Frequently Asked Questions

When are the soccer seasons?

• Fall season starts August and runs through early November. 

• Spring season starts in March and runs into the end of May.

When and where are soccer practices?

• Practices are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday nights.

• Coaches pick the practice days and times when they receive their teams, based on field availability.

• All practices are at Killen Park

• 6U and under do not practice during the week.

• 8U practice hour once or twice per week.

• 10U and 12U practice 1.5 hours once or twice per week.

When and where are the soccer games?

• 8U and under - All games are played at Killen Park

• 10U & 12U - Currently all games are at Killen Park. However, we are currently transitioning to Area Scheduling. This means approximately half the games will be at Killen Park and the other half will be in the Huntsville Area.

• 15U and over team - Play on Area Schedule - This means approximately half the games will be at Killen Park and the other half will be in the Huntsville Area. (i.e. - Madison, Huntsville, Harvest, Monrovia, New Market etc.)

How do I become a Volunteer?

• To become an AYSO Region 1096 coach, you must first complete a volunteer registration form. Choose the division you wish to coach. 

  • Go to www.killensoccer.com

  • Enter your User ID and Password under Sign In.

  • Click Sign In.

  • Click VOLUNTEER in the gray column to the left.

  • Click Find Volunteer Roles in the upper right corner.

  • Click Select under the program of your choice.

  • Click View Roles.  

  • Options will be available for each division that you can choose from (i.e. - Playground Soccer, 6U Boys, 6U Girls, etc.). The list of choices for each division are Assistant Coach, Head Coach, Team Parent, Referee, and Youth Referee. Click SIGN UP for each position and division you would like to volunteer for. You can select multiple positions under multiple divisions.

  • Scroll to the bottom and click Continue.

  • Each position you selected from the previous screen will be listed and your profile will be highlighted. If you would like to invite a new account user to fill a particular position you chose, click Invite New Account User.

  • Scroll to the bottom and click Continue. 

  • Enter the information requested under Additional Position Information. 

  • At the bottom of each position, click the button to the right of Accept Waiver? It must say Yes for each position to be able to move forward. 

  • Scroll to the bottom and click Continue. 

  • Click Here to eSign Form. For multiple positions, you will have to repeat this process. 

  • Check the box I agree to use an electronic signature.

  • Choose the button. I am an adult of the age of majority in my state. I agree to the terms and conditions hereof shall apply to all my participation in the Events, regardless of the year or season in which such participation takes place, unless superseded by a new player application.

  • Type in your name under Volunteer Signature.

  • Since you are only signing yourself up as a volunteer, you do not need to check the button option stating that you are a "parent or guardian of the Player named on this application," nor do you need to eSign your name under Parent/Guardian Signature.

  • Scroll to the bottom and click Continue.

  • Follow any remaining prompts from here.

  • Your volunteer application is complete when you receive the screen that says ACCEPTED.

  • NOTE*** All volunteers must complete a background check prior to approval.

  • You will receive an email from [email protected] with instructions for completing the background check.

  • Next, you must complete the online Safe Haven, Safe Sport, Sudden Cardiac Arrest and CDC Concussion training at AYSOU. Safe Haven only needs to be taken once. The State of Alabama requires Sudden Cardiac Arrest and CDC Concussion to be taken every 12 months from the date originally taken. SafeSport has a yearly update that must be completed.

How do I become a Coach?

• Coaching children is a very rewarding experience. And coaching your own child's team can be one of the most rewarding experiences of all! Coaches are pivotal to having children get the AYSO experience. If AYSO regions don't have enough coaches, registration is scaled back and kids who want to play soccer are turned away. 

• Do you have little to no experience with soccer? No problem! Our Region 1096 coach instructors will teach you, based on the level you are coaching. Unique age-appropriate coach training is one of AYSO's specialties. If you plan to be at your child's soccer practices and games, you'll also have time to be your child's coach. 

• Register at killensoccer.com. (Follow the “How do I become a Volunteer?” Instructions above)

• You must complete the online and in-person age specific coaching course.

• Coaches are essential to the game. They teach children soccer skills and help develop a healthy, positive attitude, teamwork and good sportsmanship. Coaching is a rewarding experience as you have the opportunity to build a child's self-esteem, help them learn new skills, and just have a lot of fun. 

What happens when no referee signs up for a scheduled game?

