Greater Cleveland Athletic Association

This page specifically discusses the Recreation Soccer league at GCAA. Click here for an explanation/comparison of the levels of soccer offered at GCAA.

SOCCER - The Beautiful Game

Greater Cleveland Athletic Association provides a positive recreational soccer experience for children aged 3 to 15. We strive to maintain a balance between teaching soccer skills, citizenship, sportsmanship, and healthy competition. We have minimum participation rules in all leagues to ensure that all players, no matter their skill level, become a vital part of the team. We offer soccer in the spring and in the fall. Our U04, U05, U06, U07 and U08 leagues are coed and boys and girls are in separate leagues in our U10 and up leagues (some teams may be coed if an insuffient number of players sign up to make all-girl teams). Shin guards are required in all leagues. Metal cleats and shoes with toe-cleats (baseball style) are not allowed.

GCAA is a member of the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association. We joined this organization to further enhance the soccer experience of our participants. The most significant enhancement is the adoption of the small-sided games rules. These enhanments include rule changes, new field sizes, limits on number of players on the field, and age eligibility categories. The primary focus of our Rec Soccer program is "player development". Our goal is for each player to become the best player that they can be. We try to teach them to compare their performances to their own previous performances... not to other players. We encourage all children to participate in all aspects of the game.

Each Soccer Year consists of two seasons, Fall season followed by the Spring season. A full season runs from Fall to Spring, consistent with the school year. Teams created in the Fall season are typically kept together for the Spring season. New registrants for the Spring seasons are typically assigned to teams to fill in opening roster spots.

Age group assignments are based on the player's age as of August 1st of the current Soccer Year. See the chart below to determine which league your child should be in and the associated fees:

** Uniform fee is assessed in the Fall season each year, OR if you are a new player in the Spring season.  Returning players, in the Spring season are not assessed a uniform fee, unless a new uniform is desired OR you switched teams.

______________________________

Small-Sided Games (borrowed from NCYSA "Recreation Soccer Handbook")

The Basics of 3v3/4v4

The priority in 3v3/4v4 is to motivate youngsters in an enjoyable environment that is conducive to learning. The more pleasure kids derive from their participation the more they wish to play and practice on their own. While the instinct to play is natural, their affection and appreciation for soccer must be cultivated.

The 3v3/4v4 game develops:

• The mental, physical, and social characteristics representative of these age groups.
• Players frequently touching the one toy (the ball) on the field.
• Opportunities for players to score goals.
• Player possession of the ball as a productive and rewarding part of the game.
• Active participation minimizes inactivity and boredom.
• The philosophy of player development expressed in state and national coaching schools.
• The game to be the teacher.

Why No Goalkeeper?

Goalkeeping, as it relates to the adult version of soccer, requires a combination of motor skills, athletic talent and decision-making. A goalkeeper is not utilized in the 3v3/4v4 game because:

• Goalkeepers must be field players first. Prior to specializing as goalkeepers, children must learn the broad parameters of "play". This is difficult to do when they hide beneath the crossbar and between the posts.
• Goalkeepers must possess field-playing skill. This is particularly true since the laws governing the 11-a-side game have been changed to prohibit the goalkeeper from using handling skills to receive balls passed by teammates.
• Psychological maturity is necessary in order to function as a goalkeeper.
• The peripheral vision and hand eye coordination at these ages is usually not developed to the point necessary to effectively play goalkeeper.

Why 3v3/4v4?

Teaching soccer to children requires that the information provided to them be appropriate for their maturity level through some means (THE GAME) that makes sense to them. The environment for play must, essentially, meet the needs of the player. Reducing the number of players to 4 (or 3) per team allows for all the components of the game of soccer:

• The ball
• Teammates & opponents
• Realistic pressure
• Appropriate pressure
• Modified Rules
• Direction of play (attacking & defending)
• The combination of length and width in the game

What is developed?

• Skill that is realistic in relationship to the game of soccer
• Motor ability: balance, agility, and coordination
• Perception: insight and awareness
• Vision
• Problem solving: choices and decisions
• Physical fitness
• Psychological domain: fun and enjoyable
• Learning by discovering, trial and error: playing!

________________________________________________

U04 Academy - 1 weekly practice, NO Saturday game.  (Under 4 - for children under 4 years of age) instructional soccer league. This league is an attempt to introduce preschoolers to the concept of a team sport in a fun and non-threatening environment. The U04 Academy will meet for one night each week for 8 weeks. Each session will last 45-60 minutes. Each Academy session is limited to 24 - 32 players. An Academy Director, with the assistance of several Volunteer Parent Coaches, will lead the players through several small group sessions of fun games and drills for approximately 30 minutes. These games and drills are not always "about soccer." Teaching hand-eye co-ordination is also important at this age. Some drills or games in practice may be simple every-day games like... follow-the-leader or chase the coach or other silly games to keep the kids excited and tuned in. We all understand these are all kids under 4, so these sessions are kept short and fun. Each Academy session will end with about 15 minutes of scrimmage-like games. These scrimmages are less about learning the rules of soccer and more about learning to participate in the game.

