Wildcat League FAQs
Clear answers about registration, teams, schedules, equipment, game day, sponsorships and referees.
Registration
How do I sign my child up?
All players register through our website. Spring registration opens in January, kickoff is in March, and practices and games begin in April. Fall registration opens in July, kickoff is in August, and practices and games begin in September.
What ages can play in the Wildcat League?
Boys and girls in grades 1–8. Players must remain age 14 or younger throughout the season. A ninth-grade student may participate if that age requirement is met.
Are there tryouts?
No. The Wildcat League welcomes beginners and returning players.
Can a Pre-K or Kindergarten child play?
Yes. Our Soccer Cubs program is designed as an introduction for children in Pre-K and Kindergarten.
Can a child with special needs play?
Yes. We make every effort to accommodate each child and pair them with an appropriate coach. Safety for the child and others on the field is the deciding factor, but we welcome anyone who wants to play.
What is the refund policy?
If we are notified by the end of the first week, we will provide a refund. Once the season is underway, a refund cannot be guaranteed.
Teams
What are the divisions?
Divisions are grade-based: 1–2, 3–4, 5–6 and 7–8. Divisions are separated by gender through sixth grade; grades 7–8 are coed.
How do I know which team my child is on?
Teams are announced at each season’s Kickoff event. Coaches begin contacting families shortly afterward.
Can my child play down a division?
No. Having older children play with much younger players presents safety risks.
Can my child play up a division?
Placement is based on grade level. Special consideration may be made case by case and must be discussed with the club in advance. Email us as soon as possible after registering.
Practices & Games
When does the season start?
Practices and games run in April for spring and September for fall. See Registration above for the full seasonal timeline.
How many games are played?
We aim for six to eight games per season, weather permitting.
When are practices and games?
Teams practice once per week, Monday through Thursday, on a day chosen by the coach after teams form. Families may request one weekday their child cannot practice, but other scheduling requests are not guaranteed. Games are on Saturdays, although grades 7–8 may occasionally play on weeknights.
Where are games held?
Games use various venues within the Mayfield School District, depending on field availability.
What time are Saturday games?
Times vary by week, team and division. The earliest games begin at 9:00 a.m.; the latest generally begin by 2:00 p.m.
How important is practice attendance?
Group practices build skills and team spirit. Regular attendance benefits every player, although we understand that occasional conflicts happen.
How is playing time handled?
Club policy is to provide all children with as close to equal playing time as possible, regardless of skill. Speak with the coach first about concerns, then contact the Wildcat Director if the concern continues.
Can we switch teams because of a practice conflict?
You may request one specific weekday off when your child is placed. Beyond that, assignments are not changed to accommodate scheduling conflicts.
Equipment & Game Day
Do coaches receive free registration?
Head coaches receive free Wildcat registration for all of their children. An assistant coach receives free registration for the child on the team they assist.
What equipment is required?
Shin guards and soccer cleats are required. Each child should bring an appropriately sized ball to practice. Coaches have some extras, but not enough for every player.
What size ball should my child use?
Use size 4 for grades 1–6 and size 5 beginning in seventh grade.
Where should spectators sit?
Parents sit on the sideline opposite the coach and team. Spectators may not sit behind either goal.
Is smoking permitted at the fields?
No. Smoking is prohibited at all city and park facilities.
What should I bring for team snacks?
Please avoid snacks containing nuts and avoid sugary drinks.
Is there a championship?
Yes. The regular season is followed by playoffs culminating in a championship for each division.
Sponsorship
How much does a team sponsorship cost?
A team sponsorship is $250 per season. The sponsor name appears on the back of the team’s jerseys, and sponsors may provide a logo and website link for the club sponsor page. Businesses may sponsor more than one team.
Can a sponsorship follow a particular child?
Yes, provided that the child’s team does not already have a sponsor.
Referees
Why does MSC use youth referees?
