GCAA Rec Soccer
About the Program
GCAA Recreation Soccer is a volunteer based soccer program for players of all skill levels between the ages of 2 and 18 years old. We strive to provide a program which supports having fun, learning and developing skills of the sport and making friends along the way.
Rec Soccer is offered in the Spring and in the Fall. Registration for the Spring season begins in November and ends in February. Registration for the Fall season opens in May and ends in August. The Spring season begins in February and runs through May. The Fall season begins in August and runs through late October.
The 4U thru 8U age divisions are co-ed teams, have group practices once a week, and have games on Saturdays that are refereed by coaches, with the exception of 4U, which has 2 showcases in lieu of weekly games.
For the 10U through 18U age divisions, boys and girls will be assigned to separate teams. They practice once a week and have games on Saturdays that are refereed by certified referees. If we do not have a sufficient number of teams in these age divisions, they may require some local travel to neighboring towns in Johnston and Southern Wake County.
Age divisions are determined by year of birth. For more information, please visit our Age Division Chart
Our volunteer coaches are the heart of our organization. Thank you to all the volunteers who ensure all players have a great experience each season!
Have a question? Please contact [email protected]
Registration Dates
November 1st: Registration Opens
February 3rd: Late Registration Begins ($10 fee added)
February 13th: Registration Closes
Key Dates
February 14th: Team Assignments Released
February 16th: Uniform Order Deadline
February 22nd: First Saturday Practice (6U-18U)
February 24-28th: Weekday Practices Begin (4U-18U)
March 1st: Second Saturday Practice (6U-18U)
March 8th: First Games
May 3rd: Last Games
May 10th: Weather Make-up Day (if needed)
May 16-18th: End of Season Tournament (10U & 12U)
Important Information
Click here for more information on age divisions.
- Soccer Cleats
- Shin Guards
- Socks (over shin guards)
- Soccer Ball
- 4U/6U/8U: Size 3
- 10U/12U: Size 4
- 14U-18U: Size 5
- Water Bottle
- GCAA Uniform
- All players are required to have a GCAA Rec Soccer uniform kit
- Uniforms are not included in registration fees
- A full kit consists of:
- Navy jersey
- White jersey
- White socks
- Navy shorts
- Order uniforms here
Parents no longer need to purchase a new uniform each Fall. If your child still fits in their uniform from previous seasons or they have a uniform from a sibling or friend that fits there is no need to purchase a new uniform.
We now have a Facebook group for buying, selling and trading uniforms!
Home = White Jersey
Away = Navy Jersey
4U-8U
- All practices and games will take place at the GCAA Complex.
10U-18U
- Players in the 10U+ age divisions will practice at the GCAA Soccer Fields at HopeFront Church.
- Home games will take place at the GCAA Complex. However, for some divisions, away games will be in neighboring towns within Johnston and Southern Wake County, as we partner with other organizations to play games.
8994 Cleveland Rd, Clayton, NC 27520
📌 HopeFront Church:
8246 Cleveland Rd, Clayton, NC 27520
For field maps, visit our Soccer Field Locations page.
Program Information
4U-8U
The focus at this level is mainly having fun, learning rules, and the very basics of soccer. All teams are co-ed. These age divisions have one weekday evening practice session, in a group academy setting. Games are played on Saturdays, with the exception of 4U, which has 2 showcases in lieu of weekly games. All teams are coached by parent volunteers. Practices and games will take place at the GCAA Complex.
Practice Days and Times - Teams will be assigned one of the following:
4U: Monday at 6:00
6U: Tuesday or Thursday at 6:00
8U: Monday, Tuesday or Thursday at 7:00
4U Coed
This division is the building blocks for soccer moving forward. The primary focus is simply to get the kids excited about soccer and to get them to understand that it is primarily a sport where you use your feet to move a ball in a particular direction. By the end of the 4U season, players should be comfortable moving about with a ball at their feet.
The 4U division practices once a week. There are no games in this division, but we do have 2 Showcases!
6U Coed
Players in this division are introduced to the game through fun, age-appropriate sessions and activities. The focus is mainly on ball control and ball movement.
