FAQ's
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: How old does my child have to be to play soccer in NVSC?
A: NVSC has teams for children born in years 2005 to 2020
Q: What Size Soccer Ball does my child need:
A: U4 - U8 Size 3; U9 - U12 Size 4; U13 - U19 Size 5
Q: How often are practices?
A: Practices are usually two times a week. The younger players - under 6 years old oftentimes practice only once a week. Since this is recreational soccer, practices are not mandatory and players are not penalized for missing practices. But practices are very important especially if your child is not familiar with the game and rules. Practices also foster team spirit and let the players and coaches build important relationships that continue on and off the field.
Q: When and where are practices held?
A: Practice days, times, and locations are selected by the coaches. The coaches are all volunteers and a benefit of volunteering is having control over your practice schedule. Practices are 1 hour long and can range between 5:00pm to 8:30pm and are located at elementary school fields and parks around the Manassas area. You can specify preferences for locations and days in the Comments field when you register but there are no guarantees that preferences will be honored and there are no refunds based on inconvenient practice scheduling. Teams are organized by zip codes, elementary schools, and neighborhoods and every effort is made to have children practice close to where they live. Only if a parent volunteers to be a head coach do they get first preference. There are no make-up practices for cancelled practices (due to weather or coachs availability).
Q: When are the games and where are they held?
A: Games for the Rec League are played on Saturdays. The length of the games varies based on childrens ages. The earliest games start at 9:00am (some U13 and older start at 8:30am). For children under 8, games are about 1 hour, with quarter breaks and half-time breaks. For children over 8 years old - games can be anywhere from a little over an hour to 90 minutes with just half-time breaks. If the games are rained out, your coach will inform you of the make-up day (generally the Sunday a week after the scheduled game).
When you register your child, you will specify a location - this will be where your games are played. NVSC currently has 4 locations: Hellwig Park in Independent Hill (U4-U19), Valley View Park in Bristow (U4-U16), Signal Hill Park in Manassas Park (U4-U12) and Ben Lomond Park in Manassas (U4-U19). When you register for a location, all your games are played at that location if your children are play in the U4-U12 leagues. If your children play in the U13-U19 leagues, they are registered in the National Capital Soccer League (NCSL-Rec) and then their home games are played at the location you registered for and you will have away games in other Northern Virginia areas (Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County).
Q: When does the season start?
A: There are 2 seasons for Recreational Soccer: Fall and Spring. The Fall Season begins in early September and runs through mid-November. The Spring Season begins in early April and runs through mid-June.
Q: What is the NCSL-Rec? Who runs it?
A: NVSC participates in the NCSL-Rec which allows players in the U13-U19 age groups to participate in more competitive play. These leagues will have HOME games played at the fields you registered for (Ben Lomond or Hellwig) and also AWAY games that are played in the Northern Virginia Area (Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties). The NCSL-Rec is an independent league that NVSC participates in along with other area soccer leagues. For more information about the NCSL-Rec, please visit www.ncsl-soccer.com
Q: I've heard the terms Rec Soccer and House Teams, what do they mean?
A: Rec soccer is a Recreational League (also called a House League). This league is a friendly, organized league that accepts anyone who wants to register within the age restrictions. There are no tryouts. Score is not kept and parents volunteer for snacks, coaching, and field setup.
Q: Can my child play both Travel Soccer and Rec Soccer?
A: No. A registered travel player with any Club or team can not play recreational soccer in NVSC.
Q: I didn't realize parents have to volunteer. Why is this?
A: NVSC is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing children in Prince William County an opportunity to play soccer in a team environment. In order to keep this opportunity open to as many families as possible, costs must be reasonable. Costs are controlled by the time and dedication to all of our volunteers. Parents volunteer to coach, manage coaches, and manage the league. If you would like to help, please volunteer during the registration process.
Q: Can I request to be put on a particular coaches team? Similarly, can I request to not be put on a particular team?
A: Yes. During registration, there is a Special Request field that you can ask to be put on a specific coaches team or not to be put on their team. You can also make special requests such as playing with a particular child (maybe your childs best friend), or to practice at a particular time/place/day. All requests are equally considered, but not all can be honored.
Q: At what ages are the teams coed?
A: The U4-U6 teams are all coed. At U7, the teams split into Boys and Girls teams. From U7-U19 there are separate Boys and Girls teams in each league. The Girls teams are always all girls, but the Boys teams will allow girls on them. This is done through special requests only.
Q: I don't understand the age groups. How do I know what age group my child will be in? When my child is 8, why does he play in the U10 league?
A: Age groups are a way to group children under a certain age together. The "U" in the age groups mean "Under" - so if your child is 8, they are in the"U9" or "Under 9" age group (meaning all players are under the age of 9). Leagues are formed around age groups and oftentimes age groups are combined into a single league to ensure adequate participation and competitive play (for example, U9 and U10 play in a single U10 league).
The age groups are done by birth year in accordance with US Soccer/US Youth Soccer and Virginia Youth Soccer Association. The age groups then determine what league your child will play in. Please use this link to see the age group breakdown:
Q: When does my child get referees in their games?
A: Children in the U9-U19 age groups have referees at their games. Games played in the U4-U6 age groups are facilitated by the teams coaches. There are no penalties called in these games, only the restart of play when a ball goes out of bounds.
Q: Do I have to pay for uniforms?
A: All players must wear uniforms issued by NVSC. In the younger age groups, U4-U6, uniform prices are included in registration and your child will receive a new uniform each season. In the older age groups, U7-U19, uniforms are purchased separately. If your child has a uniform from a previous season, you do not need to purchase a uniform. In the NCSL-Rec, your childs uniform will be numbered. This number is very important as it is an official record on the teams roster of your child. Your child can only substitute or purchase a uniform with the same number so the roster will still match.
Q: Can I put my child's name on their uniform? Why are there no numbers on the uniforms?
A: All players must wear the complete uniform issued by NVSC and it is at the referees discretion to allow a child not in uniform to play in a game (this includes the wearing of unofficial socks).
NVSC uniforms cannot be altered in any way. For safety reasons, uniforms intentionally have no identifiable marks including names and numbers. Putting names or numbers on the uniforms is considered an alteration and if you child has such a uniform they may be asked to purchase an additional "unaltered" uniform to play in a game.
Q: Does NVSC participate in an All Star Tournament?
A: Yes, NVSC participates in local rec all-star tournaments for both the Spring and the Fall Seasons. More information on the All-Star tournament will be available from your coaches during the season.
Q: Who do I contact if my questions are not on this list?
A: Send an email to: registrar@novasc.org
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