As shown in the chart below, team assignments for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 are made based on a player's birth year. Players are eligible to participate in our Fall 2025 season if they were born between 2007 and 2021.  Players are eligible to participate in Spring 2026 season if they are born 2012 (U14) - 2018 (U8).

If an athlete played up during the previous fall season and wishes to stay with the same team for Fall 2025, they will be allowed to do so, (unless the coach has determined it's in the best interest of the child to play at their age group). New play up requests will be reviewed by the LSSC Executive Board, with input from the coach, and granted based on skill level and available roster spots.

Players are not allowed to play down (eg. a child born in 2012 can't play on a 2013 team). However, athletes who previously played up may return to their correct age group if they make that request during registration.

SPRING SOCCER: Players  do not "age up" until after Spring Soccer.     Players are eligible to participate in Spring  if they played with LSSC during the previous Fall and were born between  2018 (U8) and  2012 (U14).

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Starting Fall 2026 Washington Youth Soccer will be switching from  Birth Year to School Year grouping to determine age groups.    Cut off dates have not yet been determined but are expected to be Aug 1-July 31.   For example, a child born between Aug 1st, 2018 and July 31st 2019 would be a U8 player for the 2026 Fall Soccer season.   US Soccer made the decision to switch to the School Year grouping to allow children in the same grade to play on the same team.  The goal was to increase participation in youth soccer.  

Once Washington Youth Soccer and North County Youth Soccer set their policies around the new age group organization, Lake Stevens Soccer Club will consult with our coaches to determine how to best adapt to the new policies.    For example, older established teams will likely be given the option to stay together as long as they are willing to play at the age group set by their oldest player.   Families can expect to hear more about this change during the Fall 2025 season.
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