Club Transition
LC United voted to leave LCSA and will rebrand as Fever FC North for the 2026-27 season.
Skylar's 2026-27 teams: 2013s / 8th grade / U-14 and 2012s / 9th grade / U-15.
Uniforms may be purchased next year; Fever is offering them at cost to make the transition easier for families.
Age-Cutoff Change Explained
On June 10, 2025, US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer, and AYSO jointly announced that the age cutoff for youth soccer will move from a calendar-year basis (January 1 – December 31) to a school-year basis (August 1 – July 31), effective with the 2026-27 season.
This reverts to the standard that was in place before 2017. U.S. Soccer lifted its January 1 mandate in late 2024, giving member organizations the freedom to adopt the change.
Trapped Players
A "trapped player" is a child born between August 1 and December 31 who, under the old calendar-year cutoff, played in one age group but now shifts up under the new school-year cutoff. These players effectively skip ahead and compete with an older cohort.
Force-Ups
"Force-ups" are players who are moved into a higher age group involuntarily because of the cutoff shift. The school-year alignment means some kids who were among the oldest in their group will now be among the youngest in the next group up.
School-Year Alignment
The school-year alignment (August 1 – July 31) matches how schools group students by grade, so teammates at school are more likely to be teammates on the field. It also aligns with the calendar used by most other youth sports.
“This is the right thing for kids. Aligning the age cutoff with the school year simplifies the youth sports experience for families and better reflects how children are already grouped in their daily lives.”
— Mike Cullina, CEO — US Club Soccer
Birth-Year Matrix
| Age Group | 2025-26 (Jan–Dec) | 2026-27 (Aug–Jul) |
|---|---|---|
| U-6 | 2020 | Aug 1 2020 – Jul 31 2021 |
| U-7 | 2019 | Aug 1 2019 – Jul 31 2020 |
| U-8 | 2018 | Aug 1 2018 – Jul 31 2019 |
| U-9 | 2017 | Aug 1 2017 – Jul 31 2018 |
| U-10 | 2016 | Aug 1 2016 – Jul 31 2017 |
| U-11 | 2015 | Aug 1 2015 – Jul 31 2016 |
| U-12 | 2014 | Aug 1 2014 – Jul 31 2015 |
| U-13 | 2013 | Aug 1 2013 – Jul 31 2014 |
| U-14 | 2012 | Aug 1 2012 – Jul 31 2013 |
| U-15 | 2011 | Aug 1 2011 – Jul 31 2012 |
| U-16 | 2010 | Aug 1 2010 – Jul 31 2011 |
| U-17 | 2009 | Aug 1 2009 – Jul 31 2010 |
| U-18 | 2008 | Aug 1 2008 – Jul 31 2009 |
| U-19 | 2007 | Aug 1 2007 – Jul 31 2008 |
| U-20 | 2006 | Aug 1 2006 – Jul 31 2007 |
Highlighted rows = Skylar's 2026-27 teams (U-14 & U-15)
ECNL / NPL Competitive Pyramid
Elite Clubs National League — the top tier of youth club soccer, featuring the most competitive clubs nationwide.
The second tier under the ECNL umbrella, providing a high-level competitive pathway with promotion opportunities into ECNL.
US Club Soccer’s national platform below ECNL RL. Regional conferences feed into NPL Playoffs and the NPL National Championship.
Local and state-level competitive leagues. Our teams currently play in TCSL; the next step up is NPL.
What Is NPL?
NPL stands for National Premier Leagues — US Club Soccer’s national competitive platform positioned below ECNL Regional League.
NPL is organized into regional conferences. Teams compete within their conference during the regular season, with top finishers advancing to NPL Playoffs and ultimately the NPL National Championship.
NPL provides a merit-based pathway upward: strong NPL teams can earn promotion to ECNL Regional League, and from there to ECNL.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my child moving age groups?
The national age cutoff is shifting from calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 31) to school year (Aug 1 – Jul 31). Players born between August 1 and December 31 will move into the next age group up because they now fall into a different cutoff window. This affects the 2026-27 season onward.
What are "trapped players" and "force-ups"?
A trapped player is one born Aug 1 – Dec 31 who is effectively pushed into an older age group by the cutoff change. "Force-up" is the common term for this involuntary move. These players were among the oldest in their previous group and may now be among the youngest in the next group up.
Does this affect tryouts?
Yes. Tryouts for the 2026-27 season will use the new Aug 1 – Jul 31 age bands. Check your child’s birth date against the age-group table on this page to see which group they will try out for.
What's changing with the club?
LC United voted to leave LCSA and will rebrand as Fever FC North starting with the 2026-27 season. The coaching staff, training locations, and competitive structure remain the same — the change is organizational and branding.
Do we need new uniforms?
Uniforms may be purchased next year as part of the rebrand. Fever is offering them at cost to reduce the financial burden on families during the transition.
Where do we play, and what's the path up?
Our teams currently compete in TCSL (local competitive). The next competitive tier is NPL (National Premier Leagues), which feeds into ECNL Regional League and then ECNL. See the competitive pyramid section above for the full pathway.
Questions?
Reach out to Skylar directly if you have questions about the season, age groups, or anything else.
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