Players at Cincy SC will spend about 5x as much time in training as they do in games, so the training experience is an extremely important part of what we offer. Games, whether part of a league, part of a tournament, or just a friendly, are also important because they offer players the chance to put on a uniform and continue their learning process by competing against other players that they don’t know and getting immediate feedback.
Determining the right schedule of leagues, tournaments, and friendlies for each team at each age group and skill level can be complex and the league landscape changes every year. The intention here is to share more information about the processes and options.
League Application Timing and Process:
- Late May/Early June: clubs form teams for the coming Fall/Spring year
- Mid-late June: apply for leagues
- Early July: receive responses from league commissioners based on league-specific processes for acceptance
- Teams are placed in divisions that are deemed appropriate; appeals can be made for higher or lower placement
- Schedules are created with usually 6-8 games per season
More Info About Youth Soccer Leagues:
- Leagues are affiliated with either US Youth Soccer or US Club Soccer, both of which are basically insurance companies.
- Teams pay a fee for each player and players get carded, and get supplemental insurance, through this membership in US Youth or US Club.
- Each league has different rules about scheduling, player ages, guest playing, tryouts, player recruitment, number of players on the field, etc.
League Options:
- Developmental League (DL) – our preferred option for our U7-U8 age groups
- Cardinal Premier League (CPL) – a great option for U9-U20 teams for playing other Cincinnati-area clubs, with divisions to match the competitive level of nearly every team
- Buckeye Premier Youth Soccer League (BPYSL) – a Cincy-Dayton-Columbus league that’s a good option for our stronger teams at our U10 and older age groups
- Ohio Soccer State League (OSSL) – a state-wide league that’s an option for our stronger teams – comes with a higher cost and more significant travel
- Great Lakes Conference – an elite league composed of teams from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, NY West, PA West and West Virginia. Part of US Youth Soccer.
- Great Lakes Alliance – a Midwest regional league that includes significant travel and higher costs including a different sanctioning body (US Club instead of US Youth Soccer).
- Ohio Valley Premier League (OVPL) – a U23 men’s league
- More information about leagues