The U6 Fall Program is boys and girls who will be 5 years old as of next December 31st.
The U6 Program runs for eight to ten game weekends starting in September (see calendar page) with practices starting in August. U6 Teams participate in U6 Activity Sessions on Saturdays. The U6 Program is coed. There are no weekday training sessions.
Players are placed on teams of no more than five players and compete with three players on the field 3v3. Each player plays at least half of every game. Players receive a uniform consisting of a numbered jersey, shorts and socks. Players must wear shin guards and shoes. Soccer cleats are recommended.
The U6 Program requires that each team has a parent volunteer as a Team Coach and a second parent to volunteer as an Assistant Coach or Team Manager(Team Parent). An annual AYSO Volunteer application and one-time Safe Haven Certification is required for all Carpinteria AYSO Volunteers. Carpinteria AYSO U6 Team Coaches and Assistant Coaches must also complete a U6 Coach Course.
U6 Activity Session Schedule
Sessions should last one hour and fifteen minutes including organizing time and breaks.
- 10 minutes – team warm-up and activities
- 5 minutes – water break
- 20 minutes – weekly team training activities and games
- 10 minutes – team organizing and water break, assigning players to teams, assigning field locations
- 20 minutes – 3 v 3 game (played in two halves of 10 minutes each with a short break at the quarter to make substitutions and get a quick drink)
- 5 minutes – half time
- 5 minutes –to make changes between quarters
Team training activity games are the weekly curriculum for the 20 minute team training activities of the U6 Activity Session. The purpose of the training activity games is for the enjoyment of the players. The consequence of the training activity games is that soccer skills are introduced through the behavior patterning motivated by player enjoyment. Players are also introduced to the concept of team activity through shared individually motivated behavior.
This foundation of AYSO Coaching methodology continues for all ages at a gradually increasing level of sophistication and player independence by introducing age appropriate content to children as their physical, mental, emotional, and social development provide for their success as individuals and as a team.
Inclined parents find strong satisfaction in being incrementally prepared to coach and manage the training and competitive environment of their child's team starting as a Carpinteria AYSO U6 Team Coach and Assistant Coach. Parents can anticipate that Carpinteria AYSO U8 Coaches develop an understanding that competition during match play belongs entirely to the player and the team. Carpinteria AYSO U8 Coaches discover that the proper and effective role of a successful coach is positive encouragement, relevant instruction, and observation of individual and team decision making (tactics) and individual use and application of skills (technique) to determine the content priorities and delivery for subsequent subsequent once a week team training sessions introduced in our Carpinteria AYSO U8 Program.
The U6 Program introduces and confirms to parents the concept that the game of soccer can be taught to their children through play and that with some basic training and experience all parents are capable of creating and managing both training and competitive environments where their child and child's team can thrive in the game motivated by their own enjoyment.
AYSO Coaching methodology based on player enjoyment and our AYSO Philosophies of Open Registration, Everyone Plays, and Positive Coaching provide a player development model that consistently recognizes that development can only occur when players participate. This AYSO model stands in stark contrast to other player development models that consider the development or anticipated development of the player short sightedly substantiated by desirable competitive outcomes as a condition of participation.
Carpinteria AYSO is committed to the AYSO Coaching methodology because it is in the best interests of the player and provides the broadest opportunity for the children in our community to have an accessible and dependable soccer program for all ages. Our ability to sustain that opportunity depends on parents of U6 Players engaging with our AYSO Coaching methodology as volunteer U6 Team Coaches and Assistant Coaches and evaluating the results based on their experience and the enjoyment of their children.
Read the complete U6 Guidelines