The primary focus of this league is simply to get the kids excited about soccer and to get them to understand that it is primarily a sport where you use your feet to move a ball in a particular direction. By the end of the U04 Academy, players should be comfortable moving about with a ball at their feet.

Each player will be provided a shirt and socks. In the Fall, all players will be provided a size 3 soccer ball. In the Spring, only new players (those that did not play in the Fall at GCAA) will be provided a size 3 soccer ball.

All kids are required to wear shin guards to every session. Soccer cleats are optional... however, no metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats) are allowed.

U05 Academy - 1 weekly practice, NO Saturday game.  (Under 5 - for children under 5 years of age) instructional soccer league. This league is for the continued development of basic soccer skills to pre-schoolers and young kindergarten students in a fun and non-threatening environment. The U05 Academy will meet for one night each week for 8 weeks. Each session will last 45-60 minutes. Each Academy session is limited to 24 - 32 players. An Academy Director, with the assistance of several Volunteer Parent Coaches, will lead the players through several small group sessions of fun games and drills for approximately 30 minutes. These games and drills are not always "about soccer." Continued development of hand-eye co-ordination is important at this age. Some drills or games in practice may continue to be simple every-day games like... follow-the-leader or chase the coach or other silly games to keep the kids excited and tuned in. We all understand these are all kids under 5, so these sessions are kept short and fun. Each Academy session will end with about 15 minutes of scrimmage-like games.  These scrimmages continue to be less about learning the rules of soccer and more about learning to participate in the game... although some basic concepts of the game may be introduced (out of bounds and restart of play) depending on the skill level of the players.

The primary focus of this league is to continue to build the excitement of playing soccer for the players. By the end of the U05 Academy, players should be very comfortable moving about with a ball at their feet and be more willing to attempt to win control of the ball.

Each player will be provided a shirt and socks.

All kids are required to wear shin guards to every session. Each player should also bring their own size 3 soccer ball to every session. Soccer cleats are optional... however, no metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats) are allowed.

U06 soccer league (Modified Academy). 1 weekly practice and 1 Saturday game.  The focus of U06 is mainly on ball control and ball movement. There is typically very little passing in this league and not something that is focused on in practices.  The U06 teams will meet for one night each week for 8 weeks. Each session will last 45-60 minutes. Each Academy session is limited to 24 - 32 players. An Academy Director, with the assistance of several Volunteer Parent Coaches, will lead the players through several small group sessions of fun games and drills for approximately 30 minutes, moving on to playing a series of small sided "scrimmage" type games to end each session.  Our goal in this league is for all of the kids to become skilled ball handlers and to learn a bit about being aggressive on the field and going after the ball when others have it. U06 players are randomly assigned to a team. Normally each team will have a roster size of 6 to 8 players. The teams are co-ed teams. Teams will play 3v3, without a goalie, on a field size of about 20 yards x 25 yards with small goals. The coaches are the referees in these games, which allows the games to be very simply a glorified practice, in turn reducing any stress the kids may feel about playing in a "real" soccer game. Scores are not kept, and no season standings are maintained. There is no focus on wins and losses only on having fun and learning about the game of soccer, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Every player gets a shirt, shorts and socks in this league. All kids are required to wear shin guards. Each player should bring their own size 3 soccer ball to every practice. Soccer cleats are optional (but recommended)... however, no metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats) are allowed.

U07/U08 soccer league (Modified Academy).  1 weekly practice and 1 Saturday game. The focus of these leagues is mainly learning about the team aspect of the game. If the players have learned a good foundation of ball handling skills in our U06 level then the next step is to teach passing and positioning.  Our goal in this league is for all of the kids to start to become true soccer players. They should start to learn to look for passing opportunities when they have the ball and when they don't have the ball to learn to move into positions to receive a pass. Also the players should become more aggressive on the field and really start attacking the ball to gain possession. The U07/U08 teams will meet for one night each week for 8 weeks. Each session will last 60-70 minutes. Each Academy session is limited to 24 - 32 players. An Academy Leader (typically a senior, volunteer coach), with the assistance of the team head coaches, will lead the players through several small group sessions of fun games and drills for approximately 30 minutes, moving on to playing a series of small sided "scrimmage" type games to end each session.  U07/U08 players are randomly assigned to a team. Normally each team will have a roster size of up to 8 players. The teams are co-ed teams. Teams will play 4v4, without a goalie, on a field size of about 25 yards x 30 yards with goals not larger than 18 feet x 6 feet. The coaches are the referees in these games, which allows the coaches to work together to ensure the games remain fun for all the kids. Scores are not kept and no season standings are maintained. There is no focus on wins and losses. Our focus is only on having fun and learning about the game of soccer, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Every player gets a shirt, shorts and socks in this league. All kids are required to wear shin guards. Each player should bring their own size 3 soccer ball to every practice.  Soccer cleats are optional (but highly recommended)... however, no metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats) are allowed. Every team is required to secure a team sponsor before each season begins.

U10-U15 soccer leagues.  1 weekly practice and 1 Saturday game.

