As many of you have heard, beginning with the 2026-2027 seasonal year, US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer, and AYSO will return to a school-year age grouping model using an August 1 – July 31 birthdate range.
We understand that any change to youth sports can create questions and uncertainty, so we wanted to share some background on why this decision was made.
The move back to a school-year model came after extensive feedback from players, parents, clubs, coaches, and state associations across the country. One of the biggest concerns with the current calendar-year system was that it often separated children from their classmates and friends, particularly during key transition years like middle school and high school.
The updated age grouping is designed to:
Keep more players with their school-year peers.
Reduce the number of "trapped players" who were separated from classmates because of birth-year cutoffs.
Improve the overall player and family experience.
Encourage long-term participation and retention in the game.
It's important to note that this is a nationwide change adopted by the largest youth soccer organizations in the United States. Our club is implementing the new standards established by the governing bodies that sanction our leagues and competitions.
While we recognize that no system will be perfect for every family, the overall goal is simple: to create an environment where more children can enjoy playing soccer alongside their classmates and teammates while continuing their development in a positive and competitive setting.
At NSC, our commitment remains unchanged. We will continue to focus on providing a player-first experience where every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, compete, and enjoy the game.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this transition. As registration approaches, we will provide age-group charts and additional information to help families determine the appropriate placement for their players.
Thank you for being part of the NSC family.