High School Provisional Program

Players in 8th - 12th grades

UYSA U15 Club Soccer Overview

-- Mixing Club, High School Provisional & High School --


Background: In Utah, once soccer players are in high school (9th-12th grade), they have the option to try out for their high school soccer team. They may not play high school and club soccer at the same time, which has led Utah Youth Soccer Association (UYSA) to limit the club play for each gender during their corresponding high school season:


• Girls high school soccer is played in the fall, with tryouts held in late July.  Therefore, UYSA does not offer a Fall Competitive Soccer League for high school girls

• Boys high school soccer is played in the spring, with tryouts held in late February.  Therefore, UYSA does not offer a Spring Competitive League for high school boys


Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) is the overarching organization that establishes the rules and regulations surrounding all high school sports in Utah (including those who attend private schools, charter schools, home schools and online schools.)


• UHSAA does not allow high school soccer players to compete with, or train with,  any  outside soccer team after the high school soccer competition start date in any given season*

• Nor does UYSA allow a player to return to their club team, for the remainder of a competitive season, once the high school season is complete

• * An exception to the rule prohibiting competition with a club team during the high school season (Section 12 of the UHSAA Handbook/By Laws) allows for high school soccer players to compete in up to two soccer tournaments, showcases and/or events, including Olympic Development Program (ODP), where next-level opportunities exist


Issue: In 2015, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced that its birth-year registration cut-off date would change from August 1st (school-year) to January 1st (birth-year) to align U.S. youth soccer with international standards.

• In doing so, soccer teams all around the U.S. are now based on birth-year of the players

• The effect of this change is that most soccer teams became comprised of players from two grades


The issue presents itself at the U15 age level, with the impact seen mostly for students born later in the year (with the cut-off for school grades in Utah being September 2nd )


• The U15 soccer players born earlier in the year are most likely in 9th grade and therefore can try out for, and possibly play for, their high school soccer teams

• The players born later in the year are more likely still in 8th grade and, per UHSAA regulations, as 8th graders are ineligible to try out for high school soccer

• This then strips the remaining 8th grade players on the U15 teams of the ability to play in a true Competitive UYSA League team for the season that coincides with their high school soccer season (again, fall for girls and spring for boys)


Resolution: In response to the issue of U15 8th grade players having nowhere to play while their 9th grade teammates are playing high school soccer, UYSA created a High School Provisional League (HSP), which is a temporary league (meaning  rosters may change from the traditional U15 team and standings do not impact annual promotion and relegation.


• In addition to 8th grade players ineligible for high school soccer, HSP teams may also be comprised of players who don’t get selected for their high school soccer teams or choose not to play for their high school soccer teams

• The HSP team allows players to continue to improve their soccer skills and keep playing/training/competing with their club teams in lieu of being off for three months while their teammates continue to develop

• The HSP league fields teams from U15-U19 age groups and it is not uncommon to have mixed ages (for example U15 and U16) playing on the same HSP team

• The HSP season consists of approximately 8-10 games in a condensed period of time (usually 6 weeks) and is generally considered a Division 2 level of play

• The HSP league allows teams to be formed in a less stringent manner (i.e., players are free to play for any teams they so desire without annual registration and recruiting rules impacting player participation


High School Provisional Program FAQs

  • 1. My daughter/son is a U15 player with Park City Soccer Club (PCSC), is in 9th grade and wants to try out for their high school soccer team. How does this work with their club soccer team?

    o For Girls: All players in the U15 age-group (actually, all high school age players) will still tryout for a PCSC team during the regular club soccer tryout period in late May, as determined by UYSA



    >> Once placed on a club team, they attend the practices and tournaments throughout the summer with their PCSC team; they may also be participating in high school ‘pre-season’ training and Captain’s practices at the same time  



