Recreational Soccer (6-18 yrs)

(6-18 years old):  Recreational, Inter-league

• Our Match Play Soccer League consists of recreational play for children from 6 - 18 years old. Colonial soccer leagues are designed to teach and develop a player's skills while incorporating a positive Christian influence.
•  The cost for this league is $90 ($168 for the U19 boys/$90 if you already have a uniform).

Team Placement

• As Crossroads Sports has grown to the extent that we now have more than 3000 participants annually, the number of "same team player requests" and "specific coach requests" has reached the point that we are no longer able to accommodate all the requests due to time constraints along with our desire to attempt to create "equally skilled" teams.
• With that being said, as this is a ministry in which we use sports as a way to reach new families (outreach requests), we will accommodate a request to play on the same team if the person you have invited has not previously participated in a Crossroads Sports league.
• In addition to this we are unfortunately not able to honor specific date and time requests. However, we will still allow you to select one night that you are unable to practice, Do our best to have siblings practice on the same night.

Age Divisions

Exact age splits are subject to slight change. We do occasionally allow skilled players to play up, but no player may play down. Parents must seek approval for their child to play up before registering them. Register your child by their age as of 3/1/2021 for our Spring league.

• U8 - Ages 6-7- Boys and Girls
• U10 - Ages 8-9-Boys and Girls
• U12 - Ages 10-11- Boys Only
• U13- Ages 10-12- Girls Only
• U15 - Ages 12-14- Boys Only
• U17- Ages 13-16- Girls Only
• U19 - Ages 15-18, Boys Only.
• The U19 Boys league will be competitive with games against non-Crossroads Sports teams and will require some travel.

Special Notice Regarding the U19 Boys League: the U19 program is meant to be an alternative to club soccer programs and as such, plays a number of highly competitive matches against non-Crossroads Sports club teams. Playing time for those games for each player will be determined based on skill and experience, along with the number of available players for that particular game. ​Due to this dynamic, we also have a number of split squad matches. These are specifically designed to give all players maximum playing time.

• Evaluation night will take place on February 16th, with a backup night on February 18th. 
• All players must be evaluated to play!
  

• Practices will begin the week of March 7th  and conclude the week of May 10th.
• Each team will practice once per week (except U19 boys who will practice twice/week) on either a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening.
• Players will be assigned a practice time of either 5:00-6:15 pm or 6:15-7:30 pm
• Due to possible family scheduling conflicts you will have the opportunity to exclude one practice night.
• Practice days & time slot will remain the same for the entirety of the season.
• Practices will not be made up if inclement weather causes a cancellation. (please view our complete weather policy)

• Games begin on Saturday, March 20th and conclude on Saturday, May 15th (7 games, with no games on April 3rd for Easter, or April 24th for Impact Conference at Shepherd's Church).
• There will be one make up game on May 22nd if there is a game cancelled during the year due to weather.
• Games are on Saturdays (8 am - 3 pm).
• All games are played at Crossroads Sports.
• The U8 age division will play on a 135' x 180' field whereas the U10, U12, and U15 field sizes will be determined by registration numbers, and subsequently, roster sizes.
• Teams are limited in number to allow each player an opportunity to play at least 1/2 of each game. Also, since we are a recreational league, we ask all our coaches to have their players play varied positions throughout the season.

SPECIAL NOTE: please know prior to registering your child that we are quite strict enforcing that no one wears earrings regardless of the size of the earrings during games. We suggest taking them out just prior to the game and then put them back in right after the game. In this way, they are out for just over an hour. You can put a band aid over the hole to prevent possible infection.

Equipment requirements for this league include:

• Soccer cleats are highly recommended (running shoes if they are considered safe by the officiating referee)
• Shin guards
• Socks that will cover the shin guards
• Sports shorts, preferably without pockets
• A size 4 soccer ball will be used for U8-U12. A size 5 soccer ball will be used for U15-U19.
• Please write your child's full name (first & last names) in black permanent marker on all their equipment!

One of our players was from China. He and his family moved back to China on May 31st after being in the Raleigh area for six years. At the first practice, he said, "I am Chinese. There is no God in China." As the weeks went on, he would ask many questions about each of the devotionals we did. By the end of the season, he looked forward to the devotional time more than any other time in practice. He kept asking, "why would Jesus want to die?" and "why did Jesus have to die?" and other questions that showed that he had been thinking very deeply about the truths we had been discussing throughout the season. Our whole family was praying for him during the season, and we continue to pray that the seeds that were planted while he was here blossom into saving faith in his life, and he shares that faith with the people of China!

       - Coach J

Joe got to know one of the boys (David) from his soccer team during the course of the season and invited David to Awana's on Sunday night a few weeks ago.  Through talking to his dad we found out that they moved to the area about a year ago and are currently not going to church.  David and his younger sister came to Awana's and they loved it and are still coming each week!  I'm not sure if his dad is going to the Sunday evening service but he knows that it is there and available for him.  So excited that David and his sister are in Awana's hearing God's word each week....memorizing Bible verses.  Hopefully his family will start coming to church again.

       -Coach L.