Highlights of U10 - U15

• Boy and Girls on separate teams (single sex teams)
• Focus on Player Development, with introduction of healthy and friendly competition
• Paid non-partial referees for games
• Some travel may be required for some games
• Separate uniform fee (not inlcluded in Registration Fee)
• Uniform typically includes shirt, shorts, and socks

U10 soccer league. These players are generally beginning to understand soccer and are becoming more skilled in dribbling, passing, and shooting. The field is larger and position play becomes even more important. Coaches will draft U10 players on a draft day where players will be observed performing soccer drills. Typically girls and boys are placed on separate teams. The maximum roster size for each team is 12 players, if possible we try to make the teams smaller to ensure more playing time for each player. If we do not have a sufficient number of teams then some games may require short travel to play teams in other parts of Johnston and southern Wake county. Games are played 6 v 6 (5 field players and 1 goalie), on a field size of about 40 yards x 55 yards with goals 18 feet x 6 feet. Our focus is still on player development, sportsmanship, and teamwork. However, we do start to introduce the concept of competition. However, scores and official standings are not kept. Each game will have a non-partial paid referee. The soccer uniform consists of a jersey, shorts and socks. The uniform fee is a separate and additional charge from the registration fee and is handled at the time of registration. Each player must purchase a uniform for each soccer year. If the player registers in the Fall and returns to the same team in the Spring then a new uniform purchase is not required (although you may purchase another if you wish). If the player is a new player in the Spring, then a uniform purchase is required at the time of registration. The player's first registration of each "soccer year" does require a uniform purchase. All kids are required to wear shin guards. Soccer cleats are optional (but strongly suggested)... however, no metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats) are allowed.  Players will use a size 4 soccer ball.

U12 soccer league. These players generally understand soccer and are becoming very skilled in dribbling, passing, and shooting and game tactics. The field is larger and position play is very important. Player conditioning also starts to become important. Coaches will draft U12 players on a draft day where players will be observed performing soccer drills. Typically girls and boys are placed on separate teams. The maximum roster size for each team is 14 players, if possible we try to make the teams smaller to ensure more playing time for each player. If we do not have a sufficient number of teams then some games may require short travel to play teams in other parts of Johnston and southern Wake county. Games are played 8 v 8 (7 field players and 1 goalie), on a field size of about 50 yards x 75 yards with goals 18 feet x 6 feet. Our focus is still on player development, sportsmanship, and teamwork. However, we continue with our introduction of healthy competition. However, scores and official standings are not kept. Each game will have non-partial paid referees. The soccer uniform consists of a jersey, shorts and socks. The uniform fee is a separate and addiontional charge from the registration fee and is handled at the time of registration. Each player must purchase a uniform for each soccer year. If the player registers in the Fall and returns to the same team in the Spring then a new uniform purchase is not required (although you may purchase another if you wish). If the player is a new player in the Spring, then a uniform purchase is required at the time of registration. The player's first registration of each "soccer year" requires a uniform purchase. All kids are required to wear shin guards. Soccer cleats are optional (but strongly suggested)... however, no metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats) are allowed.  Players will use a size 4 soccer ball.

U15 soccer leagues.  (See Special Note about U15 Girls below.) These leagues are only opened when enough players register. The registration for these leagues are typically waitlist only. Once it is determined there are enough players to create a team then all those on the waitlist will be contacted via email to complete the registration. These leagues are listed as coed, but could be converted to an all boys team or all girls team depending on level of interest. These players play on our largest field. This league continues to help improve the conditioning, positioning and skill of the players. Depending on the number of players teams may be created via a draft day, a blind draft, or random assigments. These age groups are for the high school age player that wants to continue in recreational soccer for the social and fitness benefits. Normally each team will have a roster size of up to 18 players. Teams normally play 11v11, including a goalie. Some games require short travel to play teams in other parts of Johnston and southern Wake county. Each game will have non-partial paid referees. The soccer uniform consists of a jersey, shorts and socks. The uniform fee is a separate and addiontional charge from the registration fee and is handled at the time of registration. Each player must purchase a uniform for each soccer year. If the player registers in the Fall and returns to the same team in the Spring then a new uniform purchase is not required (although you may purchase another if you wish). If the player is a new player in the Spring, then a uniform purchase is required at the time of registration. The player's first registration of each "soccer year" requires a uniform purchase. All kids are required to wear shin guards. Soccer cleats are optional (but strongly suggested)... however, no metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats) are allowed.  Players will use a size 5 soccer ball.

U15 Girls Special Note.  For the last several seasons we have offered girls only teams in U10 and U12. With the continued success of these leagues we are excited to announce that beginning in Fall 2010 we began to offer a U15 Girls League.  Normally U13 and above teams begin to play on regulation sized fields and use regulation size goals and play 11 per side. However, due to expected limited participation in the first few seasons, we will play using slightly modified rules. We will essentially use the U12 game rules with a few minor changes. The basic rules will be as follows:

The GCAA also sponsors Challenge and Classic Soccer teams to offer our players a higher level of competition. Click here for an explanation/comparison of the levels of soccer offered at GCAA.

Click here for more information about the Challenge Soccer program.

Click here for more information about the Classic Soccer program.

Have questions about our Rec Soccer Program? Email us at info@gcaasoccer.com.