    >> Should they choose to try out for their high school soccer team for the fall season, the high school try-outs take place the last week of July, per UHSAA rules/regulations. (Note: these players are still eligible to play in the Extreme Cup with their club team, so long as the Girls’ Soccer Competition Window has not opened (different than tryout window), which is usually the first Monday in Aug)



    >> If they are offered and accept a spot on the high school team, their participation with their PCSC team ends (they can no longer practice, play games, attend tournaments/showcases/etc., with the exception of next-level opportunities) 



    >> As soon as their high school soccer ends, they can re-join their club team that was previously formed (and that they played with throughout the summer) and can practice/compete with that club team beginning late fall until the end of the soccer program year in the end May, with the exception of any remaining UYSA Fall Competition League games

     

    o For Boys: All players in the U15 age-group will try out during the regular club soccer tryout period in late May, as determined by  UYSA



    >> Once placed on a club team, they train and compete with that team throughout the UYSA Fall Competition League, as well as the winter months, through mid-February



    >> The 9th grade players can also participate in any “pre-season” high school soccer sessions while simultaneously playing on their club team



    >> Should they choose to try out for their high school soccer team for the spring season, tryouts take place the week following February break, per UHSAA rules/regulations



    >> If they are offered and accept a spot on the high school team, their participation with their PCSC team ends for the remainder of the program year, through May 31. (They can no longer train, compete, attend tournaments/showcases/ etc., with their club team, with the exception of next-level opportunities)



  • 2. If I register my player in June with the other PCSC teams, am I paying full fees even though we don’t get 12 months of soccer?

    o All high school age players with PCSC, U15 -U19, pay pro-rated program fees for their 9-months, compared to that paid by full year competitive players



    o Players opting to play High School Provisional (HSP) soccer with the club are charged an additional nominal fee to cover referee and field use expenses of the

    of the seasonal team, usually $125 or less. PCSC covers the coaching and administrative fees associated with the HSP team.





  • 3. My 8th grade U15 player plays for PCSC can’t try out for the high school team along with many of their teammates. What does she/he do while their teammates go off and play high school soccer?

    o For Girls: A few weeks after the U15 high school girls soccer teams are created, PCSC will work to bring enough players together – a combination of 8th graders, 9th grade (and maybe 10th grade) players not playing high school, and maybe even players from Heber or Kamas – to form a Girls High School Provisional Team



    >> UYSA requires Girls HSP teams to be registered by late August and games will run mid-September – early November 



    >> If PCSC is not able to form a HSP team, the PCSC technical staff will work to combine with another club to form a team, or will work with another club to place our 8th graders on another club’s team



    >> On the rare occasion a HSP team is not available, PCSC’s technical staff will work to provide a training opportunity with 8th grade players with one of the club’s younger teams



    >> Depending on their level of play, and at the discretion of PCSC’s Technical Director, on occasion a PCSC player may be invited join one of the club’s boys teams for the fall season



    >> PCSC tries to be creative so all our 8th grade players the payers can continue to train and develop during their U15 year. 



    >> Once the girls high school soccer season is over, the 9th grade U15 girls can return to their previously established club team and the entire U15 will resume  training and competition throughout the winter and participate in the UYSA Spring Competition League and tournaments/showcases throughout the spring



    o For Boys: All 8th grade U15 players placed on a PCSC team will have a seamless club experience of training/tournaments and UYSA Fall Competition League play with their 9th grade teammates through fall and early winter, same as they’ve experienced in the past



    >> A few week after the high school boys soccer teams are created (late February/early March), PCSC will work to bring enough players together – a combination of 8th grade, 9th grade (and maybe even 10th grade) players not playing high school, and maybe even players from Heber, Kamas, or area private schools – to form a Boys High School Provisional Team



    >> UYSA requires Boys HSP teams to be registered by mid-March and games will run early April – late May



    >> If PCSC is not able to form a HSP team, the PCSC technical staff will work to combine with another club to form a team, or will work to place our 8th graders on another club’s team



    >> On the rare occasion a HSP team cis not available, PCSC’s technical staff will work to provide a training opportunity for 8th grade players with one of the club’s younger teams.

