Moving to the School Year Aug 1 - July 31 age groups will align more closely with a typical school year calendar, in an effort to solve the "trapped player" problem. A trapped player is a child who has been placed on a team with players in a grade older/above them in school.
The “trapped” dilemma has created a major disruption at two key moments during a player’s youth career. The first is in eighth grade,
when their ninth-grade teammates move on to play for their high school season. The "trapped” eighth-grader has often been left without a full team to play on for that season. This negatively impacts their development and social experience. The same issue reappears four
years later, when a “trapped” senior is displaced when their older teammates have graduated and moved onto college.
The Aug 1 age group cut-off best aligns age groups with the typical
school year ages, maximizing the number of players who participate in soccer programs with their school-year friends. This alignment has a positive correlation with increased numbers of youth players entering and staying in the sport.
AGE GROUP CHANGES FOR 2026/2027
With the start of the 2026-27 season, youth soccer is moving away from age groups based on Birth Year (Jan 1 - Dec 31) to School Year (Aug 1 - July 31). It is Sporting Wichita’s priority to make this transition as smooth as possible.
This change will take effect with our 2026-27 team formations and tryouts this upcoming spring/summer. All players will be expected to try out in their correct age group based on this new mandate.
Our goal in communicating this early is to help families understand what to expect and how this change supports long-term player development.
This tool helps determine a player’s age group based on their date of birth.
After entering the player’s birthdate, the tool will display the relative
age group options for three roster formation cycles:
January 1–December 31, August 1–July 31, and September 1–August 31.
The results are intended as a guide; please consult your club, league,
or organization member to confirm the most appropriate age group
for the player.
MLS Next, National Academy League (NAL) and Girls DPL
Both the NAL and DPL will be adopting the Aug 1 to Jul 31 age group formation calendar starting in the 2026-27 season. This move is part of a collaborative effort with other major youth soccer organizations to create more consistency across the soccer landscape. MLS Next will also be changing to the Aug 1 - Jul 31 age groups in their Academy Division. Sporting Wichita Academy competes in the Academy Division of the MLS Next platform. While MLS Next will stay with the the birth year for their Homegrown Division, this will not impact Sporting Wichita. We have gathered information from a number of sources and compiled them for your
convenience below. We will continue to add information and an FAQ section to answer questions. Sporting Wichita Academy will follow in the transition back to the August 1st to July 31st registration timeframe, which more closely aligns with the typical school year registration. Detailed communication about the club’s process and timeline will be shared on a continual basis with our members to ensure the process runs smoothly. Coordinated training sessions between age groups will begin this spring during the outdoor training season. The directors will be working to identify 26/27 coaches and will announce the slate in spring
2026-27 year.
The age group chart below shows the registration age groups for the 2026-27 year.
What Is Changing?
Age groups will now be August 1 – July 31, rather than January 1 – December 31.
Tryout Placement:
Starting with 2026-27 tryouts players will register and attend tryouts in the appropriate school-year age group.
Who This Impacts:
Players born Aug 1 – Dec 31 may be placed in a younger age group than in previous years.
Players born January 1 – July 31 may be placed in a slightly older age group than before.
As a result, teams will look different, with new teammates and age dynamics.
New Team Dynamics:
Some players will be adjusting to:
● Playing with teammates who are slightly older or younger
● New social dynamics
● Different physical or tactical demands
These adjustments are a normal and healthy part of youth development.
Development Over Labels:
A change in age group is not a demotion or promotion of skill.
Soccer development is not linear, and this shift is designed to:
● Better align players with their school peers
● Support long-term growth, confidence, and enjoyment of the game
● Encourage skill development rather than early results
Physical & Mental Preparation:
Depending on whether a player moves up or down, they may experience:
● Increased physicality or more complex tactical challenges
● New roles or responsibilities within a team
● A short adjustment period socially or competitively
Building adaptability, confidence, and resilience is part of the developmental process.
Final Thoughts:
Change can bring uncertainty, but this transition is being made with player development, well-being, and long-term success in mind. Our priority remains helping every player grow, learn, and enjoy the game in a positive environment.
Thank you for being part of our soccer community.
— Sporting Wichita
FAQs
1. What does the change from calendar year to August 1–July 31 mean for players and teams?
How does this new date range affect age group placement?
