.

5. Tryout & Communication Process

• All players will register for tryouts based on their official age-group birth year.
• Players wishing to be considered for the school-grade (older) group must indicate this during registration or by contacting the Technical Director prior to tryouts.
• After evaluations, the club will communicate final placements and reasoning directly to families.

6. Commitment to Development and Belonging

Vale SC’s primary objective is to create the best environment for player development — technically, tactically, physically, and socially.
Our goal is to:

• Keep friends and teammates together when developmentally appropriate.
• Ensure players are challenged at the right level.
• Align our structure with national standards while maintaining the family-style continuity that defines Vale SC.

7. Review and Updates

The Vale SC Technical staff will review this mandate annually to ensure alignment with:

• U.S. Soccer policies and league registration requirements.
• The developmental and social needs of our players and families.

Any updates or clarifications will be communicated before each new season.

 

Summary

From 2026/27 onward, Vale SC will adopt the August 1–July 31 age cutoff.
Players born August–December may try out for the older age group if it aligns with their school grade, subject to staff evaluation.
All placements will be guided by what is best for the player’s long-term growth and sense of belonging.