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Getting started
1) Organizing a team The first things you'll need are:
Once you have your team you can decide what division you will play in. Microsoccer is composed of 7 divisions: 1st grade boys, 1st grade girls, 1st grade coed, kinder boys, kinder girls, kinder coed, and Pre-Kinder. Girls may play on a boys team, but boys may not play on a girls team. A team must have at least 4 girls in order to be considered coed. Players can play up a grade, but they cannot play down a grade. Players must be at least 4 years old by the start of the season and no older than 8 years old. Once you have your team organized you can continue to the registration part.
2) Registering your team The team registration link will be posted on our website, sfmicrosoccer.org, at least a week before the registration period opens. The deadlines and dates are as follows:
The team fee is $580/season, but teams may also apply for the low-income school rate of $290/season. To qualify for the reduced fee at least half the players on your team must attend a school designated as a low-income school. Private schools are not eligible for the reduced fee. For more information please contact microsoccer.sfvsc@gmail.com.
3) Player registration After you register your team to the league, each of your players will need to be registered through our online registration system by their parents. The player registration portion should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. Parents will need to enter their child's information and upload both a photo and proof of birth (either a birth certificate or a passport). Players without a photo or proof of birth will not be allowed to participate in the league. The player registration team link will be sent to the team manager and coach who will then distribute to the rest of the team. Players can only register to one team. Vikings does not collect payment from individual players, only team registration payments. Players must talk to their team's manager for each team's respective fees.
4) Coach & Manager Registration Any adult that will be working with the team, either as a head coach, assistant coach, team manager, or assistant team manager will need to register online, get a background check, and take an online concussion course. There are no exceptions. Coaches and managers will need to use the registration instructions provided by the league to register. They will need to enter their information as well as upload a photo and their concussion course certificate. The free online concussion course can be found by clicking here and must be re-taken every 2 years. The background check does not need to be renewed.
5) Livescan Information As mentioned above, every adult working with the team will need to get a background check. Vikings will pay for your background check provided you use the livescan form provided below and take it to an approved Capital Livescan vendor. You can find the livescan form by clicking here. You can find the list of Capital Livescan vendors by clicking here. You can also choose to get livescanned with a different vendor at your own expense. If you have already been livescanned through microsoccer or SF Youth Soccer then you do not have to repeat this step. Once you have completed your livescan please email a copy of your completed form to microsoccer.sfvsc@gmail.com with your name and "Livescan" in the subject line. You can also choose to mail it to: San Francisco Vikings Soccer Club 1434 Taraval St. San Francisco, CA 94116
6) Finding a Practice Field San Francisco Rec & Park provides a practice field to every team participating in microsoccer. Every season, teams are invited to participate in a field lottery where they have a chance to choose the practice field of their choice from a list of options provided by SFRPD. Each team manager will be sent an invitation & instructions for the lottery directly by Rec & Park. We will provide the list of eligible teams & team contacts to Rec & Park so teams just have to wait for the invitation. For a list of possible field choices please refer to the SFRPD website here. Make sure to have at least 2 back-up fields just in case your first choice is not available. The fall lottery takes place in June and the spring lottery takes place in February. Specific dates will be sent out by Rec & Park. For current season practice field instructions please refer to the home page.
7) Game Scheduling The microsoccer season is 6 weeks long which means every team gets 6 games in their schedule unless a bye is requested. Some of the terms you'll need to know are:
Brackets/Bracketing - Figuring out what your team's skill level is and putting them in a group with teams of a similar skill level Bye Request - Foregoing a game on a specific day due to a schedule conflict or prior engagement Double Header - Playing two games in one day either back to back or with a gap in between
Bye requests can be made during the schedule request period of the season. If you request a bye your team will get one less game which can only be made up if your team wants to play a double header on a different game day. The scheduling timeline is as follows:
First Draft of Brackets – Released in January for spring season & July for fall season Final Brackets – Released two weeks following the release of the first draft Schedule Requests – Two week period in February for spring season & August for fall season First Draft of Schedule – Released two weeks following schedule request deadline Last Minute Schedule Requests – Three day period following release of first schedule draft Final Schedule – Released at least 3 weeks before start of the season
Schedule requests can still be made after the final schedule is posted, but both teams must agree to the change. There is a $50 schedule change fee for requests made with at least 2 weeks’ notice. There is a $100 schedule change fee for requests made with 1-2 weeks’ notice. Requests made with less than a week notice will not be considered. There is a $100 forfeit fee for teams that fail to show up to their game.
Any other necessary information can be found on this page or by emailing microsoccer.sfvsc@gmail.com. Updates and other information will also be provided by the office on a regular basis to make sure everyone has the information that they need.
8) Coaching and Management Options Every team in microsoccer is different and therefore what works for one team might not work for another. Make sure to review and compare your options and decide what works best for your team given your individual circumstances. Volunteer parent coaches are always a great option because the team is already familiar with them and they don’t cost anything. You don’t have to have previous soccer experience to be a microsoccer coach. All you need are good organizational skills and the ability to google age-appropriate soccer drills and implement them during practice. Practices won’t always go as smoothly as you would expect, but the key is to not get frustrated and allow players to learn the game at their own pace. Vikings will also provide volunteer parent coaches with a manual that includes the league rules, practice tips, and a game day guide. Everything that makes volunteer parent coaches a great option also make volunteer parent managers a great option. The manager’s main tasks are to organize and register the team with the league as well as communication between the team and the office. As a manager it’s important to stay organized, stay in communication with the office and don’t miss deadlines. As always, feel free to contact the office with any questions you have. If your team prefers a paid coach or manager then you have plenty of options to choose from. There are dozens of clubs in the city that provide one or the other or both. These clubs include SF Vikings, BAGU, SF Glens, SF United, SF Rush, SF Sol, SF Futbol Club, Mission FC and many more! Be sure to look around and pick the club that best fits your needs. Some of the questions you should ask are:
“What is the cost for coaching/management?” “Are your coaches licensed? If so, what license does the coach you plan on assigning us hold?” “What is the level of commitment you expect from each player?” “What is your club’s coaching philosophy?” “Can you run a “test” practice?”
The answers to these questions will hopefully help your team make a decision on which option is best for your needs.
Did We Miss Anything? If you have any questions not answered on this page please feel free to call or email the Vikings office. The Vikings office is open Monday-Friday from 10 am-3 pm. You can reach us at: microsoccer.sfvsc@gmail.com or (415)753-3111
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