MSC traditionally uses middle- and high-school referees for recreational games. This controls registration costs and gives students leadership experience. All referees have soccer experience. Please be patient and respectful.
How can my child become a referee?
Middle- or high-school students who have participated with the club should email the Wildcat Director. They must attend a short club referee clinic and complete the online concussion course before signing up for games.
How much are referees paid?
Pay begins at $17.50 per hour and increases with the level of game. Games are tracked through a scheduling app, with payments targeted for the midpoint and end of each season.
How come there was no ref at my child's game?
We make every effort to schedule refs for every game each week. Sometimes we have no shows. If we have enough advance notice, we try to find replacements to fill in.
Why do we not have adult referees?
The MSC has traditionally used Middle and High School age children to referee our rec games. This helps keep registration costs down and offers these children a growing and learning leadership experience. All of our refs have experience playing soccer and should know the rules very well. Please be respectful as again, these are children. They won’t be perfect in their calls and we do not expect them to be.
My son's/daughter's team is really good and consistently outscores the other team by 4 or more goals. Why are the good players pulled off the field?
In soccer, as in the real world, there are always winners and losers. Our Wildcat program is designed to designed instill in our youth players a sense of enthusiasm, self-confidence, good sportsmanship, and teamwork by emphasizing the game’s basic fundamentals. We strive to attain team parity during the registration process but this is not always an exact science as many of the children are unknown to the coaches and other’s skills start to bloom from season to season. Most of the time we get it right. In those few cases where we do not, we instruct our coaches and refs to keep the games close. We do so by having the better scorers pulled back to defense if the score starts to run up. If the score continues to climb, we ask the coaches to sit their better players a little longer. Please understand that having a team run circles around another does both teams a disservice. The good players do not get any better due to lack of competition and the lesser skilled players may become dissuaded against playing.
Where am I permitted to sit while watching my child's games?
Parents MUST sit on the sideline opposite from where the coach and their team sit. For the safety and well being of the whole team, it is imperative that the coach and child not be distracted by parents coaching from the sidelines. Providing a buffer helps facilitate this. Sitting behind goal posts is prohibited for the same reasons!
Is smoking permitted in the park soccer complex?
Smoking is prohibited at ALL city and park facilities!
I have been assigned to bring snacks/drinks. What type of snacks and drinks can I bring for the team on game day?
Typically, avoid snacks that contain nuts and sugary drinks.
Is there a championship game at the end?
Yes, following a 6 week season we have two weeks of playoffs ending in a championship for each division.
We cannot make practice every week. Is it that important to attend practice sessions?
Group practices are held so that the coaches can work with the kids as a group. This also builds team spirit and confidence. It is to your child’s benefit that they participate in practice sessions on a regular basis.
I pay the same amount for my child to play as the star players. How come they do not get equal playing time?
It is the policy of the MSC to have all children playing rec soccer receive as close to equal playing time as possible. We do not condone or tolerate situations where the coaches star player never sits. If you experience issues in this regard, please speak with the coach. If the situation persists, please contact the Wildcat Director.
Practices & Games
When are the seasons?
Spring play begins in April and fall play begins in September. Exact dates depend on weather and the calendar.
How many games are played?
Teams generally play 6–8 games, weather permitting.
When are practices and games?
Each team practices one weekday, Monday through Thursday, chosen by its coaches. Games are generally on Saturdays; grades 7–8 may occasionally play on a weeknight.
Where are games held?
Games are played at venues throughout the Mayfield School District based on availability.
What time are Saturday games?
Schedules vary by week and division. Games begin no earlier than 9:00 a.m. and typically finish by 2:00 p.m.
What if my child misses practice?
Regular attendance helps players and teams, but coaches understand that family and school conflicts happen.
How is playing time handled?
Wildcat players should receive as close to equal playing time as possible. Speak with the coach first, then contact the Wildcat Director if a concern continues.
Can we request a different practice night?
During registration, families may request one weekday off. The club will try to accommodate requests but cannot guarantee them.
