A. Flag and Tackle Football August-November
Fall Soccer August-October
Fall TOT Soccer September-October
Volleyball October-December
1st and 2nd grade Basketball October-December
K-12th grade Basketball December-March
Spring Soccer March-May
Spring TOT Soccer April-May
T-Ball/Softball/Baseball May-July
Summer High School Soccer June-July
Sand Volleyball July
Q. How old do you have to be to play with KIDSPORTS?
A. KIDSPORTS does not use age as a criterion. Players are put on teams according to their current grade in school. If your child is 5 years old or registered in Kindergarten he or she is old enough to play at KIDSPORTS. A few exceptions to this are that we offer Fall and Spring TOT Soccer for 3 and 4 year olds and Wiffle Ball for 4 and 5 year olds. By organizing teams this way we hope to ensure that your children will play with the same classmates for many years to come. If your child is home schooled, or if you have any questions, please contact the office.
Q. How are teams formed?
A. Teams are formed by gender, grade, and school. We attempt to set up a team for each school, but sometimes we don't have enough kids who signed up at that school. We may have to combine several neighboring schools to put together a team with enough players. Team combinations are made after the close of registration.
Q. My child is home schooled or goes to a private school, what team will he or she be on?
A. If your child is home schooled or attends a private school that we do not form teams for, we will put he or she on a team at your neighborhood public school.
Q. Why do we have to pay a registration fee?
A. KIDSPORTS is a not-for-profit organization that works in partnership with four school districts, the City of Eugene, and the City of Springfield. Registration fees are kept as low as possible so more children can participate. Only about 67% of our operating costs are covered by registration fees. The rest of our costs are paid by donations from individuals and businesses, as well as funding from city government. Registration fees pay for uniforms, sports equipment, field maintenance, gymnasium supervision, officials and referees, game scheduling, coaches training and staff supervision.
Q. Do you offer scholarships? How can I apply?
A. KIDSPORTS does offer scholarships. KIDSPORTS uses the same income guidelines for scholarships as the school districts do to determine who receives free and reduced school lunches. If your children are eligible for free or reduced school lunches, they most likely will qualify for a scholarship from KIDSPORTS. Scholarship amounts are either 33% or 66% of the registration fee, excluding the facility fee. To receive your scholarship, come to either KIDSPORTS office and fill out a registration form and a scholarship application. You must also bring your Benefit Award letter from the District Office stating your eligibility for free or reduced school lunches. If you have opted out of the school lunch program, bring a pay stub with an income earned this year to date (YTD) figure. Call the office two days after turning in the paperwork, and we will let you know what your remaining balance is. Your child is not registered for the sport until we receive payment from you. Payment is due by the registration deadline. The scholarship deadline is always two days before the registration deadline. Scholarships are held on file for one school year and can be used for any or all sports in that time period, excluding TOT Soccer.
Q. How do I register?
A. You can register the at Eugene office, 2190 Polk St., or the Springfield office, 200 S. 32nd St. You can also register online at www.kidsports.org with a debit or credit card, or you can mail or fax in (302-9430) a registration form with a check or credit card number. We will be happy to fax a registration form or mail one to you. We cannot accept registrations over the telephone.
Q. Do I have to pay all at once?
A. KIDSPORTS does offer the opportunity to make payments. At the time of registration you make a payment of 1/2 the registration fee. We will then deduct the rest from your checking or savings account on a monthly basis. You choose the date (either the 2nd or 16th of every month) and the number of payments -- not to exceed three months.
Q. How do you hire coaches?
A. KIDSPORTS relies on the generosity of parents and volunteers to take on the responsibility of coaching. Each of our coaches has volunteered to spend somewhere between five and ten hours a week instructing a team. Each coach must pass a background check. For each sport we offer a coach's training clinic and the support of our program directors.
Q. Can I request a coach?
A. As long as that coach is coaching for your child's school, grade, and gender then your child will automatically be assigned to their team. If the team splits in two, then it is up to the coaches which children go on what team. If that person is coaching for another school, you can request a transfer to that school…but there are no guarantees.