The new August 1 to July 31 cutoff is meant to better align with grade levels, but it won’t always match perfectly. If a player's birth date falls within that range, they’ll try out for the team that matches their birth year and date, regardless of their grade level.
For players who are a grade level below most of their teammates, but whose birthdays fall within the August 1–July 31 cutoff, will placement be determined by grade level or by birthdate?
The idea is to place players in the best environment for their development. Players who are young for their grade year (started school early) can try out for their grade or for their Aug 1-July 31 birth range. For players trying out for the year up, there is no guarantee that they will be selected for a team in the older age group.
2. Why did Sporting Wichita Academy choose to move to August 1–July 31?
What were the main reasons behind this decision?
We are following the guidelines of USYS.
Is this change meant to better align with grade levels, player development models, or other regional and national programs?
The decision to move away from Jan. 1 was driven by concern for “trapped players” and “force‑ups.” Trapped players are athletes whose birth dates place them in a soccer age group older than their school year.
What benefits does the club expect this to bring to players, coaches, and teams?
Long term we feel that our players and teams will continue to grow and develop as strongly as they always have. This change puts players back with the majority of their grade level peers, allowing players to stay together both in the 8th/9th grade and 11th/12th grade years.
3. Are all other clubs switching to the August 1–July 31 system too?
Will other local, regional, and national clubs also transition?
Clubs are allowed to choose what they would like to do, but as far as we are aware, clubs participating in the same leagues we do will be moving to the new age group format.
How will scheduling and competition work if some clubs switch and others don’t?
Because the format for all programs our teams participate in are moving to this system, any team participating will need to play adhering to the Aug 1 - July 31. That means if a club chooses to keep teams as they are, then those teams will need to play in the age groups based on the oldest players on their team.
4. When will this change take effect?
Will it be implemented for the next tryout cycle or the following season?
This will be implemented for the 26/27 season, starting at tryouts in June 2026.
Will there be a phase-in period to allow teams to finish the year under old format?
Teams currently in the 25-26 year that might have games in June or July (playoffs, state cup, regionals, etc…) will finish out their season as normal. The new teams will not take effect until the official start of the 26/27 season.
5. What happens to players who play in their correct birth year but are a grade level below?
How will this impact players who will still have a senior year of high school after their final club season ends?
It is the belief they will combine the U18/U19 so this will not be an issue for U19 players.
6. Can my child stay with their current team by “playing up”?
Will players have the option to remain on their current team, even if that means playing in an older age group?
As in the past, players are allowed to try out for the team above, BUT these decisions will need to go through the directors of coaching. Please note, players that play up, they will be “trapped” in that 8th/9th grade year (similar to what is happening to the younger U15 players with the current birth year format). These players will not have a team for the spring season, basically forfeiting a season of play.
What are the club’s guidelines or limits for playing up under the new structure?
Every situation is different. There is no set guideline to how this will work out. The plan is to place players in their “best” developing environment.
7. What if two players on a restructured team have the same jersey number?
Will players be required to purchase new jerseys?
We were forward thinking and assigned odd and even numbered jersey numbers to alternating age groups during the 25-26 year, in an effort to reduce this issue as much as possible. If there are players with the same number we are looking at a few options on how to work through this. We will also look at additional options we can work through in house. Once we go into a new uniform cycle in 27/28 numbers will again be aligned.
8. Will the club adjust the number of teams at each age group?
How will rosters be managed to ensure spots for players affected by the change?
We are hoping to keep rosters to the current size allowed.
Will additional teams be created or teams merged to accommodate the shift?
The Club will accommodate the needs of each player pool/age group.
9. Are all programs under Sporting Wichita changing to the new birthdate cutoff?
Will this change apply to all levels of play within Sporting Wichita?
Yes, we will make this transition across the board.
Will any programs or age groups remain on a different system?
No, that is not our plan at this time.
10. What happens if a year has an extreme uneven split in either total numbers or talent pool?
Will adjustments be made and how?
We expect very few issues in this sense. Our staff have taken great care to go over the current player pools. Our current numbers with any incoming new players to the club will continue to keep all age groups at a very competitive level.
11. How will this change be communicated and explained to families?
Will there be a club-wide info showing how teams shift under the new structure?
We will continue to send out information throughout the year to keep families updated, and may hold age group or team meetings as needed.
Can the club provide examples to help families understand?
We have the age group chart on our website.
