Greetings from North River Soccer Association! There is a lot of important info you may need/want to know before registering for the Spring 2023 Recreational Soccer Season with North River Soccer Association (NRSA), so we’ve broken them into topics to make it easier to find what you need to get ready for the season.
Registration Dates and Fees
Age Groups (grouped by birth year)
How to Register
Coach and Teammate Requests
Volunteer Policy
Coaches / Coaching
Important Dates
Important COVID19 Requirements
REGISTRATION DATES AND FEES
Rec Soccer Regular Registration is open now through 11:59 PM Monday, February 13th.
Late Registration will be open through 11:59 PM on Friday , February 24th; however, a $20 late fee will be charged for registrations completed beginning at 12:00AM (Midnight) on Tuesday, February 14th.
The Spring 2023 Player Registrations Fees for Boys and Girls are as follows:
Rug Rats: $65.00
U5 & U6: $85.00
U8 thru High School (U18): $95.00
The Registration Fee listed above is for the first Rec Program player in each family. All additional Rec Program family members receive a $15.00 discount off the applicable registration fee at the time of registration (when all the players are registered together).
Note: WE WILL NOT send out rosters for any teams in an age group until ALL teams in that age group have coaches. This is necessary to allow the Commissioners to keep coaches with their players and attempt to balance team rosters.
CANCELED REGISTRATIONS: Any registrations canceled in the period beginning with our late registration period and through the second scheduled game weekend are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. Registrations canceled after the second scheduled game weekend are non-refundable. While not expected, if our Spring season is canceled due to suspension required by a city/county/state/federal executive order or similar, any refund by NRSA will be subject to the timing of such an order.
SecureFee Insurance: SecureFee registration insurance is a product offered by a 3rd Party insurance company during player registration. SportsConnect, the vendor that hosts NRSA’s website, makes it available to you, but is not the policy issuer. NRSA does not necessarily recommend this product, as the SecureFee policy has a number of exclusions and conditions, but we cannot stop its being offered by our website host. Registrants are encouraged to read the policy thoroughly and understand what it does and does not cover before purchasing. NRSA will NOT be able to assist you with a claim, all claims are handled solely by the issuer of the policy. In the event a player registration is canceled, NRSA cannot refund what is paid for the policy, that refund must be requested by the registrant directly from the policy issuer.
AGE GROUPS - (“U” stands for “under”. For example, a “U5” age group is for kids Under 5)
To align with US Youth Soccer age groups, NRSA’s Age Groups are based upon a standard calendar year (birth year). For example, all children born in 2014 and 2013 will play in the U10 Age Group this season.
This season the NRSA age groups will be set as shown below:
Rugrats: Older U3 (Birthdates 1/1 and 6/30/20) & U4 (Birthdates in 2019). Younger 2020 birth year players can be registered, with prior permission from Rugrats’ Coach Mark, and some assistance from our Registrars. Email us at [email protected] to make this request.
U5: Birthdates in 2018
U6: Birthdates in 2017
U8: Birthdates in 2015 and 2016
U10: Birthdates in 2013 and 2014
U12: Birthdates in 2011 and 2012
U14: Birthdates in 2009 and 2010
High School: Birthdates in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008
Age Group Notes:
These age groups are determined and set by Tennessee State Soccer Association and US Soccer, not by NRSA.
Uniforms (shorts, shirts and socks ARE included in your registration fee.
All players will register to play in the Age Group designated by their birth year (as shown above). We allow requests for players to play up an Age Group, if it is right for the Player. If you would like to request that your player to “play up”, you can do this during registration in the section where teammate and coach requests are made. Please be sure to list the reason(s) why you are making the request. This information will help us look for the right spot for your player.
Rugrats, U5 and U6 teams are typically co-ed, while U8, U10, and U12 teams are generally not. Age U14 and High School teams are likely to be co-ed, depending on the mix of registered players and the gender of the teams from the other associations. In some seasons we have been able to create gender-specific teams at the U14 and High School levels. Even in those instances, many of the teams they play from other associations in the area may be co-ed as well.
Rugrats practice/play on Saturdays, typically. Their practices are a progressive style lesson plan. Each practice lasts from 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the weather and the mood of the team.
