FAQ: The most common questions asked before registering a child to play

How much is the registration fee?

What does my registration fee purchase?

Is there a discount for multiple children in the same family?
Is there a discount for military families?

Are there any scholarships available for those who can't afford the registration fees?

What am I responsible for providing?

How do I know if my child is too young or too old to play?  In what age division would my child play?

According to the age divisions, my child is too young. Can't I register him/her?

My child hasn't played soccer before - can he really join this league with no experience?

Can I request a specific coach?

Can I request that my child be placed on the same team as another player?

What happens if there are more requests for a coach than the maximum number of players allowed on the team?

When will I hear from a coach to know when my child has practice?

Can I get the name and number of my child's coach earlier than the Coach's Meeting?

When are practices held? What days? What time? Where?

Can I request that my child be placed on a team that practices on a specific day?

How many players are on a team?

Are the teams co-ed, or are there all girls teams and all boys teams?

When do you play games? Where do you play games?

How will I get my child's uniform? How do I tell you what size he/she needs?

The registration includes a section about working service hours. Do I have to work service hours?

How do I register?

When does the season start and end?

What is the cancellation/refund policy?



How much is the registration fee?

Registration for the Spring 2023 season is now open! Early-Bird Registration runs until October 31, 2022 (11:59pm). Receive a $10 discount per player if registering during Early-Bird Registration. The fee for registrations received during Early-Bird Registration is $110.

Priority Registration ($120/player) runs until February 18, 2023 (11:59pm). Register in-person on Saturday, February 11, from 10am until 2pm, and again on Saturday, February 18, from 8am until 12pm. 

After February 18, Late Registration will continue - but we will only accept registrations as space is available and we will add a $25 non-refundable late fee. Once an age group fills and closes, we will not accept any additional registrations for that age group. If an age group is closed, you may register for the wait list. The registration system will not charge you unless there is space in the age group.

Please note: the entire registration transaction must be completed by 11:59pm Central Time on February 18, 2023 to receive priority registration pricing.

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What does my registration fee purchase?

The registration fee includes:

  • soccer jersey, shorts, and socks
  • registration and secondary insurance through the Tennessee State Soccer Association (TSSA)
  • a participation medal at the end of the season
  • 10 week season

Heartland Soccer Club: NYSA's primary source of revenue is from registration fees. We do not receive any money from Metro Parks, and we cover all of the expenses of the park/park maintenance, player/coaching services and equipment, etc., year-round. Our budget runs fairly tight in an effort to keep our registration fees as low as possible. We do not have any employees, so 100% of the registration fees paid go toward covering these expenses - many incurred prior to the season start. 

Please note: The insurance through TSSA is a secondary medical insurance that covers injuries incurred during an Heartland Soccer Club: NYSA practice or game. This insurance pays out after your primary medical insurance has paid and after you have paid a deductible. This insurance is not intended to be a primary medical insurance policy - that is something that each parent should have for their children.

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Is there a discount for multiple children in the same family?
Is there a discount for military families?

At this time we cannot offer discounts for multiple children or for military personnel. The club provides what we believe is the best value in Middle Tennessee youth soccer by having the longest season (10 weeks), players receive a full uniform (jersey, shorts and socks) and registration and insurance with the Tennessee State Soccer Association. The club has no paid staff. We are completely run by volunteers. Therefore all of the registration fees collected go towards the purchase of uniforms, field mowing and painting, equipment, facilities upkeep and other expenses incurred in running the club.

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Are there any scholarships available for those who can't afford the registration fees?

Yes, the Board of Directors provides for a limited number of scholarships each season for those who find themselves in financial difficulties. Applicants must complete the Scholarship Application Form and submit it with the required back-up documentation as proof of financial hardship. The Scholarship Application and accompanying back-up documentation must be received by the Board at least one week prior to the last day of Priority Registration (see above for Priority Registration deadline date). We are unable to accept any scholarship applications after the end of Priority Registration. The Board will verify the information on the Application and make a decision on the request. If approved, the applicant must agree to work at the fields (in areas such as concessions, field clean up, field mowing/maintenance, etc.) a specified number of hours.

