Which Age Group should I sign my child up for?
In our Fall 2023 season, age groups are based upon your child's Rising Grade for the 2023-2024 school year. Choose the age group for the grade that your child will be in this September 2023.

What equipment do players need?
Shinguards are required. Cleats are recommended but are not required.
Local sports stores sell value packages including cleats, shinguards and a ball for $30 to $40.

What does the league provide?
Jerseys and socks
*Socks are worn OVER shinguards

Do players receive participation trophies?
In the Spring - we do not distribute medals or trophies
In the Fall - younger divisions receive participation medals. Older divisions receive medals based upon placement in the end-of-season playoffs.
 
Are earrings permitted?
No. For safety reasons, earrings must be removed prior to practices and games.
They cannot be taped or otherwise covered. They must be removed.

COED divisions
If we have insufficient Boy or Girl registrations in a given age group, we will merge the Boys & Girls divisions in that age group to form a COED age group.


Does your league have any township residency requirements or school district boundaries?
No. We accept players from any location in the area.

We primarily draw children from the following local elementary schools: Brandywine Wallace, Beaver Creek, Collegium Charter School, Springton Manor, Pope John Paul II, St. Joseph, East Ward, Rainbow, Caln, and Twin Valley. The following Middle and High Schools: Marsh Creek 6th Grade Center, Downingtown Middle School, Downingtown West High School. And from the following local pre-schools: Hopewell, Windsor, The Learning Experience.

Is heading the ball permitted?
No.  Heading is not permitted in any division, BOYS or GIRLS, from our youngest 4 & 5 year old Pre-K division through our oldest High School Boys and Girls divisions.
Heading the ball will result in a penalty. 
Rule regarding heading reads as follows:
Players shall not engage in heading, either in practices or in games.

In adherence to these new requirements, referees have been instructed of the following rule addition: 
When a player deliberately heads the ball in a game, an indirect free kick (IFK) should be awarded to the opposing team from the spot of the offense. 
If the deliberate header occurs within the goal area, the indirect free kick should be taken on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred.

Can I request teammates or a specific coach for my child's team?
We politely ignore teammate, carpool, and coach requests.

If I volunteer to coach, will my child be assigned to my team?
Yes. Thanks for volunteering!

When will I first be contacted by my child's coach?
Spring & Fall Seasons - 
Players are assigned to teams after registration closes and after a division has sufficient volunteer coaches.
We encourage parents to volunteer to coach their child's team because it expedites this process in addition to the other benefits you recognize by volunteering.
Ordinarily you will hear from you child's coach prior to the first week of Official Practices.

Where are games and practices held?
All games and practices are held at East Brandywine Community Park.
See the About Us section of ebya.org.

When are games and practices?
Spring and Fall - 
Practices are on a single weeknight at 6PM.
*Practice start time may vary based upon an individual coach's schedule needs.
You will receive your child's practice night assignment after he/she has been assigned to a team, approximately 1 week prior to the first game.
Games are on Saturdays beginning at 8AM through the afternoon. The game schedule is published one week prior to the first game.

When should my child arrive for games and practices?
For all games and practices your child should be at the field, ready to play, at least 15 minutes before the scheduled event.
This permits time to warmup which prevents injuries. This also gives your coach time to organize the team and start the game or practice on time.

Do parents need to stay at the field during practices and games?
For parents of children age 4 to 8, it is recommended that you remain at the field.
Injuries and issues may occur and coaches need the parent at the field to care for their child.
In addition, coaches are instructed by League Rules to practice 2-Deep leadership. Coaches cannot remain at the field without another coach or parent present. Parent cooperation is essential to this safety practice.

Can a 3 year old play in the COED 4 & 5 Year Old Boys & Girls divisions?
Children must be 4 years old by March 31, 2023 (Spring season) and August 31, 2023 (Fall season) to play in the COED 4 & 5 Year Old Pre-K division.

For children who are not 4 years old as of the cutoff date, we recommend that you consider other area programs like the YMCA, United Sports, and DARC, which offer soccer programming for kids as young as 18 months

Can I register extended family members to receive the family discount?
All children registered together must live in the same household.

Do you offer financial assistance?
*EBYA Soccer offers partial scholarships to any families in need of financial assistance.
*EBYA Soccer offers partial scholarships to any active military families.
Please send any requests to [email protected]. Please note that availability of scholarships is limited. First come, first serve. Please request a scholarship and register as soon as possible after registration opens. If you register late, scholarship funds will likely be exhausted.

Refund
No refunds will be issued after August 31, 2023 for any reason.
If you cancel your child's registration or withdrawal from the league prior to uniforms being ordered, we will reimburse you minus a $8 credit card processing fee.

If you purchased Registration Insurance when signing up, please see the following FAQs :
https://sportsconnect.com/registration-insurance-faq/

Website Registration FAQs

Click here for Sports Connect Registration FAQs