Registration FAQs
How
do I know if I have successfully completed online preregistration?
What happens if I am not able to attend one of the two walk-in registration sessions?
I served as a coach or referee last year; must I come to walk-in registration?
I don’t live in Menlo Park or Atherton; may I still register my child in Region 109?
How do I withdraw my child if he or she decides not to play?
May I request a particular coach? or request to play with a friend?
Q: How do I register my child?
Registration is a two-step process.
Step One: Preregistration. Complete all necessary registration forms in
the step we call “preregistration.” Online
preregistration will open on May 1, 2007. Just follow the instructions provided at this
website to log into your account. Once
logged in, update information for returning players or complete the forms
from scratch for first-time players. Once
you have successfully completed online preregistration, lock your forms,
print them out, sign them, and get ready for Step Two.
Step Two: Walk-In Registration. Bring your completed forms and check payable to AYSO REGION 109 to one of the two walk-in registration
sessions being held at
Q: When does preregistration begin?
Preregistration begins on May 1, 2007. Volunteer job signups
are available online on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to preregister
early.
Q: Why do we have online preregistration?
Online preregistration saves time for parents, ensures accuracy of
information (we need not decipher parents' handwriting), and streamlines the
walk-in registration process. The information
you provide remains confidential and will be used solely for the purposes
of identifying volunteers, building teams, communicating electronically with
families about soccer and safety, and managing the divisions. Also, the preregistration
process lets you update your child's school information and your own email
address. When you log into your
account, you will see all of your information from your last registration. Please be sure to update this information and
make any changes necessary to bring your information current.
Q: I am trying to log into
the online registration system, but I don’t know how or I can’t get in. What do I do?
First-time Registrants. If you
have never registered a child in AYSO Region 109, then you will need to create
an account. Just click on “NEW ACCOUNT”
and follow the instructions there. Please keep a record of the phone number and
password used to create the account for future reference. You will need this information throughout the
season to check your child’s registration status and to access your child’s
team roster and game schedule. You
will also need it again next season to register your child.
Returning Registrants. If any
of your children have played in AYSO Region 109 (Menlo Park & Atherton)
in the past six years, your information is in our system and you have an account.
EACH FAMILY SHOULD HAVE ONLY ONE ACCOUNT.
Multiple children from one family should be registered under the same
family account. Log into the online registration system by clicking
on the Login button (visible after May 1) using your telephone number and password.
If you have forgotten what telephone number you used to create your
account initially, then click on “New Account” and answer “Yes” to the question
“Has any member of your family played AYSO soccer in region 109 Menlo Park
Atherton?” Follow the prompts there.
If you are still unable to login, please send an email to registrar@mpsoccer.org with your
child’s name and birth date. The Registrar
will provide you with login instructions and assist you in gaining access
to your account. PLEASE DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT IF YOU
HAVE ALREADY CREATED AN ACCOUNT OR HAVE REGISTERED ANY CHILD IN THE PAST.
Q: I am trying to log into
the online registration system, but I don’t remember my password. What do I do?
If you have forgotten your password, click on “E-mail Me My Password”
on the login screen, and your password will be sent to the email registered
in the system. If you still need assistance,
or if for some reason you do not receive your password by email, please send
an email to registrar@mpsoccer.org. The Registrar will provide you with login instructions
and assist you in gaining access to your account. PLEASE
DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CREATED AN ACCOUNT OR HAVE
REGISTERED ANY CHILD IN THE PAST.
Q: What if I do not have Internet
access?
You may use a Hillview library computer at walk-in registration.
It's free. Otherwise, either try a neighbor or friend or preregister using
an Internet connection at your local public library!
Q: How do I know that I have
successfully completed online preregistration?
Once you have logged into the online registration
system, the Status Box will say “Incomplete” at login until you have successfully
provided all necessary information. The system will prompt you for any missing information.
Look for the red messages near the top of the screen.
Once you have finished editing your information and all information
is complete, the system will prompt you to “press LOCK.”
Lock your forms and get ready to print.
Click on “Print Preview” and then click on “Print” in the upper lefthand
corner of the screen above your first registration form.
All necessary paperwork should then print out.
If you do not see the following direction – “If you are finished editing,
press LOCK” – you are still missing some information or have failed to sign
up for a volunteer activity. Go back
and provide the necessary information.
Q: What paperwork do I need
to complete registration?
The system will automatically print the required forms for you once
you have successfully completed online preregistration, locked your forms,
and hit the “print” button. You will
need the following forms and items for each child to complete registration
(and signup online for a volunteer job). Bring
all of these items with you to walk-in registration:
q
2 signed original Player Registration Forms (printed on two
separate pages – one for the Registrar and one for the coach)
q
Volunteer Form (for all coaches, referees, and board members)
q
Kids Zone Parent Pledge (signed and initialed)
q
Proof of Birth Date (e.g., birth certificate, baptismal certificate,
passport, or immunization record) for all first-time players
q
Check or money order payable to AYSO REGION 109 (no
cash or credit cards accepted) (You
may submit one check for all children being registered.) (See “How much
are registration fees?”)
Q: When
and where is walk-in registration?
