Welcome to Cambridge Youth Soccer. We are a volunteer-led organization that provides fun, local and competitive soccer to over 2000 children in the city of Cambridge. Our programs share common themes: (1) youth sports should be fun, (2) kids who love the game are more likely to become great players (3) healthy competitiveness is something to embrace as part of the game and (4) fun and development work together, not against each other.
We run a fall season from September through early November and a spring season from April through mid-June, culminating in a City Championship tournament in June for grades 3-8. Our programs are separated by grade in school:
KickStart for Kindergarten and pre-K, 45 minutes of small-sided games once a week, led by experienced coaches and high school soccer players.
Premier for Grades 1 and 2, Saturday practice followed by a small sided game against another team. Players are assigned to teams led by volunteer coaches with CYS guidance for coaches at the field.
Champions leagues for Grades 3 and 4. Weekday practice and Saturday game in Cambridge, led by volunteer coaches.
City League for Grades 5 and 6 and for Grades 7 and 8. Weekday practice and Saturday game in Cambridge, led by volunteer coaches.
Cambridge City Football Club (CCFC) for Grades 5-8. Weekly practice and Sunday games against teams in the New England Club Soccer League, led by volunteer coaches. Players on CCFC teams also participate in our City League.
A note about gender: starting at Premier (1st and 2nd grade), we run separate leagues for boys and girls, because we have found that doing so promotes participation by girls, which is a core goal of ours and an area where we have had great success over the past 5 years. We understand that this separation may cause difficulty for some children, and we will work with all children to help them find a place to play in whatever league they will flourish in.
Part of what makes us unusual is our focus on local play. All CYS players, even the “elite” CCFC players, participate in our Cambridge-based City Leagues. Saturdays at City Leagues becomes an awesome community event, where friends play against one another, watch one another and learn from one another. The level of play and the enthusiasm at the field are a testament to what local youth sports can be.
Our coaches are wonderful volunteers, most of them parents. We have professional coaching support, including twice-yearly coach-training sessions on the field as well as curriculum-development tools to help volunteers become effective soccer coaches. We hope you will consider becoming a coach!
Please look out for registration over the summer for the fall season and in late winter for the spring season. We hope you will join us!
Cambridge Youth Soccer bylaws
Amendments to bylaws
Codes of Conduct
Cambridge Youth Soccer requires all participants to read and follow MA Youth Soccer policies around code of conduct, including "Zero Tolerance" for unsportsmanlike behavior, and for mandatory reporting of sexual abuse. In addition, all coaches are required to annually update their safe soccer credentials.
Codes of Conduct
Safe Soccer requirements
Mandatory Reporting of Sexual Abuse