Q) What is Rec Soccer?
A) DC Soccer Club offers a nine-week recreational soccer program each Spring and Fall. The fall season begins after Labor Day and extends into the early part of November. The spring season begins the last weekend in March and runs through mid-June. Teams typically practice once a week and have games on Saturdays.
Q) What is the difference between DC Soccer Club Rec League and DCSC Brookland Rec League?
A) DC Soccer Club and Brookland FC have entered into an agreement to merge clubs in order to support each other in the growth and development of youth soccer in Washington, DC. Brookland FC has been serving the NE side of Washington, DC specific to the Brookland area. Now, players from this club will register as DC Soccer Club and can choose to stay in the Brookland/Petworth area by selecting DCSC Brookland. However, any player registering can choose to register for our DC Soccer Club Rec League which historically serves the NW side of Washington, DC, or choose to register for the DCSC Brookland Rec League which serves the Brookland/Petworth area.
Q) Does it matter that my child has never played before?
A) No. Inexperience is fine! Our goal is to provide the environment so your child will develop no matter what level they are at currently.
Q) What are the game dates for this season?
A) Please go to the tab for specific season dates. Generally, game dates are every Saturday with no games on holidays.
Q) Where are games and practices held?
A) DC Soccer Club partners with a variety of private and public schools and agencies to reserve athletic fields for recreational soccer training sessions and match play. These respective parks and facilities are spread across the District of Columbia and areas of Montgomery County (MD). Recreational team practices are arranged by coaches who select fields based on availability. Information pertaining to where and when your child's team will practice will be coordinated by the Coach and/or Team Manager. Practice and game information will not be known until the schedule has been released a few weeks before the start of the season.
Q) Why doesn't the game schedule come out sooner?
A) In our Recreational program, we try to maximize participation. What this means is that often we haven’t finalized the number of teams until right before the start of the season, as we work to get everyone who is registered placed on a team. At the same time, we try to maximize the number of games on our best fields. In addition, we often receive the field allocations from DPR/DCSC very late leading up to the start of the season as there is substantial competition for fields with all school programs (who have priority) and all community groups. We have found that it creates more confusion to release a schedule and then revise it, so we hold schedules until we’re sure they are correct.
Q) Who is my Age Group Commissioner and how do I contact them?
A) Age Group Commissioners are volunteers who roster players to teams within one of the 20 age groups in the Recreational program. Commissioners work with the coaches and team managers prior to the season to build rosters, schedule games, and provide support as needed. Age Group Commissioners for the current season are listed on this page. Email is the best way to contact your Commissioner. If you are interested in volunteering as an Age Group Commissioner or have additional questions about the role of our Age Group Commissioners, please contact Rec Manager, Rebeca Mercado, for assistance.
Q) How do I request a specific team?
A) During online registration, you will be asked, "Special Request: Does this player wish to play with a specific team or coach?" This request is reviewed by the Age Group Commissioner. You may contact your Commissioner if you would like to change your choice after registering. We try to accommodate requests but can not guarantee that space will be available on any chosen team.
Q) I am a returning player - will I be placed on my old team?
A) If your child was rostered to a team during the previous season (Spring or Fall) they will be re-assigned to that team (if they want to, barring any extenuating circumstances)* by the Age Group Commissioner provided online registration is completed by Guaranteed Return To Team deadline. All roster decisions are made by Age Group Commissioners. Coaches have no authority to roster a player.
Q) How do I know if I have been placed on a team?
A) Team rosters and game schedules will be posted and accessible to parents a couple of weeks prior to the start of the season via the SportsEngine App. When the game schedule and rosters are released you will see the team listed in your SportsEngine dashboard and have access to the schedule. You may ask the appropriate Age Group Commissioner as well.
Q) How do I form a new Rec soccer team?
A) Starting a new team is easy! You simply need the players and coach(es) to register and the special request box within the registration mentions the same team or coach's name. Our Age Group Commissioners will roster everyone to the team and get you set up.
● Players use the registration link under the registration tab. Partway through the registration process is a data field called “Special Requests” which is where you’ll reference something in common with others on the team; often people list the team name or coach name in that space.
● Coaches register using the volunteer link under the registration tab. There must be at least one coach per team.
Partway through the registration process is a data field called “Special Requests” which is where you’ll reference something in common with the rest of the team; often people list the team name or player's name in that space.
Q) What happens if my child is placed on the waitlist?
A) If the waitlist has been activated for a specific division, that means the division is close to capacity. However, that does not mean that there isn't availability on certain teams in that division. If there is availability, the Commissioner will begin to place players on specific teams. Players will be moved from the waitlist in the order in which they registered.
Q) Who is my Coach? Who is my Manager? How do I contact them?
A) Coaches and Managers are generally parents who have volunteered to help run the team. Every team has a Coach and some teams will have Managers as well. Once you are assigned to a team and the rosters have been released, log in to your Sports Engine account to see your team, Coach, and Manager. The easiest way to contact your Coach or Manager is to send them a message using Sports Engine secure messaging.
Q) Will my child play in every game?
A) Yes! It is DC Soccer Club policy that every player must play at least half of each Rec game.
Q) How will I know if my game is canceled?
A)Games and practices most often proceed as scheduled regardless of weather unless fields are closed. However, there are sometimes weather-related concerns that force the club to err on the side of caution. The quickest and best way for DC Soccer Club participants to learn about field statuses is to monitor the DPR website and sign up for DPR email/text notifications. In select cases, an email may be sent to select participants through the SportsEngine system.
Q) How do you handle rainouts and other weather-related cancellations?