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What am I responsible for providing?

You will need to provide the following items for your player(s):

  • soccer cleats (NO toe cleats - such as what is found on baseball and football cleats and NO metal studs)
  • shin guards
  • a soccer ball. Soccer ball size is based on the player's age group:
    /U4-U9: size 3 ball
    /U11-U13: size 4 ball
    /U15 and up: size 5 ball

You will also need to provide transportation to practices and games. Please remember to bring your child something to drink for each practice and game. The concession stand will be open on Saturdays and will have drinks for sale. And lastly you will need to provide lots of love and support for your soccer star.

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How do I know what if my child is too young or too old to play?
In what age division would my child would play?

Your child would play in the league which includes his/her birthdate. The age divisions are updated each Fall season - meaning the Spring season uses the same birthday ranges as the most recent Fall season. If for example, your child played in the U5 league in the Fall, regardless of whether your child has had a birthday (and is now no longer "under 5", but 5), he/she would still play in the U5 league in the Spring.

Our club conforms to the "Birth Year" age divisions as mandated by US Soccer.

The following age groups apply to the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 Seasons:
Under 4 (U4) birth year: 1/1/2020 – 8/26/2020 (player must be 3-years-old by start of the fall season) - for the fall 2023 season only
Under 5 (U5) birth year: 2019 
Under 6 (U6) birth year: 2018
Under 7 (U7) birth year: 2017
Under 8 (U8) birth year: 2016
Under 9 (U9) birth year: 2015
Under 11 (U11) birth years: 2013 and 2014
Under 13 (U13) birth years: 2011 and 2012
Under 15 (U15) birth years: 2009 and 2010
Under 19 (U19) birth years: 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008

The Tennessee State Soccer Association permits a child younger than his/her age group to "play up" to the next age group, but does not permit a child older than his/her age group to "play down" to a lower age group.

The club will permit a player to "play up" to the next age group as long as the difference in the ages of the oldest players in the older age group is 1-2 years older than the player. Anything more than 3 years will not be allowed. For example, we will not allow an 8 year old who should be in U9 to play up to U13.

The parent must request the player to "play up" at the time of registration. Please add: "Play up to ___ age group" (include the age group) to the coach request or teammate request line when registering. Club officials will review the play up requests and send the parents a waiver to complete and return before moving any player to an older age group. 

Please note: The divisions listed above can only be offered when enough players register to support multiple teams within the division. In the event that there are not enough players registered to play in a specific division, the players will be assigned to the next oldest age division.

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According to the age divisions, my child is too young. Can't I register him/her?

The primary reason for the minimum age is for the safety of the child. Because our U4 league will have children playing who have already turned 3-years-old before the start of the fall season (and some will turn 4 years old prior to or during the spring season), we don't want a 2.5-year-old to be hurt. In most cases, there is also a big difference in the physical size, the abilities, and the maturity of a child who is 2- and that of a child who is 3.5-years-old. A secondary reason is because most 2-year-olds often cannot understand the concept of a team sport.

That being said, HSC: NYSA recognizes that not all children are alike. There are some 2-year-olds who are much more mature and coordinated than some 4-year-olds. HSC: NYSA will allow a child who is under the minimum age to be registered only on the condition that one of that child's parents agrees to coach his/her team.

Please don't let the thought of coaching your young child keep you from registering. Many of the coaches in the U4 age group don't have a vast soccer experience, but one doesn't need soccer or coaching experience to encourage children to do their best. Yes, one must understand the basic rules, but you will quickly learned that at the U4 level, the basic rules are don't pick the ball up with your hands, no pushing and kick the ball in the goal. If you're willing to serve the children of HSC: NYSA, then please agree to coach your child's team. Take a look at our Coaches Handbook (http://www.nysa-soccer.org/resources.htm). Although the handbook is a bit dated, it will give you an idea of what to expect during the season as well as games to teach basic skills.

