Leagues

First you need to choose a league. Make sure the league is good for you before you sign up. Each one has a different reason to play. You also have to make sure you are playing at or around your level. If you need help finding a league you may use our League Finder or ask around. There may be flyers at school or in the mail and stuff. Here are the different levels of play:

Rec- Rec is the level of play for younger kids if you are at a certain age you can either move up to academy or stay in rec. Most consider this the lowest level of play. However, there can be some good kids in rec who don't have enough money to play in select or academy. Or there parents won't pay the money because they think it is too much. Or if your parents don't want to spend the time. It pains me when good players are in rec because they will eventually even out because in rec the coaches are volunteers. If you want to play in high school and collage then you can not play in rec. However, in rec everyone should get even playing time and it is more about having fun then playing pro or winning.

Academy- Academy is for younger players who want to play at a higher level with payed coaches etc. This is how most decide if they want to play select. In academy you try out for teams however the players are often moved around from team to team. If you make a lower team don't worry i have seen D team players move up all the way to Classic 1. If you practice and you are determined and try your best anything can happen.

Classics/Select- Classics are your team rankings after you finish academy. The state decides where your at. Classic 1 is the best and Classic 5 or 6 is the worst. To move up in the classics you need to get in the top 2 or 1 depending on the decision by the state. You also can move down this way. Classic 1 or 2 and maybe 3 are teams full of kids wanting to play Soccer through high-school or beyond.

State- If you win Classic 1 you can play other state teams. If you are on a state team you will be under a lot of pressure. Also at the end of the season new kids will try out and possible knock you off the team. However, kids playing on the state team get a looked at by high school and possible collage scouts.

Gear

soccer cleats- or turf shoes make sure your league allows cleats cause some don't at younger ages.


shin-guards-you need these to protect your shins.

SOCCER SOCKS-you need these long socks for the obvious reasons.

SOCCER BALL-make sure it is the proper size for the age group. Usually 8-9 is a size four ball and 12-13 is a size 5 ball. Anything below that is a size three.

WATER BOTTLE-for water.

Buy all these gear at your local Soccer store.

How to put on your gear

First put your soccer socks on and pull them all the way up. They should be long.

Next, pull up the top of your sock and put your shin-guards in each sock and fasten it. Note most shin-guards are slid-ons however some are not. If you don't have slid-ons then put on your shin-guards first then put on your socks over them.

Third, put the part of your sock that is above your shin-guards over your sock.

Next, move around shin-guard so it is covering your shin but you are comfortable.

Finally, Put cleats/turf shoes on.

Coaching

The most important thing is having a good coach,make sure you do. A coach is everything if you have a bad coach switch leagues or look at other options. First, before you sign up with a league check out the coach. What type of coach is he?Here are the three most common types:


Well-Rounded-the most common and best coach for coaching academy level these coaches no when to be mean and when to be nice.

Tough- These coaches give you a tough love. If you get a compliment from one of these then you definitely deserve it. These coaches usually coach high level Soccer Select and above. They usually get the most out of there players if they don't burn them out and make them quit.

Nice- These coaches are good for Rec players usually our players who just want to have fun and not make a career out of it.

Make sure you know your coach and watch him coaching in games and stuff before you make a decision on your coach. Make sure you know your kid. If your kid breaks down and crys when he gets yelled at maybe a tough coach isn't good for him. However, note that the starting at U13 if you are playing at a high level most coaches will be tough but not all. Also if you are a coach or becoming one look at my coaches guide it will help you much. It is all the stuff i have learned over the years from coaches,coming soon to my website. If you need help on the rules of the game then look at the rules guide.

Teammates

Though this is hard to determine you need to make sure that your the teammates on the chosen team are nice and do not put people down for messing up in games etc. One of the main things that makes Soccer fun is having good teammates and making friends on the team.

Well this abort raps it up look at my other guides there are many things in there for beginners too. If you have any questions about the basics of Soccer just comment below and i will answer them and add it to my guide. You can also email me at thecompletesoccerguide@yahoo.com