FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS OF THE DEARBORN SOCCER CLUB

When does the season begin?

The spring season begins about mid-April and continues through mid-June. The fall season begins early September and continues through the end of October. The exact dates can be found on the Calendar on this website.

How do I register my child?

A registration application may be downloaded from this website by clicking here. Registration applications may also be picked up at the City of Dearborn Recreation Department in the Ford Performing Arts and Community Center on the southwest corner of Michigan and Greenfield.

The completed registration and a check for the registration fee, along with a copy of the child's birth certificate, must be mailed to: Dearborn Soccer Club, P.O. Box 741, Dearborn, MI 48121 by the deadline. The deadline date will be found on the Calendar on this website.

Each year the Dearborn Soccer Club holds an open registration for the spring season the first weekend in February and for the fall and fall/spring season the first weekend in June. Check the Calendar for the dates.

What is the cost to register?

The cost to register for the fall/spring season is $100, while cost for either the fall or the spring is $70.

When does registration close?

The Dearborn Soccer Club sets a deadline which can be found on the Calendar on this website. The Club continues to accept registrations after the deadline as long as there are openings available ($25 late fee will be assessed). As teams fill quickly, registration may close at any time, and it is in your child's best interest to register as early as possible.

Do I have to be a resident of Dearborn to belong to the Dearborn Soccer Club?

No. You do not have to be a resident of Dearborn for your child to play for the Dearborn Soccer Club.

How are assignments to teams made?

The Club registrar assigns teams according to age and gender. For any fall/spring soccer season, age is determined as of the August 1 before the start of the fall season. So for example, if a child is ten years old on August 1st, he or she would be assigned to a boys or girls under-11 team (BU-11 or GU-11). Boys cannot be placed on a girls' travel team. U-4 through U-8 are placed according to gender, teams may be mixed gender. Check the Age Chart on this website to determine your child's appropriate age level. A player can play up to two years over his or her appropriate age bracket. A player cannot play below his or her appropriate age bracket.

Where are the games played?

U-4 through U-8 teams comprise an in-house league. These teams play each other, and all games are played on the Club's home fields at Crowley Park at Oxford and Westwood (take Oxford west of Telegraph until it dead ends at Crowley Park) or Ten Eyke Park (off of Edgewood between Outer Drive and Carlysle). Click here to see the Home Map on this website.

U-9 and above teams belong to the Great Lakes Soccer League and play other league teams. Home games are played at Crowley Park, and away games are played on the home fields of the opposing team. Cities that typically play in our league are Livonia, Canton, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Redford, Taylor and Farmington. Click here for away maps

When are the games played?

The majority of games are played on Saturday and Sunday, with some mid-week evening games.

Where and When are practices held?

Your coach will determine when and where practices will be held. Usually they are held from Monday through Friday afternoons from after school until dark, at the discretion of each coach. The youngest players have one practice per week, while older players usually have two, each from one to one and a half hours long.

When will the coach contact my child?

Your child will contacted by his or her coach before the start of the season. If your child has not been contacted by two weeks before the start of the season, please contact the Dearborn Soccer Club.

How are coaches selected?

The Dearborn Soccer Club relies on parent volunteers to coach its teams. The Club provides training and other resources to the volunteer coaches to promote a good soccer experience for your child. A background check by the Michigan State Police is required for all coaches and volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering to coach your child's team, please contact the Dearborn Soccer Club at 313-565-4433. One advantage of being coach is that you can schedule practices and games around your schedule. If the Club does not have enough volunteers to coach, the Club will not be able to place all children who have registered to play. If you decide to coach, your child plays for half price.

What equipment will my child need to play?

The uniform consists of a shirt, shorts and pair of soccer socks provided by the Dearborn Soccer Club for the fall and spring season. If the uniform is lost or damaged before the end of the season, it must be replaced at the family's expense. To preserve the uniform, it should only be worn in game and tournament play, never to practice. The family provides all other equipment. The child must wear shin guards and soccer cleats to games and practices (U-8 and below may wear athletic shoes in lieu of soccer cleats). The child will need suitable clothing and a soccer ball for practice sessions. The soccer ball size varies by age: size 3 for U-4 to U-8, size 4 for U-9 to U-12, size 5 for U-13 to U-19. A water bottle marked with the child's name is essential at both games and practices.

It's raining! It's snowing! It's thundering! Do we have practice? Do we have the game?

Soccer is played in the rain and snow, not in thunder or lightning. In case of a thunder or lightning the decision to cancel a game is made at the field at game time by the referee. If a game is cancelled there will be no makeup game. Practice - Your couch will notify you if practice is cancelled.

Why can't my child wear jewelry, watches, casts, or unprotected metal dental braces to games (or practices)?

This is a safety rule, designed to prevent injury to the player wearing such items and to other players. Jewelry means earrings (including starter studs and any other body piercings), rings, and necklaces. Earrings may catch on other players and tear the skin, or a ball striking the ear may push the post into the child's neck. This is important to consider when getting any new piercings. Even if the piercing is still healing, your child will be required to remove the jewelry or he/she will not be able to play. Children with metal dental braces should wear a mouth guard.

What should I do if the referee makes a bad call?

You should respect the difficult job that referees have and recognize that the referee, according to the FIFA Laws of the Game, is the ultimate authority on the field. Whether a coach, spectator, player or parent, you should not vocally dispute a referee call (or even call out for an explanation). The coach may speak privately with an adult referee at halftime or after the game to seek an explanation. Youth referees should NOT be approached at half time or after the game to discuss calls. If you have a question, it may be directed to the youth referee through the Referee Assignor. For the Clubs position on dealings with youth referees, you may refer to policies on game officials found in the Policy Section of this website. If you are convinced that the referee has made a bad call, you may also fill out an "incident report," which you will find in the field box or email the clubs Referee Assignor.

How do I become a referee?

A referee is a paid position. The Club can always use more adult and youth referees. All Dearborn Soccer Club referees must be certified by the USSF. Local soccer clubs sponsor USSF classes each January. Check the Club website for information regarding local classes. You may take the class at any age, however, the you may not referee for the Club until you are 11 years old.

I have never played soccer before, what are the rules?

The Dearborn Soccer Club utilizes small-sided games for players through ages U-10. For Dearborn Soccer Club rules click here. These rules supplement “official” FIFA soccer rules. Small-sided youth modifications aid in learning the game, and more information can be found at the US Youth Soccer website. For Dearborn Soccer Club divisions U-8 and above our rules will reference the Great Lakes Soccer League (GLSL), these can be found by clicking on GLSL Rules.

Travel? At the end of the spring season my childs coach said we will be moving to a "Travel Team" in the Fall?

Don't worry, being on a travel team is just like playing the teams within our club. The only main differences are that we compete against different clubs within the Great Lakes Soccer League and "away" games (about half) will be played in other Cities like -- Livonia, Canton, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Redford, Taylor and Farmington. Maps to their fields can be found by clicking here.

How do I contact the Dearborn Soccer Club?

The Dearborn Soccer Club may be contacted at (313) 565-4433. You may also contact the Club by e-mail through the "Contact" page on the Club website.

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Dearborn Soccer Club
P.O. Box 741
Dearborn, MI 48121
(313)565-4433