US Youth Soccer Sanctioning Bodies announced the decision to move age bracket birth dates beginning with the 2026-2027 season. While the calendar year vs school year debate will continue in terms of long term development for the top levels, the fact that the sanctioning bodies have decided to go back to school year poses a new issue that needs to be considered.

With over 14 million estimated youth players in the United States, my daughter along with tens of thousands of children like her will miss the cut off date for the new grade level brackets laid out by US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer, and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) due to July and August Birthdays. This turns what should be an exciting social and sports moment into a moment of disappointment and exclusion for these children. IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THOSE BORN IN THE SUMMER AND INDIRECTLY AFFECTS THOSE WHO ARE TEAMMATES/FRIENDS.

Another critical point that is possible under this new structure is that kids will age out of youth soccer prior to their senior year. Players with July and August birthdays will also become trapped during their 8th grade year. This means they are "trapped" without a team for a season while the older players are playing for their respective schools. Under the most recent system, there were trapped players but there were almost 5 months of them.  Clubs could typically build trapped teams for one season due to the number of children with birthdays over those 5 months.  Under this new guideline, trapped players will be limited with only 1-2 months of children.

Although the decision to align soccer cut-offs to the academic guideline of September 1 was made with organizing principles in mind, it has unintentionally sowed confusion and division. A reevaluation of this policy has the potential to ensure grade school children could play together with their own classmates, fostering stronger camaraderie and enhancing their love for the sport.

The current cutoff date overlooks the fact that many school systems actually use August, not September, as their cutoff for school grades. According to the Education Commission of the States, as of 2018, 22 states plus D.C. use September 1 as their cut-off for Kindergarten eligibility, not taking into account the other states with different cutoffs. (Education Commission of the States, 2018).

It is time to revisit and adjust the age bracket guidelines for youth soccer in the US. The bodies have selected September 1. Changing the cutoff date to either August 1 or July 1 would create greater inclusion, more equitable teams, and a healthier social setting for our children all the way though their senior year. The original cutoff prior to the calendar year change was July 31 and TRAPPED was not an issue.  

REMEMBER, PLAYERS CAN ALWAYS PLAY UP AN AGE BRACKET BUT NEVER DOWN.

Please, sign and or share this petition to encourage US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer, and AYSO to reconsider their upcoming age bracket policy and to make our children's experience in soccer a more enjoyable and inclusive one.