8U

The 8U Spring/Fall Program is for 6 and 7 year old boys and girls. The 8U Spring program runs for eight weeks from April-June and the fall for ten week from August-October.

8U Teams participate in one weekly training session and a 8U Game on Saturdays. In the Spring the teams are typically Co-Ed and the fall the teams are gender specific. 8U Teams have a 1-hour weekday training session once each week. Games in the 8U Program are officiated under simplified rules.

Players are placed on teams of seven players. 8U teams compete with five players on the field. There are no goalkeepers. Each player plays at least half of every game. Players receive a uniform consisting of a numbered jersey, shorts and socks. Players must wear shin guards and shoes and soccer cleats are recommended.

Players will be notified of team placement by their 8U Team Coach by. The 8U Program requires that each team has a parent volunteer as a Team Coach and a second parent to volunteer as an Assistant Coach. A third parent will need to volunteer as a 8U Game Official or Region Referee. An annual AYSO Volunteer application and one-time Safe Haven Certification is required for all Sycamore AYSO Volunteers. Sycamore AYSO 8U Team Coaches and Assistant Coaches must also complete a 8U Coach Course. 8U Game Officials must also complete a 8U Game Official Course or Basic Referee Course.

8U Teams are scheduled for one training session per week for the duration of the spring and fall seasons. 8U training session plans and web based skills video provide readily accessible training session direction and content for the 8U Coach. The 8U Coach Course provides a full spectrum approach to providing a quality 8U Team experience for every player.

Inclined parents find strong satisfaction in being prepared to coach and manage the training and competitive environment of their child's team as a Sycamore AYSO 8U Team Coach or Assistant Coach. Sycamore AYSO 8U Coaches will develop an understanding that competition during match play belongs entirely to the player and the team. Sycamore AYSO 8U 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 once a week team training sessions introduced in our Sycamore AYSO 8U Program.

The 8U Program introduces and confirms to parents 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 for as long as their child wishes to participate.

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 AYSO model stands in stark contrast to other player development models that consider the development or anticipated development of the player by desirable competitive outcomes as a condition of participation.

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. Our ability to sustain that opportunity depends on parents of U8 players engaging with our AYSO Coaching methodology as volunteer U8 Team Coaches and Assistant Coaches and evaluating the results based on their experience and the enjoyment of their children.

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