Walk-in registration is being held on Saturday, May 12,
and Saturday, May 19, 2007, from 10 am to 2 pm, at the
Q: What happens if I am not
able to attend one of the two walk-in registration sessions?
You may ask a friend to bring all necessary forms and payment to
the walk-in registration session for you.
But please be sure that you have all necessary paperwork and that you
have signed up for a volunteer job for each child playing, or your friend
will be unable to complete registration for you.
If your child is not registered at one of the two walk-in registration
sessions, your child will be waitlisted.
Q: What if I missed walk-in registration altogether?
Only players who have completed registration on or before May 19
will be guaranteed a place on a team and will be entitled to the early registration
fee. All other players will be waitlisted
and will pay the regular registration fee. You may still preregister online after May
19, but your child will not be ensured a place on a team. If you wish to have your child placed on a waitlist,
complete online preregistration. Print
out all forms and mail all forms, proof of birth date, if required, and payment
(see What paperwork do I need to complete registration?)
to the following address:
AYSO Region 109
Attn: Registrar
Once your complete registration packet has been received by the Registrar,
your child will be placed on the waitlist. Your check will not be deposited unless your
child is taken off the waitlist and placed on a team. In the event your child does not get placed
on a team, your check will be shredded. Some
divisions may be able to accommodate late registrants, while other divisions
will be full as of May 19. So please
register on time.
Q: I served as a coach or referee last year; must I come to walk-in
registration?
If you coached or officiated in our 2006 season and plan to volunteer
as a coach or referee again, you must still complete online preregistration.
You may, however, skip walk-in registration.
Instead, mail your forms and payment to:
AYSO Region 109
Attn: Registrar
Please be sure to send in all the necessary paperwork (see “What
paperwork do I need in order to complete registration?”) no later than
May 19, 2007. If you do not submit
all necessary paperwork, your forms will be returned to you and registration
will not be completed until you provide the necessary paperwork.
Q: How much are registration fees?
The early registration discount fee is $125 ($85 for Kinderleague
players) for registration on or before May 19. After May 19, players are waitlisted
and will pay the regular fee of $175 ($115 for Kinderleague).
Registration Fees
Kinderleague
All Other Divisions
Registration on or before
May 19 $85
$125
Registration after May 19
$115
$175
Full or partial scholarships in cases of financial hardship are available.
Come to walk-in registration at
Q: I don’t live in
Q: Why can't I complete the entire registration process online?
We continue to work toward streamlining the registration process,
but we do not yet have the ability to collect fees online. Additionally, AYSO National still requires original
signatures on all registration and volunteer forms (as opposed to electronic
signatures) in order to be covered by its insurance program. You must attend walk-in registration, unless
you are a returning coach or referee.
Q: How do I register for Kinderleague (under 6 years old)?
Register for Kinderleague the same way you would register any other
age level. Just make sure to bring a copy of your child's birth certificate, passport,
immunization record, or other valid proof of birth date to walk-in registration
if this is his or her first year playing.
Q: In what division will my
child be playing?
Your child will be placed in a division according to his or her birth
date, as follows:
|
Division |
Age/Grade as of 7/31/06 |
Birthdates |
|
Under 6 (U6) (Kinderleague) |
4.5-5/Pre-K or Kindergarten |
August 1, 2001 - January 31, 2003 |
|
Under 7 (U7) |
6/ first grade |
August 1, 2000 - July 31, 2001 |
|
Under 8 (U8) |
7/second grade |
August 1, 1999 - July 31, 2000 |
|
Under 9 (U9) |
8/third grade |
August 1, 1998- July 31, 1999 |
|
Under 10 (U10) |
9/fourth grade |
August 1, 1997 - July 31, 1998 |
|
Under 12 (U12) |
10 and 11/fifth and sixth grades |
August 1, 1995 - July 31, 1997 |
|
Under 14 (U14) |
12 and 13/seventh and eighth grades |
August 1, 1993- July 31, 1994 |
|
Under 16 (U16) |
14 and 15, high school freshman and sophomore |
August 1, 1991- July 31, 1993 |
|
Under 19 (U19) |
16+/ high school junior and senior |
August 1, 1988- July 31, 1991 |
If your child is among the youngest in his or her grade, he or she
may be automatically placed in a division that is lower than his or her grade
level. See “What is the policy for
playing up?” to determine whether your child may be placed in the next
division up with children in his or her same grade level.
Q: What is the policy for playing up?
The cutoff date for placement in an age division is July 31. In some cases, this cutoff places children in
a division with children in a lower grade level. Therefore, children born
between August 1 and December 1 have the option of "playing up."
For example, a child born on September
1, 2000, would normally be assigned to a U7 division. But that child has the
option of “playing up” in the U8 division.
The decision whether a child should play up is left to the discretion
of the parents, provided that the child’s birthday falls between August 1
and December 1. Parents should
consider not only the child’s size, motor development, and skill level, but
should also give strong consideration to the child’s maturity level. Even if a child is physically more skilled than
other players at his or her age level, he or she may not have the maturity
to focus and participate effectively in a practice with older children. And it is rarely a good idea to have children
play up in a grade level higher than their current grade. Parents must request that their children play
up. Just select “Playing Up” at
the Age Group field when preregistering online.
