AYSO Region 630

AYSO Region 630 Plus Soccer Program

What Is AYSO Plus?

AYSO Plus is a select pilot program that has been implemented by AYSO Section 11 (Southern California) – Area K (Huntington Beach), Area L (Southern Orange County) and Area Q (Central Orange County) that is one level above traditional recreational soccer.  The objective of the AYSO Plus program is to provide top players within each region a more competitive playing experience than traditionally offered through the recreational program alone. 

The AYSO Plus program selects amongst the top coaches within each age division for which there are Plus teams (U10 – U14). It should be noted the Plus teams play in a single year age bracket similar to club soccer. AYSO Plus teams have open tryouts at the conclusion of the Fall Season as well as at the conclusion of the Spring Season.. 

The AYSO Plus program is played during the same time frame as the fall recreational AYSO program (e.g. August thru November), with one important distinction.  AYSO Plus games are played on BOTH Saturday and Sunday, with players expected to be able to play on both days.  The AYSO Plus program allows each Region that desires to participate to have one boy’s and one girl’s team in competition in the following age groups:

• U10
• U11
• U12
• U13
• U14

Note that AYSO Plus is played in one year age brackets, as opposed to the competitive recreational program that has two year age brackets (e.g. U10, U12, and U14).  Players are never allowed to play down in age bracket, and only with rare exceptions requiring Regional board approval is a player allowed to play up, based on their skill set and playing ability.  Older players in the U16 and U19 age brackets already play on an inter-regional basis, and thus there is not a need for AYSO Plus at these age levels.

How Does AYSO Plus Compare with Club Soccer?

AYSO Plus teams are comprised of registered players from within each respective Region.  AYSO Plus is equivalent to club soccer at the upper Bronze or lower Silver level of play.  Club soccer balances its teams by having different levels of play.

·        Bronze

·        Silver

·        Silver Elite

·        Gold

·        Premier

All new club teams start at the bronze level, with only the top 2 or 3 teams from each pool advancing to a higher level of play in the subsequent year.  Poor performing teams can be demoted from higher to lower levels of play.  AYSO Plus teams can, and often do participate in club soccer tournaments following the fall and spring seasons that are geared toward the Bronze or Silver level of competition.

Upper division teams have previously matriculated into the AYSO – Pacific Soccer Club South program after completion of their U14 season, or sooner, and have successfully competed in the Bronze and Silver level of the Coast Soccer League.

How is AYSO Plus Different from Club Soccer?

AYSO Plus is an AYSO program.  Thus, everyone plays means that every player will play a minimum of one-half the game.  Club soccer teams often do not offer any playing time guarantee.  As the AYSO Plus program is offered through your local AYSO Region, your practice fields will be local, and your fees are the same as the recreational program, plus fees for participation in tournaments (nominally $35/player/tournament).  Coaches are trained through AYSO clinics and hold a minimum of an Advanced Coach certification, with many of the coaches also holding a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) Series D or E State coaching license. 

Club soccer costs between $1,200 - $2,000, depending upon the club and the number of tournaments that the team enters, with the level of coach training varying between USSF Series E to Series A.

How Can I Participate on an AYSO Plus Team?

Selection onto an AYSO Plus team in Region 630 is through a tryout process that is open to everyone registered as a player within Region 630.  The tryout process will evaluate players on the basis of their complete skill set, including but not limited to defending, attacking, speed, ball control, game knowledge, attitude, and effort exhibited through drills and small-sided scrimmages.