A Recreational League for Competitive Players
You can download the promotional flier here.
Teams formed from individuals who sign up 
Boys and girls, ages 5 to 9
One game per week
Season begins January 5, 2008 - No holiday conflicts!
No mid-week practices - just games
All games in Belmont
Indoors, rain or shine
Fun - REALLY fun
Convenient online registration and payment

The San Andreas Youth Soccer Organization (SAYSO),
Gryphons and Crickets Soccer Academies, and
Belmont Parks and Recreation Department, present the
Winter 2008
Indoor Soccer League
 

About Indoor Soccer

This indoor soccer league is played on Ralston Middle School's indoor basketball court in the new gym. For the U6 and U7 players, the court will be divided into two playing areas. For the U8 and U9 players, the full court will be used. The playing area will be surrounded by high-density foam dasher-board panels, specifically made for this use, which help contain the play for fewer interruptions. A special, full-sized, high-visibility, felt-covered indoor soccer ball is used, and it is played off the wall. The game is very fast and exciting and is a great way to develop agility, endurance, and quick reaction time.

Five or six players (depending on the age group), including a goalkeeper, play on a team at one time. Substitutions are made 'on the fly' as in ice hockey. Teams U8 and U9 are generally gender pure; U6 and U7 teams are coed. We will try to balance teams when possible, and players may request to play with friends.

Players wear their own shorts (black or red are preferred) and white t-shirts. Pinneys will be provided at games to differentiate the teams. All players must wear shin guards covered by soccer socks. No cleats or shoes with marking black soles will be allowed. Any normal athletic or physical education school shoe is fine. 

Games last for 40 minutes - plenty of time to get exhausted. Games are refereed by a single official. Timing and scores are shown on the scoreboard. Games start and end promptly, regardless of whether the whole team is present or not.

This is a fun, learn-by-doing league with just one game a week. While coaches give helpful suggestions before and during the games, this is not an instructional league with mid-week practices. The emphasis during winter indoor soccer is on fitness, agility, and thinking and reacting quickly. For recommendations about specific soccer skills training and development on either an individual or team basis, please send us an email.

Who is Invited to Join Us

Boys and girls ages 5-9 (U6-U9) who want to ...
 ... play during the winter season without getting wet and muddy
 ... stay game-fit between the fall and spring seasons
 ... make the exciting transition from recreational AYSO soccer to competitive CYSA soccer
 ... have a blast once a week
Depending on the number of players that register for this league, younger players and teams may be asked to play in an older division. More experienced/skilled players may be placed on older teams provided the coach and parents agree.

Is Your Child Older than 9?
Older children may be able to play in other leagues at other locations. If you would like SAYSO to send you an email of suggestions for finding an indoor soccer program for older players, please click here.  Please email us your child's name, gender, date of birth, playing experience, and your cell phone/work number. We will inform you of your options.

Residency: Anyone from any city may sign up.


Play With A Friend Option

Teams will be formed from a combination of the pre-season session observations and a blind draw of players who miss that session. That being said, and without making any promises, this league will make a concerted effort to let your child and a friend play on the same team. The league's concerns are: (1) We don't want an entire killer-team of players to all request to be together. (2) Children playing together should be in the same age group and (usually) of the same gender. (3) If everyone wants to play on the same team as Samantha or Rupert, we won't be able to accommodate everyone. (4) We don't have a foolproof method of collecting requests to play with a friend. If you want to request playing with a friend, please send us an email. Currently, there is no other way to make such a request.

Dates: The league opens with a pre-season session on the weekend of January 5-6, 2008. Specific times will be announced for each age division where players will get a chance to see what indoor soccer is like and where the coaches can observe players for balancing purposes.

Location: Ralston Middle School, 2675 Ralston Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002. Where is this? Fast, easy access from 280, 101, and El Camino. (See directions below.)

Game Times: Games can be played any time between approximately 10:00 am and 7:00 p.m. We have noted the tentative game times for the age groups on the game schedule page. These times may be altered and are listed to give you an approximate time.

Game Weekends (Tentative): All games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, one game per weekend. All legal holidays will be observed. January 5-6 (balancing and familiarization), January 12-13, 19-20, 26-27, February 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 (make-ups and playoffs)

Playing Schedules: The schedule, once developed, will be announced in advance. Game schedules, including notification of reschedules and make-up games, will be posted on the SAYSO website. Because people leave registration to the last moment, it is 100% normal not to have the team rosters and game schedules until a week or two before the first game weekend. Game schedules, including notification of reschedules and make-up games, will be emailed after January 5th and 6th for the following weekend's games. 

Click here to see the game schedules.

Familiarization Sessions: You will receive an email in December giving you the time of your pre-season familiarization session on either January 5th or 6th, 2008. The session will familiarize your player with the general idea of indoor soccer and enable coaches to observe the size, skill, intensity, and experience (if any) of players for balancing purposes.

Practices: There are no practices during the indoor playing season. Players should arrive no later than 15 minutes before their games for warm-ups and pre-game instructions.