I have signed my child up, but I have not heard from his/her coach yet.
If you have not heard from your childs coach before March 24th, please let us know.
My child has other commitments on the day of his/her practice. Can we switch teams?
We will try to accomodate where possible. Please email the Wildcat Director at rec@mayfieldsoccer.com
Practices/Games
When does the season start?
The Fall season starts mid to late August. Holidays can play a major role as to when the exact start date will be. The Spring season starts in early to mid April, weather permitting.
How many games are played?
We make every effort to provide an 8 game season for Wildcat soccer. Unfortunately, we cannot control the weather and we typically have holiday conflicts as well.
When will my child have practices and games?
Practices days and times will be determined by the coaches once teams are chosen. Your child’s coach will communicate the season schedule with games generally occurring on Saturdays.
Where are games held?
Games can be held at various venues within the Mayfield School District depending on availability
What time will my child's games be each Saturday?
The game times vary week to week for each team and age division. Games start at 8:00 and end in the afternoon based on the number of teams registered. We understand that children have other commitments and the purpose of the variable schedule is to offer as many kids the opportunity to play soccer, even if they need to miss a week or two due to conflicts.
Teams
What are the Wildcat divisions?
Players are grouped by grade: 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, and 7–8. Teams are separated by gender through grade 6; grades 7–8 play co-ed.
When will we learn our team assignment?
Teams are announced at the season kickoff event. Coaches will reach out afterward with introductions and schedule details.
Can my child play down a division?
No. Players cannot play down because of the safety risks created by age and size differences.
Can my child play up a division?
Players are normally placed by grade. A play-up request may be considered case by case; email the Wildcat Director in advance.
Can I register my child to play down a division?
No. There are too many safety risks in having older children play with much younger children.
Can I register my child to play up a division?
Children are placed in divisions based on their grade level. If you feel your child has the skills and is physically and emotionally ready, you may ask that they play up. Please email us at rec@mayfieldsoccer.com immediately after registering so we can adjust accordingly.
I have registered and paid for my child to play but they decided that they do not want to anymore. Can I get a refund?
If we are notified by the end of the first week, The MSC will provide a refund. Please be patient as we work through the process on our end. Once the season is underway, we cannot guarantee a refund.
Teams
What are the divisions for The Wildcat League?
Grades: 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 We make every effort to ensure divisions are separated by gender, based on the number of registrations.
How do I know what team my child is on?
Teams are announced at each seasons Kick Off event and coaches will begin reaching out to make introductions after that.
Will my child be on an all boys or all girls team?
We strive to make sure that every division until 7th grade is separated by gender.
FAQs
Travel Soccer
General Information
What are the ages for Travel?
Boys and Girls age 8-14
Are boys and girls on the same team?
There are separate divisions for boys and girls.
When does the season start?
The Fall season generally starts in late August. The Spring season generally starts in mid-April.
Can I register my child for Fall or Spring season only?
No. Players are expected to play in both the Fall and Spring seasons. Coaches rely on having players for the full academic year in order to build a strong team structure and develop chemistry.
What league is the Mayfield Soccer Club in?
We play in the OHTSL .
Where are home games held?
Parkview Fields located off of Route 91 in Mayfield Village or the Twin Fields at MHS.
How much travel is involved?
This depends on the division and competition. Some teams only play on the east side, others can play both east and west side teams.
Tryouts
When are Tryouts?
Tryouts are generally held in early June for the upcoming season.
Does my child need to attend tryouts?
It is highly recommended for all players to attend tryouts to allow coaches the opportunity to fairly evaluate players.
What does my child need to bring for tryouts?
All details can be found on the Travel Tryouts page of our site.
Do I need to register my child for tryouts?
Yes. All players must be registered for tryouts, even if unable to attend. Registration can be found on our home page. There is no fee for tryouts.
How ill I know if my child made the team?
We attempt to notify parents within 3-4 weeks of tryouts via email.