ALITHSA Recreational Program

ALITHSA Recreational Division Vision

The vision of the Algonquin Lake in the Hills Soccer Association (ALITHSA) is to create an environment for safe, fair and enjoyable soccer play for all children, to instill in the players a spirit of good sportsmanship, and to foster improvement in playing skills and knowledge of the game of soccer through fun and enjoyable play.

ALITHSA Recreational Division Organizational Overview

ALITHSA's Recreational program is divided by age divisions. For our younger players, we have U5, U6, U7, and U8 divisions comprised of both boys and girls.

Starting with U10, we offer both a mixed league and a girls league for children through the U10, U12, U14, and High School divisions. These divisions play against other ALITHSA teams and also teams from neighboring communities including Dundee, Hampshire, Huntley, Marengo and Plato through our NRSL affiliation.

This is a community-driven club, with all of our recreational leadership positions including coaches, assistants, team managers, coordinator, and league board management positions filled with parent volunteers.

Calendar of Activities

ALITHSA's recreational program calendar year runs parallel to the local school district's calendar year, starting in the fall and running through the spring of the following year. ALITHSA has two sessions per year, the first in the fall and the second the spring.

Registration for fall session is held during the preceding June and registration for the spring session is held in the preceding January. A discount is offered for registering a participant for both fall and spring sessions when registering in June. At the time of registration, your child is automatically placed in the appropriate age division based upon his or her birth date.

The fall session generally starts soon after teams are announced in mid-August. The playing season is roughly eight weeks long with games starting the week or weekend after Labor Day and running roughly through the end of October.

Spring season generally starts soon after teams are announced in mid-March. The spring playing season is also roughly eight weeks long with games starting the first week or weekend of April and running roughly through the first week in June, usually (but not always) taking the Memorial Day weekend off.

U5 Age Division

Our U5 age division is for our youngest soccer players. This league is specifically designed to provide our 4 and 5 year old children a fun environment to kick the soccer ball and play with friends. ALITHSA plays a 4 v 4 format with no keepers at this age level, and strongly encourages free play with little to no instructional pressures on the children. Practices and games are once a week on Friday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00pm or sunset.

U6 Age Division

Our U6 age division continues our U5 philosophy of free play and fun, adding an additional day of play. This league is for Kindergarten-aged children, allowing 5 and 6 year old kids a fun environment to kick the soccer ball and play with friends. ALITHSA plays a 4 v 4 format with no keepers at this age level, and strongly encourages free play with some minor instruction to the children. Practices and games are twice a week on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00pm or sunset.

U7 & U8 Age Divisions

Our U7 and U8 leagues are for our 1st and 2nd grade children. In U7 & U8, ALITHSA plays a 6 v 6 format with a keeper, stressing fun and soccer education through balanced playing time for each child through each position on the field. Practices are held at the coach's discretion either once or twice per week at a local community park of his/her choosing. Games are held generally on Saturday mornings, though occasionally there will be an evening weeknight game scheduled.

U10 and above Age Divisions

ALITHSA's U10, U12, U14, and HS ages are split into two divisions each, as ALITHSA offers both a mixed division and a girls-only division. While the children become more naturally competitive at these ages, ALITHSA's focus is to stress fun, enjoyment, and learning the game over scores and rankings.

U10 teams play an 8 v 8 format, while U12 and above play 11 v 11 on a full field. U10, U12, & U14 teams play all other ALITHSA teams within their division and then also play against teams from Dundee, Genoa, Hampshire, Huntley, Marengo and Plato Center through our NRSL affiliation. Our HS girls' teams play in the Blackmore league, competing with teams from other greater northwest suburban communities. Practices are held at the coach's discretion either once or twice per week at a local community park of his/her choosing. Games are held generally on Saturday mornings (Sunday's for the HS teams), though occasionally there will be an afternoon or a weeknight evening game scheduled. Some minor traveling is required, with away games scheduled at each of the opposing town's facilities.

Registration

ALITHSA's year runs parallel to the local school district's calendar year, from fall through the spring of the following year. ALITHSA has two sessions per year, the first in the fall and the second the spring. Registration for fall session is held the preceding June and registration for spring session is held in the preceding January. A discount is offered for registering for both fall and spring sessions when registering in June. Registration is done solely via the ALITHSA website - please check the website for instructions. Teams do fill up so register early to ensure a space for your child, as no late registrations will be accepted. At the time of registration, your child will be automatically placed in the appropriate age division based upon his or her birth date.

Volunteers Needed

ALITHSA is a volunteer nonprofit organization. Our success is dependent upon the active involvement of our parents. We encourage everyone to volunteer as a coach, assistant coach, team parent, board member, or in a temporary an-needed capacity at some time during your child's soccer career with the club.

We depend on parents and other adults to volunteer as coaches - If you are interested in being part of the ALITHSA leadership team, please contact the Rec. Division Coordinator at oddiv@yahoo.com to discuss opportunities.

Monthly Board Meetings

ALITHSA'S monthly board meetings are usually on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the Algonquin Old Town Hall on the southwest corner of Algonquin Rd. and Rt. 31. See the ALITHSA website at www.alithsa.org for additional monthly details. All club parent participants in good standing are welcome. There will be a message on the club website if the meeting date or time has been changed.