8U Coed
The focus of this division is mainly learning about the team aspect of the game. If the players have learned a good foundation of ball handling skills, then the next step is to teach passing and positioning. The goal in this division is for all of the kids to start to become true soccer players. They should start to learn to look for passing opportunities when they have the ball and when they don't have the ball to learn to move into positions to receive a pass. Also, the players should become more aggressive on the field and really start attacking the ball to gain possession.
10U-18U
These age divisions have one weekday (Monday-Friday) evening practice session. Games are played primarily on Saturdays, Sunday may be used for games if necessary. Girls and boys are placed on separate teams. All teams are coached by parent volunteers. Practice will take place at HopeFront Church, and home games at the GCAA Complex. At these age groups, you can expect to have some away games in Johnston County and South Wake County. These divisions also introduce non-partial paid referees, but scores and standings are not kept.
10U Division
In this division, players are generally beginning to understand soccer and are becoming more skilled in dribbling, passing, and shooting. Our focus is still on player development, sportsmanship, and teamwork. While we do start to introduce the concept of competition, scores and official standings are not kept.
10U Quick Facts:
- Girls and boys are placed on separate teams
- May require short travel to play teams in other parts of Johnston and southern Wake county
- Games are played 7v7 (6 field players and 1 goalie) and will consist of two 25 minute halves with a 5 minute half time. One paid referee will be provided.
- Players will use a size 4 soccer ball
- All kids are required to wear shin guards
- No metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats)
12U Division
In this division, players generally understand soccer and are becoming very skilled in dribbling, passing, and shooting and game tactics. Our focus is still on player development, sportsmanship, and teamwork. However, we continue with our introduction of healthy competition, but scores and official standings are not kept.
12U Quick Facts:
- Girls and boys are placed on separate teams
- May require short travel to play teams in other parts of Johnston and southern Wake county
- Games are played 9v9 (8 field players and 1 goalie) and will consist of two 30 minute halves with a 10 minute half time. One paid head referee and two sideline referees will be provided.
- Players will use a size 4 soccer ball
- All kids are required to wear shin guards
- No metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats)
14U/15U Division
In this division, players generally understand soccer and are becoming very skilled in dribbling, passing, and shooting and game tactics. Our focus is still on player development, sportsmanship, and teamwork. However, we continue with our introduction of healthy competition, but scores and official standings are not kept.
14U Quick Facts:
- Girls and boys are placed on separate teams.
- Girls teams are 15U as of Spring 2024
- Will require short travel to play teams in other parts of Johnston and southern Wake county
- Games are played 9v9 (8 field players and 1 goalie) and will consist of two 35 minute halves with a 10 minute half time. One paid head referee and two sideline referees will be provided.
- Players will use a size 5 soccer ball
- All kids are required to wear shin guards
- No metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats)
18U Division
In this division, players understand soccer and are becoming very skilled in dribbling, passing, and shooting and game tactics. Our focus is still on player development, sportsmanship, and teamwork. However, we continue with our introduction of healthy competition, but scores and official standings are not kept.
18U Quick Facts:
- We currently only offer 18U boys.
- Will require short travel to play teams in other parts of Johnston and southern Wake county
- Games are played 11v11 (10 field players and 1 goalie) and will consist of two 35 minute halves with a 10 minute half time. One paid head referee and two sideline referees will be provided.
- Players will use a size 5 soccer ball
- All kids are required to wear shin guards
- No metal cleats or cleats that have toe-cleats (like baseball cleats)
Not sure which division your child should be playing in? Click the link for more information
Sponsorship
Our Rec Program is thriving due to the many hours our Volunteers put in year-round and the continued financial support of our sponsors.
We offer several sponsorship packages, which include banners made for your business, pridefully displayed on our fields to highlight our partnership. The packages we currently offer are:
- One - 2' x 4' Banner ($300)
- Two - 2' x 4' Banners ($500)
- One - 2.5' x 8' Banner ($1000)
To register your sponsorship, please visit our Registration form.
If you would like to inquire about options outside of these general packages, please send us an email at [email protected] and we would be glad to discuss a package built just for you!
Thank you to our sponsors who help our program thrive!
Rec Soccer Committee
As a volunteer organization, our rec soccer committee is responsible for planning, organizing, and conducting each season and other initiatives. The committee meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. To join us or learn more, please send us an email!
“Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Bruce Lee
Thank you to our Rec Soccer Sponsors!