Uniforms: In order to keep the cost of this league reasonable, there are no uniforms. Players are asked to arrive wearing a white T-shirt or white jersey and, preferably, either red or black soccer shorts. If your player has previously played with the Crickets, that uniform may be used since the shorts are red and the jersey is white. One team will be given colored playing bibs (pinneys) to wear at each game. Once formed, teams may decide on their own to wear something distinctive, but it is not essential to do so.

Medals: All players attending their team's last game will get participation medals.

Guest Players: All players must be registered with Belmont Parks and Recreation. No guest players. For the purpose of league play, borrowing or trading of players between teams is not permitted. Teams may play scheduled games as friendlies/scrimmages using registered borrowed players, but such games will be shown as forfeits in the standings. Teams that sneak unregistered players onto their teams will be disqualified from the standings. Coaches that behave in such a manner will be asked not to participate.

Safety: There is no slide tackling in this league.

Protests: There are no protests. There is no protest form to fill out. There is nobody to hear your protests. The field marshal's decisions and the referee's mistakes stand.

Spectators: Bleachers accommodate sitting families, fans, and spectators.

Behavior: This is a fun league. Positive cheering, clapping, and encouragement of all players are accepted. Coaching of the team or your own child and pacing up and down the sidelines are not accepted. The safety and enjoyment of all players and spectators is of primary importance. While we're all competitive, players and/or parents who take the games more seriously than we do will be asked by the field marshal to leave. Players and/or parents who are majorly obnoxious, who react threateningly, violently, or with physical contact will be asked to leave.

How to Register

Players register as individuals for this league. Individual players will be combined into teams. It is not necessary to already be on a team. Preexisting and established teams may not register as teams and play together, although the players from such teams may register individually. Space is limited and registration is on a first-come basis. Please don't get mad at us if your age group fills up.

Register and pay online by clicking in the box below. All players register in this manner.

There are no paper forms to sign or submit, although you can register in person at the Belmont Parks and Recreation Department office. If you prefer to mail in your registration and check or register in person, please use this form. Please do not mail your registration to the SAYSO office directly, as this will delay your enrollment. Bring everything to

Indoor Soccer Winter League
Belmont Parks and Recreation Department
(in Twin Pines Park)
30 Twin Pines Lane
Belmont, CA 94002
Where is this?
Hours: M-F, 8:30-12:00; 1:00-4:30

After You Register, Then What?

After you register, you will receive information about the league, including the times of the pre-season sessions on January 5th and 6th. Only after that session will teams be formed and you will be emailed your team name and the game schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Click here to see the questions most frequently asked by parents.

For More Information

This league is administered for the Belmont Parks and Recreation Department by the San Andreas Youth Soccer Organization. For more information, contact SAYSO at (650) 593-5161, ext. 1015, or send an email to info@sayso.org.

1. My child is new to soccer and has never before played. Is indoor soccer an appropriate activity for him/her?

Answer: Anyone can participate in this program, even players who have never before played soccer. All children already know how to run, kick, bump into one another, and (sometimes) fall down. The rules of the game are not complicated. It will only take one or two games (or, less) for your child to figure out what he/she should be doing. The only real requirements are a desire to have fun and a naturally competitive constitution. Indoor soccer is an activity with lots of running, lots of opportunities to be first to the ball, and lots of opportunities to be challenged, competitive, and aggressive. There is nothing in the game to be frightened of - it's a safe sporting activity, and each game is refereed by an adult. However, a very small number of children are too small, timid, or immature (mentally, socially, or physically) to enjoy this game fully. Most children consider this to be the most fun they have all year. If your child falls into this latter category, there is ample opportunity to learn more advanced soccer skills and strategies in the spring after he/she has played winter indoor soccer with us.

2. My child is 2, 3, or 4 years old. Is indoor soccer an appropriate activity for him/her?

Answer: The youngest age division in this indoor soccer program is U6. U6 players are mostly 5 and young 6 year olds, although some older 4 year olds may fit in quite well. The two determining characteristics for younger players are being feisty, fearless, resilient, and independent, and, to a lesser extent, being tall and physically developed. 4 year-olds and younger generally are too small in size and stature, too timid, and too immature to play against 6 year olds. A few 4-year olds are not afraid of anything, and they run circles around older, larger players. But, they are the exceptions. Many 5-year olds look and act like older players, and they hold their own in the games without being intimidated by other players. However, some 6 year olds are still 4 years olds in a growing body. Age isn't the only, single determining factor. Soccer, indoors or outdoors, is fun game, but we hesitate to discourage a player from enjoying it at a later age by putting them into an arena with big kids and whizzing balls. Your child will occasionally get hit by the ball, and player may trip, fall, or get knocked down during a game. Parents are not allowed on the field during the game, and we cannot stop the game to give one-on-one encouragement for young players who are intimidated. For the 4-, 5-, and 6-year olds who would like a gentler introduction to soccer, SAYSO offers the Crickets Soccer Academy each spring and fall.

3. May my two children play on the same team for my convenience? May my daughter play on my son's team?

Answer: Yes, with the coach's permission, and provided that by doing so, there are no significant safety or skills mismatch issues.

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