• The 5U Fall/Spring Program is for boys and girls. The U5 Program runs for eight weeks in the spring from April-June and the fall from August-October. Players and their parent participate in 5U Activity Sessions on Saturdays. The 5U Program could be coed depending on overall registration numbers and there are no weekday training sessions. 

• Players receive a uniform consisting of a numbered jersey, shorts and socks. Players must wear shin guards and shoes. Soccer cleats are recommended.

• The 5U Activity Session is organized Jamboree style (think lunch recess at school); an even number of teams of 4 or 5 players. The players on these teams participate in the Saturday 5U Activity Session with our Master Coach. One parent of each child is actively engaged with their own child during the "training session". 4-year old participants are not left unattended by a parent during the 5U Activity Session.

• Each team is assigned one half of a 5U Game Field for each 5U Activity Session. Teams are reformed at the beginning of the season and are identified by their uniforms during the 3 versus 3 game portion of the 5U Activity Session which is played against the team assigned the other half of the 5U game Field.

5U Activity Session Schedule

Sessions should last one hour including organizing time and breaks.

• 5 minutes – group warm-up and activities

• 5 minutes – water break

• 15 minutes – weekly team training activities and games

• 10 minutes – team organizing and water break

• 20 minutes – 3 v 3 game (played in two halves of 10 minutes each with a short break at the quarter to make substitutions and get a quick drink). 3 players from each weekly team compete against 3 players from another weekly team for each of the four quarters with 1 or 2 players from each team resting during one or two quarters each game.

• 5 minutes – half time

• 1 minute –to make changes between quarters

• During the group warm up, 5U Program Coordinators under the direction of the 5U Master Coach will demonstrate to the player and parent two or three team training activity games played with a soccer ball. The team training activity games are the weekly curriculum for the 15 minute team training activities of the 5U Activity Session. The training activities games are played One with One; one player with one parent. The purpose of the training activity games is for the enjoyment of the players. The consequence of the training activity games is that soccer skills are introduced through the behavior patterning motivated by player enjoyment. 

• 4-year olds should not be pressured to participate at the start of their first 5U Activity Session. The 5U Jamboree structure relieves players and their parents from all pressure to participate for the benefit of other team members. Reluctant players should be encouraged to dress, attend, and observe until the attraction of the enjoyment of their peers’ play activity with their parents motivates them to participate. It is only this very first player decision to participate for enjoyment, repeated continuously, that can provide the basis to sustain future player participation and development for children at all ages. Enjoyment is the most foundational reason any of us play any game.

• This foundation of AYSO Coaching methodology continues for all ages at a gradually increasing level of sophistication and player independence by introducing age appropriate content to children as their physical, mental, emotional, and social development provide for their success as individuals and as a team. 

• The 5U Program introduces parents to the concept that the game of soccer can be taught to their children through play and that with some basic training and experience all parents are capable of creating and managing training and competitive environments where their child and child's team can thrive in the game motivated by their own enjoyment.

• AYSO Coaching methodology based on player enjoyment and our AYSO Philosophies of Open Registration, Everyone Plays, and Positive Coaching provide a player development model that consistently recognizes that development can only occur when players participate. This model stands in direct contrast to others that consider the development or anticipated development of the player as a condition of participation, in large part, to sustain additional program financial needs that are not directly related to the player's interests. 

• Sycamore AYSO is committed to the AYSO Coaching methodology because it is in the best interests of the player and provides the broadest opportunity for the children in our community to have an accessible and dependable soccer program for all ages.

• Inclined parents find strong satisfaction in being incrementally prepared to manage the training and competitive environment of their child's team starting as a Sycamore AYSO 5U Coach. Sycamore AYSO 5U Coaches develop an understanding that competition during match play belongs entirely to the player and the team. Sycamore AYSO 5U Coaches discover that the proper and effective role of a successful coach is positive encouragement, relevant instruction, and observation of individual and team decision making (tactics) and individual use and application of skills (technique) to determine the content priorities and delivery for subsequent team training sessions introduced in our Sycamore AYSO 5U Program.