Otherwise, the child will be placed in a division solely according
to birth date.
Q: Why can't my child play down a division?
For the well-being of all players, children may not play “down” in
a lower age division unless there are significant physical or developmental
reasons for doing so. The Regional
Commissioner must approve exceptions, which rarely occurs, and a doctor’s
letter must be provided explaining the medical or physical reasons for playing
down.
Q: How do I withdraw my child if he or she decides not to play?
We hope that you and your child select AYSO because you agree with
the AYSO philosophy and look forward to a fun and enriching experience together
in soccer. Occasionally, special circumstances may require a child to withdraw
from a team. Please remember that a
player’s withdrawal from a team may negatively impact all players on the team
and change the balance of skill on the team.
Thus, we urge you to submit any requests for withdrawal by early July,
before final teams are formed. If circumstances
require you to withdraw after that, we will continue to honor all refund requests
made on or before September 1, 2007. Submit your refund request in
writing postmarked no later than September 1 to the Registrar at the
following address. Please include your
child's name, address, and age and send requests along with a self-addressed
stamped envelope to:
Menlo Park AYSO
Attn: Registrar
P.O.
Any refunds not requested will be applied to the Menlo Park AYSO
Field Refurbishment Program. Refunds will be mailed in one batch in October
2007.
Q: Why do all parents have to volunteer for a job?
AYSO is a volunteer-run organization. This means that all of AYSO’s coaches, referees,
board members, and other officials are volunteers. In addition to our coaches and referees, we
need many, many volunteers to help with registration, coach meetings, field
set up, equipment, photography, team management, etc. We ask every parent to volunteer for one job
for each child playing (except that the jobs of coach, referee, and board
member fulfill your volunteer requirements for all of your children due to
the greater time commitment involved). Jobs
are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so preregister early to
get the job you want. You will
not be able to complete the online registration process without signing up
for a volunteer job. And then we hope
that you will perform your job once signed up.
Without everyone pitching in to help, we would be unable to provide
a quality soccer experience for your child or run a successful soccer season.
Q: Why must all coach, referee
and board member volunteers provide their social security numbers, birth dates,
and driver’s license numbers on their volunteer applications?
It
is for the safety of our children. Recent
articles in the media have established that youth sports generally present
an increasingly enticing target for predators. AYSO conducts criminal
background checks on coach, referee and board member volunteers.
A volunteer’s social security number, date of birth, and driver’s license
number are necessary to ensure the viability of the background check. Collecting this information serves AYSO on two
fronts. First, it helps ensure that we exclude those with the highest
potential for harm to our children, and, equally important, it helps us avoid
excluding a good and valuable volunteer due to mistaken identity. This information, which is collected and managed
by our region’s Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate (CVPA), will be kept
confidential. The CVPA uses it to run
background checks and copies of the volunteer forms are securely archived
by National AYSO. We respect that some
people may refuse to supply their information. Regrettably, we will
thank them for their interest, but will not accept their application to be
a coach, referee or board member in AYSO.
Our kids’ safety comes first, without exception.
Q:
What if my child's school or any other information changed through the year
or before the season starts?
Be sure to update your information when you preregister online.
After completing registration, you may change your email address by
logging into your account and following the instructions there.
If your mailing address, telephone number, or child’s school or grade
level changes after registration, please inform the Registrar of the change
by sending an email to registrar@mpsoccer.org.
Q: May I request a particular coach? or request to play with a friend?
Because of all the factors that have to be managed and balanced to
create teams for 1500 kids, AYSO cannot honor requests to play with a specific
coach or player. Team assignments are made by computer; coaches may not request
to have specific children (other than their own) grouped on their team. Each
team includes players from different schools, so that children can make new
friends from around the region and so that we can minimize the likelihood
of dominant teams emerging in an age division. We are counting on you to support
your child's AYSO experience regardless of which team he or she is on, consistent
with the AYSO philosophy.
Q: May I choose my child’s practice field?
No. Our field space is extremely limited (a situation which is only
becoming more challenging), and fields are assigned by age to ensure that
all teams have enough room to practice. Within
those parameters, coaches select the fields and practice times to best synchronize
with their own schedules and work commitments.
Q:
When will I be notified of my child’s team assignment?
Your child’s coach will contact you once team assignments have been
made. Players are usually notified
of their team assignments by mid-August, depending on the coaches' schedules.
Kinderleague players may be notified later.
If you have not heard from a coach by August 21, contact the Division
Commissioner for your child's division. You will find contact information
for your Division Commissioner on our website by clicking the Board Members
button on the left.
Q: When does the season
begin?
Practice for teams in all divisions
except Kinderleague will begin sometime in or after mid-August. Each coaching team will decide when its team’s
first practice will be held and will notify the players. The season will start with a practice game in
early September. Games will be played
on Saturdays throughout the season.
Kinderleague teams do not have mid-week
practices but meet once a week on Saturday afternoons for drills and scrimmages
(immediately preceding the game usually).
For more details about key dates
during the season, click the Calendar button on the left.