Wildcat Spring Kickoff This Friday

This is an event we started a year ago that has had great turnout and is a lot of fun. Everyone playing in the Wildcat League is invited to come and find out who is on their team, who is their coach and to knock off some rust with skill stations led by MSC coaches.

The event will be separated into three groups by age. You’re asked to arrive thirty minutes before your group’s skill session so that you’ll have time to sign in and find your team and coach. Kids should wear clothes and shoes to play soccer in the gym, but should not bring a ball or anything else with them.

Friday, April 4th

• 1st - 2nd Grade Boys & Girls: 6:00-6:30 (Arrive at 5:30)

• 3rd - 4th Grade Boys & Girls: 6:45-7:15 (Arrive at 6:15)

• 5th - 8th Grade Boys & Girls: 7:30-8:00 (Arrive at 7:00)

The location of this event is inside Mayfield High School, and you should enter via Wildcat Fitness at door 18.

Practices will start next week, and games will (we hope, weather-dependent) begin on April 12th. The schedule is still being finalized and we will provide it to everyone on Friday along with your practice day.

If you also have a “Soccer Cub” in your household, they are welcome to tag along to find out their team color, but they will not be participating in the skills session. Their first event will be Saturday, April 12 at 8:30 a.m. where we will pass out jerseys and socks before starting our first session.

We’ll see you all Friday night to officially kick off the Spring season!

2025 Spring Wildcat League

BOYS AND GIRLS GRADES 1st - 8TH

Objective

To instill in our youth players a sense of enthusiasm, self-confidence, good sportsmanship, and teamwork by emphasizing the game’s basic fundamentals.

Who

Players are split into the following divisions:

• Boys/Girls 1st-2nd Grade
• Boys/Girls 3rd-4th Grade
• Boys/Girls 5th-6th Grade
• CoEd 7th-8th Grade

What

In our Wildcat League players will be placed onto teams with a parent volunteer coach. They will receive both a color coordinated jersey along with soccer socks, and will practice once a week before match day on Saturday. We keep score during games and conclude the 6 week regular season with two weeks of playoffs ending in a championship. Sportsmanship and competition go hand in hand as we provide growth opportunities for young athletes that they cannot find anywhere else.

When (Adjusted on 3/8)

The season will start with a Kick Off night on April 1st where the teams will be announced. Practices begin the week of April 7th with the first games taking place on April 12th. The final games of the season will be June 7th (we will not play beyond this date) and each team will have eight games scheduled over that period with two make-up dates included. The earliest game starts at 8:00 and the start times are varied week to week for each team and age group.

Where

Games will be played at Parkview Fields located by Progressive Campus on Rt. 91 or (for the oldest kids) at the Twins Fields near the High School. Based on registration turnout, some teams in the 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8 divisions may also play games in neighboring East side communities.

Cost (Adjusted 3/8)

$85 - Regular Registration (February 2 - March 23)
$150 - Late Registration (March 24 - March 30)

Discounts

• $20 family discount for each additional sibling (in the Wildcat League)
• $35 discount for current MSC travel players
• $50 discount for Assistant Coach's (1 per team)
• 100% discount for Head Coaches (including additional siblings)

Note: Discounts apply only to the regular registration price. Late registrations will not be discounted.

Spring 2025 Updates

A note from the Director

Strange as it may seem, with snow on the ground for the better part of two months, Spring will eventually arrive in Northeast Ohio—and with it, soccer season!

First, here are some changes introduced last Fall that are now permanent:

• The Wildcat League will keep its name moving forward. It’s a more fitting moniker for what is more than just a “rec” league.

• The Soccer Cubs program is also here to stay after a successful debut.

• The modifications to our age groups (1st–2nd, 3rd–4th, 5th–6th, 7th–8th) fulfilled our goal of evening out physical disparities. These groupings (along with using school grades rather than birth year) will continue through Summer.

This Spring will be structured similarly to last year. Each division will play (we hope) eight total games over a 10-week period, including a short playoff and championship. We will start the season with a Kickoff event where rosters will be unveiled, and wrap up with our second annual Pool Party.

Scheduling for all teams will look much like it did in Spring and Fall, with teams playing at varied times week to week. This helps families with other commitments avoid an “all or nothing” scenario for soccer. We’ve also refined our process for rainouts. When there’s a chance of a rainout, we will publish two schedules in our Friday “preview” email: the original schedule and an alternate schedule accounting for a possible late start. This means families head into Friday night with three potential scenarios for Saturday:

1. Play as scheduled.

2. Play as modified.

3. Outright canceled.

Now we will have the flexibility to “wait and see” without creating chaos at 7:00am on a Saturday morning.

Finally, we are always looking for parents to volunteer as coaches and have added some new incentives beginning this Spring. Please see below, and consider coaching your child’s team to help ensure another successful season of Wildcat Soccer!

Ted Riolo
MSC VP & Wildcat Director

Ted Riolo
MSC VP & Wildcat Director

2025 Soccer Cubs

Boys and Girls Currently In Pre-K or Kindergarten

Find details regarding this new offering from the MSC on it's dedicated page here

RULES OF THE MSC Wildcat LEAGUE

1. Sportsmanship and Competition go hand in hand, at all times! While we want to foster a competitive environment to aid in children's development, we must remember that this is a community based soccer program, not the World Cup.
2. All participants must wear shin guards covered with soccer socks or they will not be permitted to play.
3. Soccer cleats are required, football and baseball cleats are not allowed.
4. Players should not wear jewelry during the game and may be asked to remove it before taking the field.
5. No parent, coach or spectator is permitted behind the goal area for any reason during the game.
6. Parents and spectators must sit on the opposite sideline from the player’s bench.
7. Snacks are a great thing after the game, but please be respectful of the school or park grounds and pick up any trash before leaving. This includes water bottles! Too often sidelines are left littered with trash.
8. The referee’s decision is FINAL!  There will be absolutely no arguing of any call.  Confrontation with a referee will mean an automatic ejection from the field.
9. Please do not offer criticism to someone who has donated their time to help the kids. Offer to help and grow our community driven club.