Parents
The Rules
BE POSITIVE on the sidelines. Fans cheer. Coaches coach.
FUN—not winning—is everything.
RESPECT the volunteers, especially referees and coaches.
No drop-offs: parents are not permitted to drop off kids for practice and leave.
Players must stay with their coach; they cannot leave games or practice without the coach’s permission.
Players must wear shin guards to every game and practice.
Players may not wear jewelry, earrings, watches, hats with brims, or any type of cast or splint.
Show up for games at least 20 minutes early.
Help set-up or take down goals if you have the first or last game.
Water is all that is necessary at halftime. No snacks until end of game. No snacks on the field.
No smoking. No Dogs. No swearing, geez!
Spring 2025 U19 Changes
*subject to change pending additional permit applications
The NYC Parks Department has reduced GWYSL’s Spring permit time, and we are unable to offer the U19 programs that we had hoped. Here is what we have to offer:
Six Monday nights of fun, small-sided soccer games, 8v8, like the adult rec leagues play. Both a co-ed division and an all girls division. No other weeknight practice/scrimmage time. The registration fee for these divisions will be $50.
We strongly encourage all U19 players to sign up to play soccer within our larger neighboring AYSO Region, Brooklyn AYSO. They play full-field, full-length games at the Prospect Park Parade Grounds, and it's a wonderful program with the same AYSO ethos. Note that they do not have practice/scrimmage time, only games, and they play on Saturdays and some Sundays. But you must sign up early because their spots will fill up fast. Registration opens February 10th and the link is HERE. We will send out a reminder.
There may be other field permits that become available as the Spring progresses.
What is the commitment?
Soccer is a team game. It is difficult for a coach to run an effective squad without having full and consistent player attendance. This is one of the reasons why all games for 7U and above are MANDATORY. Coaches will be closely monitoring attendance. If you cannot commit yourself and your child(ren) to making a one-hour weekday game and a one-hour weekend game every week, then please consider signing them up another season when your schedule allows. There are many eager kids on our waitlist who would love to be playing. Thank you in advance for your consideration and cooperation on this front.
Are there tryouts?
There are no tryouts. Anyone who registers can play, unless we are at our capacity for field space. Read more about AYSO and the philosophy in our "About" section.
What about practice?
In keeping with Parks Department preference to give permit time to games over practices, we conduct mid-week games in between our official games. If you cannot commit to regularly taking your child to weekday games, then please do NOT register them.
There is one weekday game per week for U7-U14 on Wednesday nights at Bushwick Inlet Park (Competition games will be played on Saturdays).
U5-U6 play Saturdays and U19 plays Monday nights. Your coach will notify you of the specific time on Opening Day or shortly thereafter.
6U teams will combine weekday and weekend games during their scheduled game hour. 19U will play Monday evenings at Bushwick Inlet Park.
The logistics of balancing teams is a tall task as it is, but it becomes nearly impossible when attempting to move players after Opening Day. For that reason, it will be our policy for SPRING 2025 to NOT accommodate team switches based on weekday game night schedule conflicts.
What is my child’s game schedule?
How do I register my child?
Registration is done via InLeague (formerly Sports Connect).
How do I pay?
What is the fee breakdown?
An annual "Membership Year (MY)" NON-REFUNDABLE fee of $20.00 is transferred directly from your payment to AYSO National; this happens only once per AYSO Membership Year (August 1, 2024-July 31, 2025). Our base fee will be $160.00/season for SPRING 2025.
What is the refund policy?
Any time a player drops out of GWYSL, there is a significant disruption to the league, it can create real stress from an administrative standpoint, as well as to the chemistry of the team. Consequently, we ask that you sign up your child(ren) ONLY if you are committed to participating in all games. Please consider scheduling conflicts before registering.
If your circumstances unexpectedly change and you must take your child(ren) out of the league, here is our new refund policy.
If you drop prior to the end of registration, then you will receive a full refund minus the AYSO fee.
If you drop after registration closes but before Opening Day, you will receive a partial refund (75%), minus the AYSO fee.
If you drop after Opening Day, and return the uniform(s), then you will receive a partial refund (50%), minus the AYSO fee.
There is NO refund of the annual $25.00 fee. This fee is processed directly with AYSO and cannot be refunded or transferred to another year after it has been processed.
Can my child be placed on the same team as a friend?
Generally, no. We cannot accommodate these kinds of requests unfortunately as there are 700+ children in the league.
The division is full or my child was waitlisted. How do I get them on a team?
To get on the waitlist, please make sure to complete the registration process in InLeague (there is no fee to sign up for the waitlist). If a spot becomes available, you will be notified via email.
Will someone tell me where to go and what to bring?
Yes. Your coach will reach out to you before the start of the season. You should also log in to InLeague once the schedules are released to see your team. Memorize your division and team number (ie. 8U team 2). Equipment needs are discussed below.
What division does my child play in?
Age divisions are determined by the age of the child on December 1st of the current school year. You can use the following information to match your child's BIRTH YEAR with the DIVISION they will be placed in for the SPRING 2025 season.
Age verification will be required for U6 divisions.
Note: The U7 division is a boys division. U8 for girls is a two-year division.
Age Division Guide
Note: ‘U’ stands for UNDER so, for example, a 7 year old kid is UNDER 8 (8U).
Birth Year 2019: U5
This is called the Jamboree. parents are involved with one coach leading the parents. The focus is on fun, and individual skills development. There are no organized games but there is a scrimmage at the end. There are no goalkeepers!