If one of the child's parents will coach the team, please contact us at info@nysa-soccer.org because the online system won't permit an underage player to be registered. We'll give you the directions for registering your child.

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My child hasn't played soccer before - can he really join this league with no experience?

Yes! As a recreational soccer club (as opposed to a "select" club or "travel" club), players may register regardless of whether they have played soccer before or not.  Every season - and in every age group - we have children register who have never played before.  It's HSC: NYSA's mission to provide a safe place where children can be exposed to the game of soccer and to teach them the game.

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Can I request a specific coach?

Yes you may, however the club cannot and does not guarantee all requests for a coach will be honored. We attempt to honor all coach requests received during Priority Registration, however sometimes it is not possible. If we are unable to honor a request, the player will be placed on another team. Please note that HSC: NYSA is unable to respond to each coach/team request to inform the parent if the request cannot be granted.

There is a field in the registration module for requesting a specific coach or team - enter the name of the coach in that field.

Coach requests on registrations received as "late registrations" (received after the Priority Registration deadline) will not be considered. Please refer to the above date for the registration deadline.

Lastly, once the teams have been created and the rosters are released to coaches, no team change requests will be considered.

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Can I request that my child be placed on the same team as another player?

Yes you may, but the club cannot and does not guarantee all requests will be honored. We will try to honor all player requests received during Priority Registration, however sometimes it is not possible. If we are unable to honor a request, the player will be placed on another team. Please note that Heartland Soccer Club: NYSA is unable to respond to each coach/team request to inform the parent if the request can be granted.

There is a field in the registration module for requesting a specific coach or team - write the name of the player that you'd like to request your child be placed with in that space. 

Player requests on registrations received as "late registrations" (received after the Priority Registration deadline) will not be considered. Please refer to the above date for the registration deadline.

Lastly, once the teams have been created and the rosters are released to coaches, no team change requests will be considered.

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What happens if there are more requests for a coach than the maximum number of players allowed on the team?

Sometimes we have coaches that are very much in demand and there are more requests to be on his/her team than we can place due to roster size restrictions (as dictated by the HSC: NYSA rules). When placing players on teams, we handle requests received during Early or Priority Registration only (not Late Registration) for a specific coach or team using the placement procedure below:

  1. The first priority for placement goes to the team's returning players from the most recent season.
  2. The second priority is given to players that played on that coach's team in a previous season, but not the most recent season. For example, a player plays baseball in the spring but plays soccer every fall; or a player plays school soccer during the fall but plays rec soccer in the spring.
  3. The next priority is returning HSC: NYSA players who are requesting a coach/team change.
  4. The final priority goes to new players to HSC: NYSA.
  5. If needed, we use the date and time stamp of the player's registration to determine the order of placement.
  6. HSC: NYSA reserves the right to deny requests if needed to balance teams in terms of the number of players on each team or to balance the number of females on each team.

If we are unable to honor a request, the player will be placed on another team.

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When will I hear from a coach to know when my child has practice?

You should hear from a coach shortly after the Coach's Meeting (see Important Dates page for the date of the meeting). If you have not heard from a coach one week after the Coach's Meeting, please contact the club and we will provide you with his/her contact information.

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Can I get the name and number of my child's coach earlier than the Coach's Meeting? I want to ask when they're going to practice.

No. HSC: NYSA does not assign players to teams until Priority Registration has ended. The rosters aren't typically finalized until the night before the coach's meeting. As a result, we cannot provide a coach name or number early.

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When are practices held? What days? What time? Where?

Because HSC: NYSA is an all-volunteer organization, each coach determines the practice day and time for his/her team. HSC: NYSA does not assign practice days and times to teams, unless required because of Covid policies. 

Most HSC: NYSA teams practice one weeknight evening each week and most practices are about an hour in length (depending on the age group - older ages may practice an hour and a half). Per the HSC: NYSA Coach's Code of Conduct, U4, U5, U6, U7, U8 and U9 teams practice only one day per week. Teams in the U11, U13, U15 and U19 divisions may practice 2 times per week, but the total time practicing is not to exceed 3 hours per week.

