AYSO Playground & Schoolyard
The only soccer program in Carson City starting at age three!

AYSO Playground & Schoolyard is designed to work in collaboration with parents to develop the child fundamental motor skills using soccer as a common thread. AYSO Playground & Schoolyard is NOT a coaching program! AYSO Playground Schoolyard consists of six sessions for three-year-olds and six sessions for four-year-olds at Pete Livermore Sports Complex (Edmonds Field) and Carson Middle School. These are mainly on weekday evening in the spring and Saturday mornings in the fall (separate registration required for each season). Each session is different and designed to build on the previous lessons. Sessions include multiple games and activities designed to work on a fundamental motor skill or technical skill. i.e., balancing or dribbling, etc. Parents are required to attend the parent’s meeting, date/time and location will be sent in an email prior to the start of the season. Groups are formed on a weekly basis depending on how many players attend a given session. Typically, there are four groups split by age and gender. Older kids experience slightly more advanced activities. 

Hello Parents of 5U Players!

My name is Melanie Anaya and I am our local Playground and Schoolyard (5U) program coordinator. Fall 2025 will be my second season as the coordinator in this age group. I have 4 sons: the youngest will be on the field with your kids this season. If you're new to our program, welcome!
Whether you know anything about soccer or are just getting started, think about volunteering to help run these sessions. The more volunteers we have, the smoother things will run and the more your kids will get out of it. I did not grow up in the soccer world. I started soccer journey with my oldest son. I didn’t always volunteer because I felt like I didn’t know enough. Then when one of my older sons was in 8U and needed a coach, my husband and I stepped in. This is when I started to learn WITH my kids. Then, I volunteered to help the previous Playground/Schoolyard Coordinator while coaching my kids in older divisions. The AYSO community is truly amazing and so supportive. Remember, our kids are not out here to only develop as players. We want them to have fun, make friends, and develop their motor skills along with building social/emotional skills
that do not just benefit them on the field, but off the field as well. I look forward to the upcoming season. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.

Melanie

Erika Garcia Cowger
5U (Playground) Coordinator
Carson City AYSO Region 140
[email protected]g  

I am not sure if you have times/locations for the dates so we will have to update these
once you have it
PLAYGROUND & SCHOOLYARD GENERAL SESSION SCHEDULE
The total duration of each session is approximately 1 hour.

 10 minutes - Warm Up and Introduction to Stations/Activities
 10 minutes - Activity I
 10 minutes - Activity II
 10 minutes - Activity III
 10 minutes - Activity IV

 10 minutes - Cool Down and Clean Up

AYSO is an all-volunteer organization. We can’t do this without you! Parents, guardians, grandparents and other family members are integral to the success of AYSO Playground Schoolyard sessions. Parent with child provides the best possible introduction to soccer for our youngest participants. Each player must have a parent (or other adult) working with them on the field to help guide them within each activity. Players are split up into teams and each team is led by a session leader. The curriculum is led by our Playground & Schoolyard Coordinator, but this program works best when each team has a parent/volunteer who takes on the role of session leader. The Playground & Schoolyard Coordinator needs help from the following volunteers: Team Coach or Assistant Coach (Session Leaders): We need at least one parent/volunteer to run each group. Ideally, this individual is separate from the parent/adult there to support the player. (i.e. Mom signs up to be coach and has a child on the team. Ideally, mom as the coach has dad or another adult also there to help with their child so that
mom/coach can lead the bigger group) Snack Coordinator: The Snack Coordinator organizes weekly snacks for the kids for after their sessions. You’d be amazed at how important the snacks are to the little kids! Ideally, each group has a snack coordinator. This task can be as simple as creating a sign-up sheet for the 6 weeks your team will meet so that someone new has a chance to bring snacks every week.

As a part of the registration fee, AYSO provides each player:

• An AYSO uniform, which includes a jersey, shorts and socks; and
• A size 3 soccer ball.

Uniforms and balls will be distributed at the mandatory parent’s meeting. Players should bring their soccer ball to every session.

You must provide for every practice and game:

• Shin guards;
• Closed-toed running shoes, sneakers or cleats; and
• Water or other hydration.

Cleats are optional, but players must wear closed-toed shoes. EACH PLAYER MUST WEAR SHIN GUARDS AND CLOSED-TOED SHOES TO EACH SESSION. PLAYERS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IF THEY ARE NOT WEARING SHIN GUARDS AND CLOSED-TOED SHOES. Shin guards are worn UNDER the player’s soccer socks next to the skin. The socks must completely cover the shin guard.

The following are not allowed at any practice or game:

• Splints or casts (hard or soft) of any kind; and
• Earrings or other jewelry while playing - with or without tape or band-aids.

We recommend you refrain from piercing ears until the end of the season.

This program is open to any player that meets the applicable age requirements. Generally, registration is open beginning in November for spring season and beginning in May for fall season. Registration closes after the first two sessions for Playground & Schoolyard and as divisions fill up, but no later than the first game for Core programs.

Please go to our registration webpage for more details.