Birth Year 2019: U6
1/2 of the time is spent on individual skill development, and 1/2 half of the time is spent on a game of 3 field players per team.
Birth Year 2018: U7B
Five-a-side games. 5 field players per team, no goalkeeper. Saturday is game day at your allotted time. There is one weekday game as arranged by the coach.
Birth Year 2017: U8
Five-a-side games. 5 field players per team, no goalkeeper. Saturday is game day at your allotted time. There is one weekday game as arranged by the coach.
Birth Year 2015–16: U10
Seven-a-side games. 6 field players and 1 goalkeeper per team. Saturday is game day at your allotted time. There is one weekday game as arranged by the coach.
Birth Year 2013–14: U11
Nine-a-side games. 8 field players and 1 goalkeeper per team. There is one weekday game as arranged by the coach.
Birth Year 2011–12: U14
Eleven-a-side games. 10 field players and 1 goalkeeper per team.
Birth Year 2006–10: U19
Eleven-a-side games. 10 field players and 1 goalkeeper per team.
You may find the AYSO Birth Year Registration Chart (MY 2024) to be helpful, but remember that GWYSL usually does not have U9, U11 or U13. Instead, where you see those divisions, plug in the next higher division, e.g. U10, U12 or U14.
Is there any special equipment required?
We will provide a uniform, including jersey, shorts, and socks. Shin guards are mandatory, and go under the socks. Youth shin guards are available on Amazon, Soccer.com or from your local sports store such as BQ Sports (where we are pleased to be able to offer a 10% discount on all soccer equipment to GWYSL families) or Upper 90. Absolutely no earrings earrings or taped-over earrings allowed.
What about cleats?
Please purchase Turf Soccer Shoes, not cleats. Turf shoes feature raised, dense, aggressive treads that are shallower than the blades or studs used on normal soccer cleats, and are much more effective on artificial grass as they are designed to interact uniformly with the turf surface. Traditional cleats, on the other hand, are designed to dig into the dirt and will rip up the artificial turf used on our fields, and are therefore not allowed. More importantly, the larger studs on cleats can become caught in turf surfaces, causing feet to stick and legs to twist unnaturally. This can cause serious muscular, tendon, and ligament injuries. And, maybe the only thing the kids will care about, turf shoes are much more comfortable to wear on artificial grass. They can be purchased at Upper 90, Soccer.com, and many other sports stores.
What about a ball?
5U–8U: size 3
10U, 12U: size 4
14U, 19U: size 5
Buy them at a local sports store like BQ Sports or Upper 90, or online at Soccer.com.
Safety first! Put your ball in a bag. In the recent past, there was a terribly sad accident where a young boy from an AYSO league in Brooklyn was struck and killed by a car. Though we now have traffic lights just outside the entrance to BIP, vehicles and bikes still pose a risk.
Remind your children, your coaches, and fellow parents: keep your soccer ball in a bag, not in your hands, and not in your child's hands, until you get to the park. Don't kick it anywhere near Kent Avenue. It's just not safe.
What about water?
Bring a water bottle filled with cool, refreshing water. It's hot in the fall and spring.
What is the weather policy?
Weather is a factor for our league. The members of the board are required to make judgment calls whether to allow play in the event of inclement weather. Game cancellations are based on a number of factors such as the intensity of the rain and/or wind, actual temperatures, "feels like" temperatures, and conditions on the field.
Like weather forecasters, we don't always get it right, but we try our best. We all want our kids to have fun, and play in a safe environment. We do play in the rain and the cold and the snow, and kids have a great time doing this, so please don't assume games are cancelled if you see rain or snow or if it seems particularly cold.
We will do our best update the front page of our website with news about game cancellations 1 hour prior to game time, but for real-time weather and cancellation updates, follow us on Instagram @gwysl1328
Whereas in the past, cancellations were made in 2 hour blocks, we have moved away from this policy to allow for changing weather conditions (quickly passing storms).
Please Note: once a game has been CANCELLED, it will remain cancelled even if the weather changes.
Additionally:
Cancellations are made by league board members or designated officials ONLY. Coaches are not responsible for making game decisions regarding weather, EXCEPT in the case of lightning. Coaches DO make decisions regarding practice.
In the event of LIGHTNING, all players MUST IMMEDIATELY CLEAR THE FIELD and seek safe shelter. There must be a period of at least 30 minutes with no lightning sightings before players may return to the field.
In the event of changing weather conditions, the game's REFEREE may postpone or cancel play; the referee will usually consult both coaches in this decision, except in cases of lightning.
In the event of heavy rain in the forecast, or snow, we may cancel the entire day; this will likely be done early morning on Saturday, unless the forecasted weather is so bad that we can cancel in good faith on Friday night.
Cold Weather Gear
In the colder weather it’s okay for players to have long sleeves, stockings, or sweatpants underneath, not over their uniforms. Team shirts, shorts, and socks (useful for identification of last to touch the ball) must be visible and worn over any other clothing. Gloves must be all fabric (no hard bits). Close-fitting cloth caps with no bobbles, brims, or dangling strings are permitted. All other hats, hoods or hoodies (worn or unworn), and scarfs are not permitted. Rather than wearing a lot of extra clothing, it’s often preferable for players to have easy on/off clothing available that they can add or remove as they come on or off the pitch.
Where do we play?
SPRING 2025 U5 through U19 games will be played at McCarren Park OR Bushwick Inlet Park.
The specific field layouts can be found on the field info page.
Bushwick Inlet Park
86 Kent Avenue
McCarren Park
776 Lorimer Street (between Bayard St. & Driggs Ave.)