     

    >> PCSC tries to be creative so all our 8th grade players the payers can continue to train and develop during their U15 year.



    >> The end of the Boys HSP season will coincide with the end of the high school boys’ season, and the UYSA Spring Competitive League, ending the program year. Players will then try out for the U16 age group for the next program year.





  • 4. My Player (of any year group U15-U19) loves soccer but has decided that they don’t want to play high school soccer, they were disqualified from playing high school soccer (due to transfer or grades), they didn’t get selected for the high school soccer team or they decided they didn’t want to play for the high school soccer team after they were selected. What should they do if they want to keep training and progressing with soccer through PCSC or another club in Utah?

    o They need to communicate with their PCSC club coach in a timely manner to let them know that they will be available to play during the HSP league. They will then be part of the equation the club uses to determine numbers for the existing team(s) to move forward with the HSP league.

  • 5. My Player skipped a grade so though they are younger in the U15 age group, they are in 9th grade. Does that make a difference?

    o High School soccer is based upon their grade in school, not their birth date or year they were born.

  • 6. My Player is home-schooled, participates in online school, attends a private school or a charter school, does that make any difference regarding high school soccer rules and club soccer? What if they are a foreign exchange student?

    o Per the UHSAA rules and regulations, ANY student participating as a member of a high school team may not compete on a team not sponsored by his or her school in the same activity during the same season



    o The UHSAA Eligibility rules do not differentiate between students who attend public schools and those who attend alternative school options, including foreign exchange students 



    o As an aside, students engaged in alternative school options are eligible to try out for their high school soccer team and should contact the school directly to learn more





  • 7. My Player is actually a U14 playing “up” in the U15 bracket for PCSC, what are their options?

    o During their UYSA season (fall for boys, spring for girls) they will continue to play with the team they were named to during May tryouts (assuming this is the U15 team) 



    o During the off season that their teammates are playing high school, the player will work with PCSC technical staff to find the best option for them, either playing at the birth year age-group (assuming U14) for the season, or potentially playing on the HSP team 





  • 8. There are only a handful of players left on my Player’s team now that the high school soccer team has been solidified. What should we do?

    o Communicate (AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE) with their existing club team coach that they want to continue to play for the club in the HSP league. They will be working with the club director and other teams within the club or nearby clubs to see if teams can combine (different clubs, various age groups combined to create a HSP league team/multi-gender teams for girls/or even to determine if the player can train with a younger team - although they won’t be able to play in Regular League or tournaments if they are in an older age division.

  • 9. If my Player participates in the HSP league, will their coach remain the same as it was (will be) during the regular season?

    o Depending on how many teams are created for the HSP league and if teams combine or merge with other clubs, there is a chance that the coach may or may not remain in place or that there will be co-coaches who will continue to train and develop the HSP league team throughout the season in question.

  • 10. Our team usually plays in local and out of state tournaments/showcases in the fall/spring, can we still do that within the HSP league construct?

    o It is unlikely that a team will be able to participate in tournaments in addition to the HSP league since the league, in large-part due to lack of local tournaments during the respective HSP seasons, as well as the condensed game season





  • 11. What if the HSP league team is comprised of players from two different clubs, what uniforms do this mixed team wear and will we have to purchase new uniforms just for this HSP league?

    o PCSC staff has been able to borrow enough uniforms from previous players to outfit any non-PCSC players in coordinated game kits



    o Additionally, PCSC has a large pool of old uniforms that can be used to make up game kits, if needed



    o Finally, the more relaxed nature of the HSP league results in referees allowing  leeway in uniforms. 



  • 12. What if I have questions for PCSC that weren’t covered in this FAQ?

    o Contact Shelley Gillwald at:



    sgillwald@parkcitysoccer.org or at 



    435 901-3715
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