Age group info
Cook Inlet SC’s Recreational programs will reflect the Age Group guidelines established by U.S. Soccer, in which youth soccer players in the United States register for youth soccer teams based on their year of birth. This standard helps create clarity, improves understating about developmental progress, and enhances the playing environment.
By using birth year registration, youth soccer players in the United States will be in line with the rest of the world by using a normal calendar year of each player’s birth year (January 1-December 31) to determine their age group. Using birth year registration also ensure players are training and playing in the proper age group, each with their own developmental needs.
Birth year will be the only determinant for youth team registration and makes it easier to understand what age group a youth soccer player belongs in. In short, every player born in the same calendar year will play in the same age group.
Birth Year Registration Chart
| U4 | U5 | U6 | U7 | U8 | U9 | U10 | U11 | |
| 2025-2026 Season | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| U12 | U13 | U14 | U15 | U16 | U17 | U18 | |
| 2025-2026 Season | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 |
PLEASE NOTE: When determining the age group for a recreational soccer year, the dates the first outdoor soccer season commences and the last indoor soccer season concludes will be used for determining the birth year and therefore age group placement. For example, for the 2025-2026 soccer year, players will cycle up to their respective 2025-2026 age division on June 1, 2025.
Beginning with the 2026-2027 soccer year, Cook Inlet SC’s Recreational program will reflect the Age Group guidelines recently established by US Youth Soccer (USYS), US Club Soccer, and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), in which youth soccer players in the United States will transition from a birth year calendar to a seasonal year schedule when determining the appropriate age group for players (with birthdates ranging from August 1 through July 31).
This new standard will allow more kids to experience the joy of playing soccer with their friends and classmates by reducing the misalignment between age and school year in addition to offering optimal opportunity for each player’s desired development.
Additionally, the August 1 through July 31 birthdate range, which generally runs concurrently to school enrollment grades, will help reduce the “trapped player” effect which refers to players who, due to soccer age group cut-offs based on birth year, are in an older soccer age group than their school year.
The August 1 through July 31 birthdate range will be the primary determinant for the seasonal year registration and makes it easier to understand what age group a youth soccer player belongs in. In short, every player born between these dates, and is generally enrolled in the same school grade, should play in the same age group for the 2026-2027 soccer year.
Seasonal Year Registration Chart
| Division | U4 | U6 | U8 |
| 2026-2027 Season | 8/1/22-7/31/23 | 8/1/20-7/31/22 | 8/1/18-7/31/20 |
| Division | U10 | U12 | U15 | U18 |
| 2026-2027 Season | 8/1/16-7/31/18 | 8/1/14-7/31/16 | 8/1/11-7/31/14 | 8/1/08-7/31/11 |
PLEASE NOTE: When determining the age group for a recreational soccer year, the dates the first outdoor soccer season commences and the last indoor soccer season concludes will be used for determining the soccer year and therefore age group placement. For example, for the 2026-2027 soccer year, players will cycle up to their respective 2026-2027 age division on June 1, 2026.