Most practices start between 5:30pm and 6:30pm on weeknights. HSC: NYSA understands that most parents of youth players work and must get home, pick up their child and then get to the fields for practice and cannot meet much earlier than 5:30pm. At each coaches meeting, the club instructs all coaches NOT to practice before 5:30pm on weeknights unless EVERY parent on the team agrees that they can meet for practice at an earlier time.

All teams are to practice at the HSC: NYSA fields located at Heartland Park - there are no exceptions.

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Can I request that my child be placed on a team that practices on a specific day? Or, can I request that my child NOT have practice on a specific day?

No, the club is unable to honor requests such as these. At the time that players are placed on teams, the club does not know when the coaches plan to practice. As a result, we are unable to place players on teams that practice on specific days or on a team that does not practice on a specific night.

HSC: NYSA completely understands the desire to know practice schedules, game schedules, etc. in advance.  Every season, dozens of our families have multiple children playing soccer and other sports.  Much of the time, several Board Members will have multiple children playing - so we are very sympathetic to this question.

If a child is placed on a team that practices on a night that the family has a solid conflict, HSC: NYSA may attempt to move the player to another team - but only if space allows.  If we cannot move the player to a team that practices on another night, the family may request a credit per the club cancellation policy.

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How many players are on a team?

The number of players depends on the age of the team - the older the players are, the more players are on the team. For example, on the U4 teams, there are only 6 players per team and the U15 teams have 16 players per team. Please see our page containing the modified FIFA rules at http://www.nysa-soccer.org/rules.htm and click on the specific league you're interested - the document lists the maximum number of players.

For the U4, U5, U6, U7, U8 and U9 age groups, the number of players on a team is limited so that every players is guaranteed the opportunity to play half of each game. For example, in U4 there are six players assigned to a team so that while three players are on the field, the other three are resting. In these younger age groups, substitutions are only made at the quarter breaks unless there's an injury. In the older age groups, coaches may substitute players more often but will be careful to be sure that players get the opportunity to play at least half of each game.

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Are the teams co-ed, or are there all girls teams and all boys teams?

The entire club is co-ed, and we make a very strong effort to make sure that all teams are balanced in regards to male and female participants. However, if we have many more boys than girls register in a given season, we may not be able to place girls on every team.

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When do you play games? Where do you play games?

Games are typically played every Saturday during the season. Depending on the number of players registered (and the number of teams we have), games are usually scheduled to kick off between 8:30am and 4:30pm. Each team will typically play one game per week for the 10-week season. Parents receive the schedule for the entire season about 1-2 weeks before the start of the season.

The club is located at the Heartland Soccer Park. That is the location of all games for players in U15 and below. Heartland Park is located off McGavock Pike and Fernbrook Drive. For your convenience, there is a map here to help you find us. In addition, you may click here to obtain driving directions from Google (link opens in a new window). If you have a GPS that you'd like to use, enter 3135 Heartland Drive, Nashville, TN as your destination.

For the U19 age division, the club very often partners with other area leagues to provide games. Leagues we have partnered with in the past include those in Gallatin, Goodlettsville, Portland and White House. When scheduling games with outside leagues, we attempt to schedule at least one home game at Heartland Park and one away game at the other league's fields, so there might be some travel for the U19 age group. Because the U19 age group of the various leagues (including HSC: NYSA) often contain a number of the youth referees as players, the games for this age group are generally scheduled for the afternoon. Games are typically scheduled to begin between 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm. Occasionally, this age group will play games on a Sunday afternoon or on a weeknight if the home league has lighted fields.

PLEASE NOTE: Travel for the U19 age group may be restricted during the Fall 2022 season due to Covid-19 guidelines. We will assess the situation at the time the game schedules are made. 

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How will I get my child's uniform? How do I tell you what size he/she needs?

Uniforms are distributed to the coaches, who in turn distribute them to the players on their teams. Typically uniforms are not given out to the players until about a week before the first game to allow for late additions to the team.