• Games hosted by AYSO Region 1096 for which no certified and approved referee is present, a friendly coach-led scrimmage can be played in lieu of a game. The role of the coach is to guide the scrimmage--NOT to referee--and to maintain a safe environment for the players allowing them to have fun while learning in a game-like environment.
  NOTE: Scrimmages do NOT count toward tournament results. Parents, family members, and players themselves are encouraged to become certified referees so there is adequate coverage of all soccer matches. 

How do I become a Referee?

• Being an AYSO Referee can be a rewarding experience for both the kids and the volunteer with no long-term commitment and provides flexibility for those with uncertain schedules. Referees can select which game or games they are able to officiate each week, or none if their schedule does not allow. To become a referee, a volunteer must complete a few short online courses, and then attend the Regional Referee Training which takes around 3 hours to complete.

• Register at killensoccer.com. (Follow the “How do I become a Volunteer?” Instructions above)

• If you have a son or daughter that is at least 10 years of age, we encourage them to become a Youth Referee. Besides knowing the fundamentals of playing the game, your son or daughter can learn ALL aspects of soccer by officiating games as well. Being a youth referee can become a positive self-esteem and confidence booster for a young boy or girl. 

Are there other opportunities to volunteer besides Coach or Referee?

• Yes. If you are unable to be a coach or referee, but still want to be involved with your child's team, consider being a Team Parent.

• A team parent does the "admin" duties such as creating a snack schedule and organizing the end-of-season soccer party, if applicable. 

• We also offer board member positions. Whether you are a board member or not, you are always welcome to attend our board meetings every first Monday of each month at 7:00pm However, as a board member, you are eligible to vote on different items presented in meetings. If you are not sure that you have what it takes to volunteer as a board member, we train! All of our Region 1096 volunteers continually learn as they go, and they take what they've learned to support new volunteers.

What happens if we have to miss a game, or the game is rained out?

• We will try to schedule it during the following week. Do not reschedule the game yourself. Several things must be taken into consideration, field availability, ref availability etc. Let us handle the rescheduling.

• Games in Area Scheduling must be scheduled between head coaches. Once the time and place is confirmed between the coaches, the coach then must get approval from the Regional Commissioner.

• Game Cancellations will come through the email that was used when you registered.

How long are the games?

• (Playground and Schoolyard) - approximately 1 hour on Saturdays

• (6U) games are 20 minutes - two 10-minute halves.

• (8U) games are 40 minutes - two 20-minute halves.

• (10U) games are 50 minutes - two 25-minute halves.

• (12U) games are 60 minutes - two 30-minute halves.

• (15U) games are 80 minutes - two 40-minute halves.

• (19U) games are 90 minutes - two 45-minute halves.

• At 12U and below, games are broken into quarters with a short break between quarters, and a 5-minute break at the half. Substitutions are only allowed at quarter breaks. 

• 15U and 19U play 2 halves with monitored substitutions throughout the entire match instead of quarter breaks.

What is the starting age to play AYSO Region 1096 soccer?

• Players can start AYSO soccer at age 3.
  
  

What are the age brackets?

• The effective date of age determination for registration is the player's age as of December 31, 2024.

When and where is registration?

• Fall Season Registration opens May; closes approximately end of July.

• Spring Season Registration opens October; closes approximately beginning of March.

• Registration is completed online through our website at www.killensoccer.com.

What about uniforms?

• We provide two uniform jerseys for each player in divisions 6U and above. Blue Jersey (home) Red Jersey (away)

• Players must provide their own shin guards as well as own shoes. Sneakers are allowed in AYSO soccer. However, we recommend soccer cleats at every age for two reasons: 1) Wearing soccer cleats at a younger age will allow the player to get used to these type of shoes as they grow; and 2) When playing both fall and spring season, the grass on the fields may become wet at some point due to rainy weather and soccer cleats will help prevent slipping. Baseball and football cleats are not allowed due to the toe cleats.

What size ball do players need?

• Playground, Schoolyard, 6U & 8U uses a Size 3 ball (23.0-25.0-inch circumference, 10-12 ounces)

• 10U & 12U uses a Size 4 ball (25.0-26.5-inch circumference, 12-14 ounces)

• 15U - 19U uses a Size 5 ball (26.5-28.0-inch circumference, 14-16 ounces)