Q: How are teams formed?

A: Teams will continue to be formed via competitive level of play. Current LAFC SCY players are assessed based on their play from the previous season, while outside players are assessed via tryouts.

Following tryouts, the entire player pool (current players and trialists) are evaluated, with players then selected to a roster and invitations extended. Families then enroll in the program, and their new season begins.

Q: Who will coach the teams?

A: LAFC So Cal Youth is fortunate to have a deep and talented roster of coaches. Assignments will be shared before invitations are extended.

Q: My child is born later in the calendar year. Are they now going to "play down" an age group?

A: No. Where they were now one of the younger players in the current age group structure, they will become one of the older players in the new age group, and are now more likely to be playing with peers in the same grade.

Q: Can my child play up an age group?

A: LAFC So Cal organizes its players into teams by competitive level of each age group's player pool, as well as each child's developmental level. Players capable of competing on the first team of an older age group may be considered for placement as they currently do now. Given the depth of the club's player pools, playing up an age group and on the first team of LAFC So Cal is challenging.

Q: My child is born in July and is old for their grade. Can they play down?

A: Unfortunately no. Since August 1 is the cutoff for the competitions and leagues we play in, they are not permitted to play in a younger age group.

Q: Will this change impact our current season?

A: Team rosters should remain as is through the end of the final competition (State Cup, league play, post-season playoffs, etc.). There are a full slate of competitions ahead of us to remain focused on. A small cohort of players may face more logistical challenges than others, based on when their season ends and when their new season begins, but any challenges will be short lived.

Q: I have questions about this. Who do I contact?

A: Families are encouraged to speak with their appropriate age group director:

U8-U12 Boys: Dan Raben, dan.raben@lafcsocal.org

U8-U12 Girls: Wendi Whitman, wendi.whitman@lafcsocal.org

U13-U19 Girls: Richard Simms, richard.simms@lafcsocal.org

U13-U19 Boys: Alberto Bru, ab@lafcsocal.org