Home Page Recreational Program Travel Program Registration Parent Participation Rec Schedules NRSL Schedules Travel Schedules FAQ Medical Waiver Form Maps to Parks Incident Report Form Volunteer Recognition Referee Information The Laws of the Game ALITHSA Constitution Board Meeting Minutes Contact Us		ALITHSA Recreational Program ALITHSA Recreational Division Vision The vision of the Algonquin Lake in the Hills Soccer Association (ALITHSA) is to create an environment for safe, fair and enjoyable soccer play for all children, to instill in the players a spirit of good sportsmanship, and to foster improvement in playing skills and knowledge of the game of soccer through fun and enjoyable play. ALITHSA Recreational Division Organizational Overview ALITHSA's Recreational program is divided by age divisions. For our younger players, we have U5, U6, U7, and U8 divisions comprised of both boys and girls. Starting with U10, we offer both a mixed league and a girls league for children through the U10, U12, U14, and High School divisions. These divisions play against other ALITHSA teams and also teams from neighboring communities including Dundee, Hampshire, Huntley, Marengo and Plato through our NRSL affiliation. This is a community-driven club, with all of our recreational leadership positions including coaches, assistants, team managers, coordinator, and league board management positions filled with parent volunteers. Calendar of Activities ALITHSA's recreational program calendar year runs parallel to the local school district's calendar year, starting in the fall and running through the spring of the following year. ALITHSA has two sessions per year, the first in the fall and the second the spring. Registration for fall session is held during the preceding June and registration for the spring session is held in the preceding January. A discount is offered for registering a participant for both fall and spring sessions when registering in June. At the time of registration, your child is automatically placed in the appropriate age division based upon his or her birth date. The fall session generally starts soon after teams are announced in mid-August. The playing season is roughly eight weeks long with games starting the week or weekend after Labor Day and running roughly through the end of October. Spring season generally starts soon after teams are announced in mid-March. The spring playing season is also roughly eight weeks long with games starting the first week or weekend of April and running roughly through the first week in June, usually (but not always) taking the Memorial Day weekend off. U5 Age Division Our U5 age division is for our youngest soccer players. This league is specifically designed to provide our 4 and 5 year old children a fun environment to kick the soccer ball and play with friends. ALITHSA plays a 4 v 4 format with no keepers at this age level, and strongly encourages free play with little to no instructional pressures on the children. Practices and games are once a week on Friday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00pm or sunset. U6 Age Division Our U6 age division continues our U5 philosophy of free play and fun, adding an additional day of play. This league is for Kindergarten-aged children, allowing 5 and 6 year old kids a fun environment to kick the soccer ball and play with friends. ALITHSA plays a 4 v 4 format with no keepers at this age level, and strongly encourages free play with some minor instruction to the children. Practices and games are twice a week on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:00pm or sunset. U7 & U8 Age Divisions Our U7 and U8 leagues are for our 1st and 2nd grade children. In U7 & U8, ALITHSA plays a 6 v 6 format with a keeper, stressing fun and soccer education through balanced playing time for each child through each position on the field. Practices are held at the coach's discretion either once or twice per week at a local community park of his/her choosing. Games are held generally on Saturday mornings, though occasionally there will be an evening weeknight game scheduled. U10 and above Age Divisions ALITHSA's U10, U12, U14, and HS ages are split into two divisions each, as ALITHSA offers both a mixed division and a girls-only division. While the children become more naturally competitive at these ages, ALITHSA's focus is to stress fun, enjoyment, and learning the game over scores and rankings. U10 teams play an 8 v 8 format, while U12 and above play 11 v 11 on a full field. U10, U12, & U14 teams play all other ALITHSA teams within their division and then also play against teams from Dundee, Genoa, Hampshire, Huntley, Marengo and Plato Center through our NRSL affiliation. Our HS girls' teams play in the Blackmore league, competing with teams from other greater northwest suburban communities. Practices are held at the coach's discretion either once or twice per week at a local community park of his/her choosing. Games are held generally on Saturday mornings (Sunday's for the HS teams), though occasionally there will be an afternoon or a weeknight evening game scheduled. Some minor traveling is required, with away games scheduled at each of the opposing town's facilities. Registration ALITHSA's year runs parallel to the local school district's calendar year, from fall through the spring of the following year. ALITHSA has two sessions per year, the first in the fall and the second the spring. Registration for fall session is held the preceding June and registration for spring session is held in the preceding January. A discount is offered for registering for both fall and spring sessions when registering in June. Registration is done solely via the ALITHSA website - please check the website for instructions. Teams do fill up so register early to ensure a space for your child, as no late registrations will be accepted. At the time of registration, your child will be automatically placed in the appropriate age division based upon his or her birth date. Volunteers Needed ALITHSA is a volunteer nonprofit organization. Our success is dependent upon the active involvement of our parents. We encourage everyone to volunteer as a coach, assistant coach, team parent, board member, or in a temporary an-needed capacity at some time during your child's soccer career with the club. We depend on parents and other adults to volunteer as coaches - If you are interested in being part of the ALITHSA leadership team, please contact the Rec. Division Coordinator at oddiv@yahoo.com to discuss opportunities. Monthly Board Meetings ALITHSA'S monthly board meetings are usually on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the Algonquin Old Town Hall on the southwest corner of Algonquin Rd. and Rt. 31. See the ALITHSA website at www.alithsa.org for additional monthly details. All club parent participants in good standing are welcome. There will be a message on the club website if the meeting date or time has been changed.