A) Some leagues have make-up days factored into the schedule. DC Soccer Club handles this a little differently by scheduling a full 9-week schedule (instead of 8 weeks of games and 1 make-up date for rainouts, as is commonly done in other leagues). This means that everyone knows the full schedule from the outset, which is very convenient for participants' families. It also means that, in some seasons, players get in more games than they would if we had a "make-up day" in the schedule. Sometimes activities that are canceled due to weather may be made up if facilities and staffing permit. There is no guarantee that any event canceled due to weather will be made up, and no refunds will be granted in such a case unless explicitly stated.
Q) I want to volunteer to coach or manage a team. What should I do?
A) Coaches and Managers are assigned by Commissioners, so please contact your Commissioner or the Recreational Program Manager. The US Youth Soccer Association requires that all volunteers register as a volunteer and agree to a background check. To register as a coach or team manager for the upcoming season, please the registration application under the "Registration" tab (required each season).
Q) Can we use a paid coach or trainer for our Rec team?
A) DC Soccer Club's Rec soccer program continues to value the contributions of volunteer coaches, as always. Teams may opt to use other (non-volunteer) coaches as long as the coaches register with DC Soccer Club and participate in all required meetings and/or training. Also, teams cannot insist that all team families contribute to the cost of the coach.
Q) Can high school students serve as coaches or assistant coaches?
A) Yes they can! Volunteering as a soccer coach is a fun way to give back to the community and earn much-needed service hours. Students under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible adult connected to the team during all DC Soccer Club events. High school students also make great assistant coaches supporting parent coaches who feel they lack soccer-specific knowledge and want some help in that area. For a description of how coaching youth soccer can contribute to service hours for high school students, please read this.
Q) I looked and my team has no Coach. What does that mean?
A) Our Coaches are most commonly parents who have volunteered. If no Coach is listed, it means that no one has stepped forward to volunteer on your team. Your Age Group Commissioner will reach out to team parents to find a volunteer Coach. If a Coach cannot be identified, your team may be disbanded by the Age Group Commissioner and players will be reassigned or fees will be refunded.
Q) What equipment is needed for each player?
A) In order to participate in games, a player must wear the required Adidas DC Soccer Club jersey, as well as shin guards and appropriate shoes. Shoes can be soccer cleats, turf shoes, or running shoes. In order to participate in practice, a player must wear shin guards and appropriate shoes. Twice a year, DC Soccer Club runs a cleat exchange where used cleats are available for $2. Every player is encouraged to have their own ball and to bring water and sunscreen to games and practices.
The required jerseys may only be purchased through our partner, PJ’s Soccer/Lacrosse Shop of Bethesda. While all other equipment may be purchased anywhere, PJ’s does offer competitive pricing and gives all DC Soccer Club members a 10% club discount on non-uniform and non-sale items.
Q) How do I receive the uniform?
A) DC Soccer Club has partnered with PJ’s Soccer/Lacrosse Shop of Bethesda to ensure excellent customer service and provide our club families with a local retail shop for all their equipment needs. PJ’s Soccer Shop has uniforms in stock and available for purchase through its convenient online store. Families can purchase online and choose to have their uniforms shipped to their homes or picked up in the store. Families may also choose to purchase their uniform in the store to try on sizes, soccer shoes, and other soccer gear.
Uniform information is sent to families after registering. It includes the online store link below and other guidance:
● Go to our partner, PJ’s Soccer/Lacrosse Shop of Bethesda.
○ Hover over TEAMS under the top navigation bar
○ Hover over MARYLAND CLUBS
○ Hover over DC Soccer
○ Click on DC Soccer Rec
UNIFORMS REQUIRED: All DC Soccer Club recreational players must have Adidas NAVY and RED jerseys (home and away). If DCSC rec players are returning from the 2022-2023 season, they do NOT need to purchase new uniforms unless they would like to. DCSC BROOKLAND REC LEAGUE: All players who are registering for DCSC Brookland need to order the DC Soccer Club uniforms: Adidas NAVY and RED jerseys. A Brookland patch will be placed on the sleeve of the jersey. When ordering on the PJ’s Soccer Shop online store, please choose the DCSC Brookland jerseys, which include the patch. Any DC Soccer Player returning from the 2022-2023 season who already has the rec uniform but is now playing for the DCSC Brookland Rec League, you may go into the store to purchase a patch and have it placed on your existing uniform.
FINANCIAL AID/UNIFORMS: For players who qualified for financial aid and who need new jerseys, select YES when asked “Does this player need to order a uniform…” during rec registration. More information will then be sent to your email to order and for pick up. Questions for financial aid/uniforms may be directed to Jennifer Werth.
Q) Which jersey to wear on game day?
A) Home = Navy and Away = Red.
In the schedules shown in Sports Engine (SE), if your game only lists the opponent's name, your team is the home team and you wear the navy jersey. For example, if your opponent's team is prefaced with a name such as @ C13 Zombie Mudbugs" then your team is the away team and you wear red.
Q) What size ball should my player have?
A) Players in second grade and younger should have a size 3.
Players in grades three through six should have a size 4.
Players in grade seven and older should have a size 5.
Being one size off is generally okay. For example, a second-grade player with a size 4 ball and a sixth-grade player with a size 5 ball will be fine.
Q) What are the rules and regulations that I need to follow?
A) Please click on the following to review
● Player Code of Conduct
● Parent/Guardian Code of Conduct
● Coach Code of Conduct
● Rec Program's Administrative Rules
Additionally, the laws of the game are specified for each age group. Check out our Recreational Rules Summary and Gameday Rules & Reminders for your age group.