We do not request uniform sizes of our players. Rather than the club having to maintain a large inventory of uniforms in various sizes and colors (and the large expense that would be), we order uniforms from the vendor as a set for each team. We have to order uniforms approximately 2 months before the start the season and each team receives a sealed package of uniforms from the vendor that contains the number of sets of uniforms that corresponds to the maximum roster size of their age division. Depending on the age division, there may be several sizes in that package. We've been ordering uniforms like this for decades and have a pretty good handle on the sizes needed for each age group. Occasionally we have a child who is very small or very large compared to the majority of children in the age group and we handle those situations on a case-by-case basis if a uniform in the set truly does not fit.

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The registration module includes a section about "Parent Service Hours." Do I *have to* work service hours?

HSC: NYSA is operated by people who volunteer their time and efforts (there are no paid positions on the Board) for the sole purpose of providing a safe and fun recreational soccer environment for our children and the children of our community. Parents assisting the club by working service hours are absolutely essential for the operation of the club. In an effort to keep our registration fees low, we require one parent from each family with a player registered to work at least one 1-hour block of time during the season. It doesn't matter how old you are to help out: we have had parents bring their 4-year-old's to help with field setup, teenagers help in the concession stand or on field cleanup and even grandparents have helped on occasion. There are many areas that you can help - see http://www.nysa-soccer.org/faq-vol_coaches.htm#1 for a description of some of the areas where we could use your help. If you are unable to perform the service hour or prefer to not work the service hour, you may pay an additional opt-out fee of $35 (per family) at the time of registration. If you choose to pay the opt-out fee at at later time, the fee will increase. 

So that everyone knows how serious we are about the parent service hour, if a family does not complete their service hour, or refuses to do so, and does not pay the opt-out fee, the club reserves the right to void any coach/team requests that family makes for the next season.

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How do I register?

All registrations are completed online - click here to be taken to the online registration system. You may also watch the front page of the website for sign up dates and locations where we'll be taking registrations in person (during the final few weeks of Priority Registration).

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When does the season start and end?

The Spring 2024 season begins with the first games on March 16, 2024 and ends on May 18, 2024. Teams may begin practicing March 2, 2024.

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What is the cancellation/refund policy?

The $3 processing fee charged by the vendor for the transaction is not collected by the club and is non-refundable. If you register during Late Registration (after Priority Registration has ended), the late fee is non-refundable. 

HSC: NYSA's primary source of revenue comes from registration fees. We don't receive money from Metro Parks, and we cover all expenses of the park/park maintenance, player/coaching services and equipment, etc., year-round. Our budget runs fairly tight in an effort to keep our registration fees as low as possible. We do not have any employees, so 100% of the fees go toward covering these expenses -- many incurred prior to the season start.  Click here to view a breakdown of expenses per each player registration.
 
At this time, we can only issue CREDITS for registration cancellations. Please refer to the dates and policy below for the 2024 SPRING SEASON to have a CREDIT issued to your account for use on a future season. No monetary refunds will be offered.

  • Cancellation requests received on/before FEBRUARY 10, 2024: A credit of registration fee paid minus a $25 processing fee will be placed on your account.
  • Cancellation requests received after FEBRUARY 10, 2024 but on/before MARCH 2, 2024: A credit of registration fee paid minus $50 processing and cancellation fee. The unused uniform must also be returned by this date, or no credit will be issued.
  • Cancellation requests received after MARCH 2, 2024: No credit will be offered.*

*At this time, the club expects to be open and games to be played as scheduled, just as we were for the previous seasons since Spring 2020. Should this change due to a government shutdown, every effort will be made to play games as soon as it is deemed safe to do so, but it could result in a shortened season per government regulations and policies. If the entire season is suspended, the Board will apply a partial credit to all accounts which may be used for a future season.

The previously stated policy may also be found online at: www.heartlandsoccerclub.com/nysarefundcredits
 
All cancellation requests for credits must be submitted via email, signed by a parent or guardian and sent to info@nysa-soccer.org. The request must be sent from the parent email address that was used to register.

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