House league - FAQ

The EGSA House League provides a recreational soccer experience for children ages 3 to 12 (we work seasonally to provide soccer for 13-15 year olds* and are sometimes successful!) Soccer offers a child the opportunity to participate in a team sport, to enhance their physical fitness and self confidence, and to learn good sportsmanship and the benefits of team play.  

This is all accomplished while developing soccer skills.

Our House League programs teach the game of soccer in a fun, stress-free and supportive environment.  Tryouts are not required.  New players, of all ages and abilities, are encouraged to join the House League. All you need to do is register your player for each session during the registration period. 

*EGSA wants to support all kids who want to play. As players get older and other league options are available, town soccer registration wanes. If your child, older than 12, wants to play, find some friends and we will do the rest!

EGSA follows USYS guidelines regarding division placement. The GotSport registration system places players in the correct division based on their birth year according to the birth year policy instituted by USYS in 2016. It is highly unlikely that the system made a mistake. See the USYS chart at the bottom of this webpage to determine your player's age group. 

Here is one article explaining the age guidelines: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2017/08/five-things-to-know-about-birth-year-registration

There is no "playing down" in house soccer. The division of the team is based on the oldest player, therefore, if a player is placed in a younger league, all the players would be moved up. Obviously, this doesn't make sense so will not happen. Birth year registration means players with December birthdays will be the youngest in their division while players with January birthdays will be the oldest. Each school grade has a mix of players in the younger and older divisions. Your player's division assignment stays the same for both the fall and spring seasons even after they have a birthday. For example, if a player registers in the fall and is 7 years old, they will be placed in the U8 division ("U" means "under"). If they turn 8 in December, they are still placed in the U8 division for the spring season. One season they will be a "younger" player and the next season they will be a "older" player.

EGSA's Co-ed Little Kicker program introduces our youngest players to soccer! We want them to learn to use their feet and become comfortable with their ball, other players, and our Challenger trainers.

Little Kickers play one day per week for a 45-minute foot skills clinic. We divide players into two groups and assign a clinic time. The time in your player's team name is the time they arrive at the field. Teams are formed and begin to scrimmage as the season progresses, based on group comfort levels.

Foot skills clinics are coached by Challenger trainers. Parent coaches hand out jerseys and help EGSA with communication to team families.

Parents are welcome to help their players acclimate to being on the field. Our goal is to have this age group look at "going to soccer" positively. if they are on a playground or on the sideline watching, that is o.k.! Keep it positive and lower the pressure on yourself and your player. Almost all players choose to join us eventually and end up having a great experience.

EGSA's Co-ed U6 Division introduces players to games and rules! The U6 players take foot skills clinics to continue learning ball control, then play a 20 minute game, introducing them to the goals and working in a team. 

The U6 division plays one day per week and there are no team practices. The clinic and game are played at the same location. The clinic is first, then teams are assigned a field and an opposing team for the game. Families simply move from the clinic area to the assigned field for the match!

Foot skills clinics are coached by Challenger trainers. The game is managed by the parent coach who ensures each player has equal playing time and everyone is playing nicely. Parent coaches also hand out jerseys and medals, and help EGSA with communication to team families. This is a great time! 

EGSA's Referee mentorship program has grown enough that we can provide referees for this age group for Spring '24. We hope to cover all games but there may still be a few that parents will have to referee. Please see the Parent Coach webpage for expectations and information.

EGSA's U7/8 - U11/12division has a weekly clinic on one evening, one team practice per week (parent-coach schedules and communicates this) and a game on the weekend (Saturdays in the fall and Sundays in the spring). 

Foot skills clinics are coached by Challenger trainers. The parent coach ensures each player has equal playing time during the game and the game rules are being followed. Parent coaches choose the team practice day and time, hands out jerseys, and help EGSA with communication to team families.

