Birth Year

[Unregistered]

Just curious. This seems to be a good place to talk about the birth year change.

Such as, what each club is telling parents and how this will effect tryouts in June and future
teams.

Or questions. Here's mine:

I have an 2002 player, will be going into 9th grade Fall '16. So curious how clubs will
deal with having players who are born in '02 - some in 8th, some in 9th, esp. when
9th graders aren't expected to play in Fall due to HS soccer.

How will teams balance that?

[Unregistered]

Most 2002 players are in 7th grade and current U13's. Only a handful are 8th graders and regardless of any changes in the age matrix, your player would face the issue of what to do in the fall of 9th grade. Under current system, player would be a U14 player in 9th grade, and you could choose to play HS soccer in fall (and join a U14 team come winter) or play club year round. However with the age matrix change, you are actually in luck as all 2002's will now move up to U15, meaning that your kid can play HS in fall and be on U15 team rest of the year.

The kids really getting screwed are the youngest 2002's currently in 7th grade. They jump to U15 next year, meaning they have no team for fall of 8th grade year (and if they play travel only, many will not have a team at all anymore.)

[Unregistered]

This is definitely going to happen?

[Unregistered]

This is definitely going to happen?

It's definitely happening at the club level, and it is my understanding that Superliga is also implementing next year too.

[Unregistered]

Most 2002 players are in 7th grade and current U13's. Only a handful are 8th graders and regardless of any changes in the age matrix, your player would face the issue of what to do in the fall of 9th grade. Under current system, player would be a U14 player in 9th grade, and you could choose to play HS soccer in fall (and join a U14 team come winter) or play club year round. However with the age matrix change, you are actually in luck as all 2002's will now move up to U15, meaning that your kid can play HS in fall and be on U15 team rest of the year.

The kids really getting screwed are the youngest 2002's currently in 7th grade. They jump to U15 next year, meaning they have no team for fall of 8th grade year (and if they play travel only, many will not have a team at all anymore.)

02 will be U14 next fall. just look at development academy current age groups, 01's are current U14's this year.

[Unregistered]

http://usclubsoccer.org/wp-content/u...rt-2016-18.png

[Unregistered]

http://www.empireusa-devacademy.org/Tryouts/730282.html

[Unregistered]

Sorry but they have updated their Matrix since August. 2002's will now be U15 next fall.

http://www.vysa.com/docs/US%20Soccer...n%20Matrix.pdf

[Unregistered]

Age groups

Looks like fall birthday 2001's will skip their u15 year and play u16 instead? Doesn't seem to make much sense for kids going into HS to lose a year of playing? Smaller clubs will have a harder time with this, and probably there will be a lot of HS age kids "playing up" in order to keep teams together.

[Unregistered]

Why are you using U14, U15 classifications.

Isn't birth year, just straight birth year? So 2002 is well, 2002?

Just trying to learn here.

Also, I was the original poster. Not sure why anyone would say majority of 2002's
are u13? Jan '02 - Aug -'02 = all this year's U14. Many U14 teams are made up of
1/2 0'1's and 1/2 02's.

My player is 2002 and in 8th. So what I am hearing is that the 2002 team would not
play in fall? I can't see clubs sacrificing the Fall season for their 8th grade teams?

Will teams break up their top teams? Or do you think some players will play up
for example an 02 playing up to 01?

Thanks for input - this is a big change.

[Unregistered]

I'm sorry. I just saw the MATRIX.

very helpful. Thank you!

[Unregistered]

I also am looking ahead to the young players at any birth year, (those born from August-December) and when they get to be 17/18 years old. Their teams will not stay together for those later years as some of the older players in the birth year will be going to college and the others will still be in HS.

[Unregistered]

I also am looking ahead to the young players at any birth year, (those born from August-December) and when they get to be 17/18 years old. Their teams will not stay together for those later years as some of the older players in the birth year will be going to college and the others will still be in HS.

I had the same thought. I have a child who is (Aug-Dec) 2000. Playing U15 this year on the same team since 2010. Next year they will jump to U17. Not really a big deal on the surface, but now they are on a primarily playing showcase tournaments as they will be with mostly Juniors. It also seems very unlikely that a U19 team will exist if they choose to play club their senior year.

Disappointing that they could not find a way to 'Grandfather' in players of a certain age. There are many 2000's who have been with their same club for 5-6 years and are being told they have to leave.

I didn't really give it a ton of thought until this thread popped up, but (Aug-Dec) 2000's really seem to be getting screwed here somewhat.

[Unregistered]

They will continue to use the U13, U14, etc designation because that's how it's still referred by for league play and tournaments. The only difference will be that the birthday cut offs for each of these are now moving from Aug-Jul (following school year) to Jan-Dec (following birth year) so starting next fall, all U13 players will be born in 2004, and so on and so forth.

It will break up most teams and redistribute talent. It will also jump some U11 players up to U13 quickly, and it's going to continue to have some ripples for a few years where certain players who skipped up a year, may miss out on having a U19 team available their senior year. After a few years though, all dust will be settled and it will be fine. It's going to be bumpy road for a few years though, and it sucks it will affect the Aug-Dec kids more (I have one of each).


One thing to keep in mind with Superliga is that they still usually group by a 2 year designations instead of single years like clubs. Starting next fall U10 will made up of 2008/2007's; U12 made up of 2005/2006's, U14 will be made up of 2003/2004's. The biggest loser here is the Aug-Dec 2002's who lose out on their U14 year of travel and will not have a travel team to play with for their 8th grade fall season.