The remaining Age Groups will practice one to two nights per week, depending on the schedule for Academy Practices. Each team practices on a night of the Coach’s choosing and subject to space availability.
U12, U14 and High School teams will play against rec teams of other associations in the area. Not all games will be at the Cleveland T. Grimes Soccer Complex (NRSA’s fields).
Note: U16 and U18 are combined into one single Age Group, referred to as “High School” - The associations in our district agreed a couple of summers ago to try combining the U16 and U18 players into one age group, the “High School” age group. We found that only a few of the associations could register enough players for both age groups, so U16 teams were required to play U18 teams. By combining them, our players will be playing on a team with an age group that will match their opponent’s team (and what they would experience if playing with their high school’s team).
High School games will be played as either 11 v 11 or 6 v 6 (depending on the number of players registered in the age group at NRSA and at the other local associations).
HOW TO REGISTER
Rec Soccer registrations must be completed online by going to www.northriversoccer.com and clicking on “Login” (for those returning to NRSA) or “Register” (for those new to NRSA) at the Top Right corner of the website Home page. MasterCard, Visa and American Express (Credit or Debit cards) are accepted.
After logging in, and before starting with the registration process, you will see a notice regarding the Tennessee State Law-mandated information we must provide you regarding both Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Head Injuries and Concussions. During the registration process, in order to be compliant with Tennessee State Law - you will be notified/reminded that NRSA supplies all families with this information on our website and the registering parent or guardian must acknowledge the receipt and understanding of that information before they may register their player, in addition to accepting a liability waiver. You will be able to click on links to the read the important information about head/brain injuries and sudden cardiac arrest that can occur in any sports participation, OR before beginning registration, we encourage you to go to the Parents Corner tab on the www.northriversoccer.com website, where we’ve provided links and resources for this important information.
NRSA is committed to providing access to youth players who want to learn and play recreational soccer. Please let us know if you cannot pay by debit or credit card during our Registration Period. Additionally, scholarships in exchange for volunteer time are available, as are payment arrangements. Contact us at [email protected] if we can assist you with registration, or to discuss any questions you may have.
COACH AND TEAMMATE REQUESTS
We make an effort to balance teams to improve your Player’s experience. Meeting new people and playing with friends and classmates are both important life experiences. Here are some guidelines we use to try to achieve balance between these life experiences:
1. NRSA will try to honor limited coach and teammate requests; however, these requests will be limited to the first two (2) requests per coach received for U5, U6 and U8 teams and the first four (4) requests received per coach for all U10 and older Age Group teams.
2. As many teammate requests will be honored as possible but honoring them may not allow for coach requests as well.
3. Any coach and teammate requests made after the end of the REGULAR online registration period (after LATE Registration starts) will not be honored.
4. NRSA reserves the right to assign players to teams at its sole discretion based on the needs of NRSA, the registrations received for a season and the volunteer coaches available at the time - and does not guarantee any specific requests will be honored. Further, NRSA reserves the right to create a coed team from a mix of male and female registered players in the same Age Group in the event that registrations do not allow for creation of gender-specific teams in an Age Group.
VOLUNTEER POLICY INFORMATION
NRSA is an all-volunteer run organization. Without volunteers, we can't offer the programs we do for the low fees we have, so we require that everyone provide two (2) hours of volunteer time for each Player that registers. We also understand that the demands on everyone’s time are tremendous and not everyone grew up playing soccer, so we will allow folks to opt out, if they choose to. For those who choose to volunteer, we identify as many volunteer opportunity alternatives as possible to coaching that we can (so you don’t have to have soccer experience to volunteer). At registration, you will either register to Coach, Assistant Coach or just as a “Volunteer" to add yourself to our Volunteer list.
If you aren’t able to commit to provide at least two (2) volunteer hours per player registered, you may elect to pay the Volunteer "Opt Out" fee of $50.00 per player registered by checking the appropriate box during registration. COACHES and TEAM MANAGER roles count as volunteer time n (Read notes about coaching, below). If you are going to volunteer, but not coach or be a team manager, it’s ok to click “Skip” on the Coaching/Team Manager Volunteer Signup page.
There are at least three other ways to find volunteer opportunities:
· You can see something that needs to be done at the Complex, let us know about it and volunteer to do it.