For U13 and older divisions: We are partnering with neighboring towns to create a fun soccer experience for these divisions. You can help by rallying friends and peers of your middle-school aged player! Do you have ideas to help provide soccer for this age group? Email president@egsasoccer.com

EGSA follows USYS guidelines regarding division placement. The GotSport registration system places players in the correct division based on their birth year according to the birth year policy instituted by USYS in 2016. It is highly unlikely that the system made a mistake. See the USYS chart at the bottom of this webpage to determine your player's age group. 

Here is one article explaining the age guidelines: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2017/08/five-things-to-know-about-birth-year-registration

There is no "playing down" in house soccer. The division of the team is based on the oldest player, therefore, if a player is placed in a younger league, all the players would be moved up. Obviously, this doesn't make sense so will not happen. Birth year registration means players with December birthdays will be the youngest in their division while players with January birthdays will be the oldest. Each school grade has a mix of players in the younger and older divisions. Your player's division assignment stays the same for both the fall and spring seasons even after they have a birthday. For example, if a player registers in the fall and is 7 years old, they will be placed in the U8 division ("U" means "under"). If they turn 8 in December, they are still placed in the U8 division for the spring season. One season they will be a "younger" player and the next season they will be a "older" player.

In the Fall, EGSA plays on Saturdays. In the Spring, we play on Sundays.

• The Little Kicker program is clinic-based and meets for 45 minutes on game days (Saturday in fall, Sunday in Spring). One day per week.

• The U6 division takes a 30-minute clinic followed by a 20-minute game at the same field location. Scheduled time is the time to arrive at the field, game is immediately after the clinic at the same location, on a numbered field. One day per week.

• U7/8 and older divisions play 45 minute games. These divisions also have a team practice during the week at the discretion of the volunteer parent-coach and they take a 45-60 minute foot skills clinic. Foot Skills clinics are held on a weekday, based on age and number of players registered. Two or three days per week.

EGSA uses local schools and parks generously provided by the Town of East Greenwich. Visit our Fields page for locations.

The House League season is divided into three sessions:

• Fall outdoor session (Sept - Nov)  Registration typically opens in June or July.

• Spring outdoor session (Apr - Jun)  Registration typically opens in January or February.

• Winter Training (Jan - March) Registration opens in late October.

• Travel League Tryouts - Registration for tryouts is a few weeks prior to tryouts which are in May.

Follow us on Facebook! We put registration and details on our page.

EGSA does not allow player requests in the House League except by volunteer coaches or managers.  Parent volunteer coaches can request two players outside of their family. 

Visit this page for information and time commitment per division for parent coaches! If you can host a playdate, you can be a parent coach! We also provide volunteer hours for student coaches.

We typically notice same-aged siblings and place them together. If we missed yours, contact our House Director.

Due to the expense of uniforms, insurance, etc. refunds are generally not offered, but will be considered on a case by case basis until we have ordered uniforms, which varies by season. Please see your registration confirmation email or the registration page for seasonal dates. EGSA will retain a $10 administrative fee for any refunds processed. We will, happily, credit your account the full fee for a future season until the season begins.

House League fees and policies:

• Registration Fee is $125

• Late Fee charge of $25 per player. See registration page for seasonal details. 

• Waitlist players are picked up if there is an incomplete team or when enough players join the list to create two teams in a specific division. A waitlisted player pays the $25 late fee. In the case of two teams forming, two parents will also need to volunteer to coach as we will have to quickly assign teams and change schedules for all teams within the division. See registration page for waitlist dates for the upcoming season.

• EGSA provides a jersey. Player is responsible for black shorts, black sock, shin guards, and cleats (Little Kickers may wear sneakers instead of cleats.)

EGSA House League uniforms are black shorts, black socks, any color cleat, and EGSA-issued team jerseys.

Player Responsibilities:

• Shin guards

• Soccer socks

• Black shorts

• Soccer cleats or sneakers (Little Kickers only)

• Soccer ball

Ball Guidelines

• Size 3 - Little Kickers and U6 - U8 divisions (players age 7 and under)

• Size 4 - U10 - U12 divisions (players ages 8-12)

• Size 5 - U13 and up (players ages 13 and older)

Little Kickers can wear sneakers or cleats.