Q. Can my child be cut from a team?
A. KIDSPORTS policy is that "All kids play." For many of our sports, the kids are divided into teams based on skill, but no one is cut. This helps to ensure that kids are receiving the most beneficial instruction and attention for their skill level. It is not meant to exclude or discourage anyone from playing. We do offer competitive teams for some sports that kids must try out for. If they are not accepted onto these teams, they are welcome to play in the normal league. KLASSIC soccer is the only sport for which children grades five and up are not absolutely guaranteed a chance to play. Every effort will be made to provide teams for children that are not asked to play for a private club.
Q. Can my child play at a different grade level or school then the one he/she is enrolled in?
A. KIDSPORTS assigns children to teams by grade and school. If you want your child to play at a different grade level you must petition our Director of Sports. If you would like your child to play at another school you must submit an application for transfer. Transfer requests are subject to approval and may be denied. These policies help us to ensure that teams are not "stacked" with all the best players in the community. Deliberately misinforming KIDSPORTS staff about a child's grade or school is highly discouraged. Participants found doing this will be dealt with on an individual basis.
Q. Where do my kids practice and when?
A. Coaches determine when and where practices take place. Practices are usually in the afternoon or early evening at your child's school or at a nearby school. Length and frequency of practices are limited so as to be appropriate for the children's ages. Kindergarten through third grade may meet up to three times a week for an hour including both games and practices. Fourth grade through eighth grade teams may meet up to four times a week for an hour and a half at a time including both games and practices. Tackle football and KLASSIC soccer teams meet more frequently.
Q. What equipment does my child need?
A. For outdoor sports, cleats are recommended but not required. Metal cleats are not allowed, except in 5th-8th grade baseball. Toe cleats are prohibited on soccer cleats. It is beneficial to wait until practices start before buying accessories like shorts and socks so that the team can attempt to coordinate. For soccer, children will also need a pair of long socks and a pair of shin guards. The socks must be long enough to cover the guards to prevent injuries if the guards were to break. For football, mouth guards are required. For indoor sports, athletic shoes must have non-marking soles. For volleyball, knee pads. Uniforms are provided by KIDSPORTS. Coaches are responsible for picking up uniforms and handing them out in practice.
Q. If I am dissatisfied or if my child gets hurt, may I have a refund?
A. We do offer refunds. The sooner you apply for a refund, the more money you are likely to get back. After each of these events, the amount you receive will decrease: the first practice, the first game, the third weekend of games. After a child has attended a single practice or game we MUST give your $5.00 facility fee to the school district. We cannot, therefore, give this money back to you. In most cases a $5.00 service fee will also be applied because refunds take a considerable amount of time to process. After games start refunds will only be given for medical reasons. As soon as you know your child won't be playing, please fill out the refund form. The entire refund policy is available online at our website or by contacting either KIDSPORTS office.
Q. Why do I have to fill out a form every time that I come in?
A. It is necessary for us to have your express written permission for every sport that your child plays.
Q. Who maintains the fields?
A. KIDSPORTS is responsible for lining the playing fields, but the school districts are responsible for keeping the grass short.
Q. Are the referees trained?
A. Referees are hired and trained through an independent contractor. Obviously, some referees are more experienced than others. Please respect referees who are still learning so that we can help them learn from their mistakes and come back to our program more experienced the following year. Yelling at, or berating referees is against our parent and coach codes of conduct. KIDSPORTS feels that this behavior is adverse to the organization's mission.
Q. Can I register a child that is visiting me for the summer?
A. Yes, you can register a child visiting you for the summer. The child would sign up with your neighborhood public school. Be aware that practices may start before the school year is over, so you want to sign them up before registration closes to reserve their spot on the team even if they are not in town yet.
Q. What areas of town are considered in district?
A. All Eugene, Springfield, and Pleasant Hill schools are in-district.
Q. Can I pick up my equipment at either office?
A. Equipment and uniforms can only be picked up at our Eugene office. It is preferred that all equipment returns also be made in the Eugene office. Please make sure that a KIDSPORTS employee has recorded that you have turned in your equipment to ensure that you are not responsible for misplaced equipment.
Q. Can a girl play on a boy's team?
A. Yes, a girl can play on a boy's team if there is not a girl's team offered for that sport.
Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
A. We accept Visa and Mastercard as well as debit cards that are endorsed by Visa and Mastercard. We also accept checks or cash.