· You can respond to an email from us requesting help.
· You can sign up for an opportunity that we post on our SignUpGenius website account. We will let everyone know when we have opened our SignUpGenius site with posted opportunities.
NOTE: Volunteers must be at least 13 years old.
If you respond to an email or you yourself address a need you observed, you will need to communicate that to us. You can email our Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected] or call/text us at (423) 505-9451. We will track your volunteer hours for the Club.
In order to volunteer through our SignUpGenius account, you can click on the Volunteer tab on big orange button at the bottom of the home screen of our website that reads “Click Here to Volunteer” OR you can go to the Volunteer tab on our website, found both next to the picture rotator and under the Parents Corner tab.
Here is a direct link to our volunteer page: Click HERE for our Volunteer Page
If you volunteer on a game day, after you volunteer, you will need to sign the volunteer check-in sheet available at concessions, noting your arrival and completion times. If you forget to sign the sheet or concessions is closed, please send an email to [email protected] with details of the task that was completed; please include your full name, date, your player(s) name(s) and time when you helped out in your email.
COACHES/COACHING
If you have coached for NRSA before or are willing to coach now, be sure to register as a Volunteer Coach when you register your player. The sooner we have the total number of coaches needed to assign teams, the earlier we can start practices and you can work with your players.
To register to Coach or volunteer in other ways, log in to your NRSA account and then click on the Volunteer tab. If you coach, we have to collect some paperwork from you, which is required by TN State Law and Tennessee State Soccer. Please email us at [email protected] if you have completed paperwork to submit or questions about what to complete to be ready to coach in the upcoming season.
NOTE: All volunteers planning to coach or be Team Manager must complete the coaching paperwork.. Compliance training/documents carry over from Fall to Spring, but not from Spring to Fall, so those who coached Fall 2022 will not need to complete their compliance documents again.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE SEASON
Saturday March 4, 2022 - Opening Day/Volunteer Workday (Skills Clinic for Age Groups U5 - U10): This day is for players to get started on the learning and fun process. In addition, we will give parents the opportunity to start earning their volunteer hours by helping to prepare the field and the Grimes Complex. While players participate in the skills clinics or games, parents will attend a brief informational meeting with details about your child’s specific age group. We don’t schedule activities for the Rugrats on Opening Day, but if you are new to NRSA and want to see what Opening Day and our program are all about, please feel free to come and attend one of the Parent Meetings and help get the Grimes Complex ready for the season. Yes, Rugrat Parents get to volunteer, too!
Saturday March 11th, 2022 - First scheduled weekend of Rec games (Rugrats through U10)
Tuesdays (TBD) – Academy/Group Practices start for U5, U6, U8, and U10 Players and Coaches.
April 3 -7, 2023 Spring Break (Hamilton County schools) - We will not schedule Rec games for either weekend of the HCDE Spring Break (April 1st/April 8th)
May 13th, 2023- Last scheduled weekend of Rec games
May 20th, 2023- Play Day/ End of Season Fun Day
NOTE: We schedule doubleheaders throughout the season to avoid having to make up rainouts.
IMPORTANT COVID-19 POLICIES FOR THE SPRING 2022 SEASON
Here are highlights of the requirements included in the Tennessee Pledge (related to sports) as of August 6, 2020:
· For U5 through U10, Sidelines will have coaches and parents/spectators on the same side.
· No one should come to the complex or participate in practices/games if showing symptoms of COVID-19.
· No sharing of water bottles or food.
To address sanitary concerns, we’ve contracted with a local cleaning service to clean the restrooms daily and attend them during our scheduled weekend game days.
Further information about the season will be sent out to all registered players after we close registration and determine how many players and coaches we have, which will affect our scheduled games and practice plans. We’ll update you the week after we close registration. Feel free to share this email with anyone that is not currently involved with our Program. We sent this email to all Account Holders.
We look forward to seeing you at the fields!
Coach Ian
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North River Soccer Association (NRSA) is a nonprofit, tax exempt organization as recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This organization is entirely run and supported by VOLUNTEERS like you – parents and people who love soccer and want to see quality soccer opportunities for youth in Chattanooga. Your involvement allows NRSA to make this possible.