Size 3 - Little Kickers, U6, and U8 divisions (players up to age 8)

Size 4 - U10- U12 (players 8-11) 

Size 5 - U13 and up (12 years and older)

EGSA's top priority is the safety of our players, coaches, and families. We also strive to protect the fields, which are, generously, provided to us by the Town of East Greenwich. Sometimes, the weather changes quickly over the course of a game or practice and it calls for the best judgement of our coaches. 

In general, EGSA games and practices will proceed rain or shine. The exceptions to this rule are torrential rain, thunderstorms, or other unsafe weather occurrences (very high wind, extreme cold or heat, hail, hurricanes, etc). 

Regarding thunderstorms, at the first sight of lightening or the first sound of thunder, our coaches will instruct players to take shelter. Coaches and players must then wait 30 minutes from the last occurrence of lightning or thunder until the game or practice may resume. If conditions are determined to be unsafe for an indeterminate period of time, the coach may decide to dismiss the players for the remainder of the session. In the event of cancellations of games or practices/clinics, EGSA will make its best effort to inform parents of the affected players as soon as possible via email. You can also expect to hear from coaches regarding cancellations. 

We, rarely, makeup games for the House League due to holidays, school schedules, and lack of field availability. Travel League coaches will be prompted to schedule makeup games by SuperLiga.

• Clinic schedules are available on our website on the webpage for the specific season.

• Coaches for the U8 division and higher will determine and communicate team practice schedules. 

• Please check spam and junk folders for emails.

• This website has general information about the season and EGSA. The GotSport registration system is where we create teams and make schedules. Use both to determine your player's team and schedule as they become available. 

• Game schedules are posted in late August for the fall season and in mid-April for the spring season. We would love to post schedules earlier. The sooner parents volunteer, the sooner we can create teams and release schedules. 

• This website will display a link to game schedules. Find your team in the GotSport system. Game schedules are also in GotSport.

The GotSport registration system is where EGSA creates teams and schedules. For all divisions U7 and older, use the system to get game schedule information and communicate with teammates and coaches. We will also post a link with game schedules. 

1. Log into your GotSport account (the default view is your profile): https://system.gotsport.com

2. Click on "Family".

3. Select the player you want to view. The team will be in the center of the page.

4. Click on "Team Management". 

5. Click on "Roster" or "Send a Message".

Your role in GotSport will change the appearance of your dashboard and available features. Remember to click on your player's name to get their schedule! When you log in, you will not see a schedule since you are not the player! Click on "Family" then your player's name to view their team and schedule.

Check spam and junk folders for emails.

We play on Saturdays in the fall and Sundays in the Spring. Please see the registration page for specifics to that season and for other holidays. There are several factors that dictate how we handle a holiday.

Major Holidays:

• New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - off

• Easter weekend - off

• April vacation for East greenwich School District (We do have winter training during February break.)  - off

• Memorial Day weekend and Memorial Day - usually off

• Labor Day weekend and Labor Day - usually off

• Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day - sometimes we are off

• Halloween - (If Halloween is on a weekday, clinics and practices are cancelled. On weekends, Academy Fields activities are adjusted but all other activities remain as scheduled.)

• Thanksgiving - Wednesday and Thursday - off

• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - off

Note - We play on Mother's Day every year and on Father's Day if our season extends to it!

Generally, when school is out for an election day or a PD day, we will play. If school is out for a holiday, we decide that season, depending on the holiday. Labor Day we would probably take off while we may play on Columbus Day. Please see the season page for specifics for that season. 

EGSA Fun Day is the kick off event for Fall soccer! All House League players meet at East Greenwich High School for a day of soccer. Players meet their coaches and teams, receive jerseys, and can watch other divisions play games. There is typically face painting, tattoos, music, and games.