At River Surge FC (RSFC) our coaches have a strong history of developing soccer players which leads to forming successful teams. RSFC believes, in the majority of situations, players should “play their age” and not play up. Our goal is to place players on teams and leagues where players’ skills are being challenged in game situations and where there is a balance between success and failure.

Players should not request to play up based upon staying with a team, staying with friends, etc.

It is our policy that if a player wants to be considered to play up, the player would need to be in the top third of the age group they are playing up into and have the ability to be a starter on the older team. The thought process is that it is better for a player to excel at their age level than to play up and be average. Even in these situations, there is no guarantee of playing up.

If a player would like to play up, when registering, please check the box for being evaluated for a second age group. Each age group tryout will consist of evaluations, after which the Director of Coaching (DOC), Coaches, and evaluators will take a wholistic view of player placement on teams.

The player will need to register and tryout for their appropriate age.

There are some occasions where playing up is necessary to assist with team formation or to facilitate creating the most competitive teams possible. The Director of Coaching with consultation with the coaches will communicate those situations to players/families that fall into that category.