Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register my child to play?
To register, please use our registration page. GSA handles all registrations through the website due to the number of forms that must be completed. We cannot take registrations over the phone, or via mail.
When is opening day?
The start of each season differs depending on the season and age group. Please see the table below for approximate start dates.
Fall Dates
| Middle School Girls | 1st Wednesday after Labor Day |
| Middle School Co-ed | 1st Thursday after Labor Day |
| U-5, U-6, U-7, U-8, U-10, and U-12 | 1st Saturday after Labor Day |
| High School | 1st Sunday after Labor Day |
| Adults | 1st Sunday after Labor Day |
Spring Dates
Our Spring dates vary depending on when Easter Sunday falls. Please see our event calendar for exact dates.
| Middle School Girls | 1st Wednesday of April |
| Middle School Co-ed | 1st Thursday of April |
| U-5, U-6, U-7, U-8, U-10, and U-12 | 1st Saturday of April |
| High School | 1st Sunday of April |
| Adults | 1st Sunday of April |
How long does the season last?
The Youth season runs for eight weeks, the U-4 season runs for 7 weeks and the adult league season runs for 10 weeks. If an entire weekend's games are canceled due to weather or other significant events, we generally will extend the season by another week to account for the cancelation.
What time do games begin?
The U-5, U-6, U-7, U-8, U-10, U-12, and MS divisions play games on Saturdays with several weeknight games. Saturday games can begin as early as 9:00 am. Weeknight games will begin as early as 6:00 pm.
U-4 program sessions will be held on Saturdays and one Monday session.
Middle School Coed games are played on Thursday evenings and Saturdays. Middle School Girl games are played on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays. A game schedule will be given to your coach with exact games times and locations.
High School games are played on Sunday afternoon. A game schedule will be given to your coach with exact game times and locations.
Our Adult division will play games on Sunday afternoon at either 1:00 pm or 2:45 pm.
When and where is practice?
The practice schedule is set by the team coach. Teams typically begin practices two to three weeks before their first game. Teams generally practice one to three times per week until games begin and one to two time per week once games begin. U-4 does not practice. U-4 "plays" will be on Saturdays. Teams will practice at various approved parks around Gahanna. Practice locations are provided to coaches at the coaches meeting.
Where are games played?
U-4, Rec. Minor (U5, U6, U7, and U8), most Rec. Major (U10, U12, MS, and HS), and all adult league games are played at Headley Park, 1031 Challis Springs Dr, Gahanna, OH 43230. A schedule will be given to your coach with your game location and time. U-10, U-12, Middle School, and High School divisions will play at Headley Park or travel for an away game.
How much are the registration fees?
U-4 basic registration fee is $125. The U-5 - U12, and HS divisions basic registration fee is $65. All MS divisions and Adult League basic registration fee is $75. All participants, regardless of residency status, pay an additional $20 sports user fee that GSA collects on behalf of the City of Gahanna. The registration fee does not include uniform fees. A $25 (per family) volunteer fee will be applied each season. Additional fees might be applied if applicable.
What is a non-resident fee?
The City of Gahanna imposes and collects a $25 per player fee for non-residents of Gahanna. The fee is NOT based on your ZIP CODE. It is based on the actual location of your residence. To determine if your address is part of Gahanna, please use our Address Checker at http://address.gahannasoccer.org/.
Who do I make my check payable to?
Checks should be made payable to Gahanna Soccer Association or just GSA. Checks must be mailed to:
Gahanna Soccer Association
P.O. Box 307121
Gahanna, OH 43230
Do I need to purchase a uniform?
All youth players are required to purchase a uniform with the exception of U-4. A youth uniform package consists of: a reversible jersey, 1 pair of shorts and 2 pair of tube socks for $50. An adult uniform package is $60 and consists of a reversible jersey, 1 pair of shorts and 2 pair of pro socks. ALL players are required to purchase shin guards and all players with the exception of U-4 are required to purchase cleats. GSA sells the uniform, however, we do not sell shin guards or cleats. The uniform is good from season to season as long as it fits and is in good condition. You do not need to purchase a new uniform every season. Single items can be purchased as well.
$30 youth jersey
$35 adult jersey
$15 youth shorts
$17 adult shorts
$5 youth tube socks
$7 adult pro socks
Please see the GSA event calendar for uniform sale dates. All sales will be held at the GSA office located at Headley Park, 1031 Challis Springs Dr, Gahanna, OH 43230
Can my child remain on the same team as last season?
It depends on which age group your child was in during the previous GSA season.
| Age Group Last Season |
Age Group This Season |
Can return to same team? |
|---|---|---|
| Same age division as last season | Yes | |
| U-5 | U-6 | No |
| U-6 | U-7 | Yes |
| U-7 | U-8 | No |
| U-8 | U-10 | Yes |
| U-10 | U-12 | No |
| U-12 | Middle School | Yes |
| Middle School | High School | Yes |
IMPORTANT - If any of the following conditions apply, your child will not automatically be returned to their previous team. They will be placed in the draft pool and be randomly assigned to a team.
- New registrant
- Returning player that did not participate in the previous season
- Registered during the late or waitlist period
- Player requested to NOT return to the previous team.
The league reserves the right to place players on teams in order to maintain a competitive balance across all teams in a division.
How do I know what team my child is on?
U-4 participants will be assigned a time slot to meet each week at Headley Park and will be contacted by either their coach, or by the U-4 Commissioner. Additionally, there will be a parent meeting for all U-4 parents a few weeks before the season to give the parents an opportunity to meet the commissioner and coaches. The parent meeting will be held at Headley Park, 1031 Challis Springs Dr, Gahanna, OH 43230.
U-5 and older youth players will be contacted directly by their coach. The coaches have a pre-season meeting with the GSA staff, after which they begin contacting their team's players.
What is the non-volunteer fee?
The $25(per family) non-volunteer fee is applied to all families each season. Once you fulfill your volunteer commitment you will be refunded the $25 non-volunteer fee. GSA relies on our volunteers throughout the season and can not operate without them. Please consider volunteering a small amount of your time this year to help us remain successful.
How can I volunteer?
Volunteer opportunities are listed on the volunteer registration page on the GSA website. Our most needed volunteers are, of course, coaches. We also need many volunteers throughout the season to help in our concession stand. If you chose to volunteer you will be emailed volunteer opportunities through SignUpGenius throughout the season.
Can my child play on a team with his/her friend?
Teammate requests can be made as part of the registration process each season. However, there are rules that must be followed.
In order to honor a teammate request, the following criteria must be met:
- Teammates must be registered in the same division
- Teammate requests can only involve two (2) players; no teammate requests involving three or more players will be honored
- Both teammates must request each other specifically e.g. Player A lists Player B and Player B lists Player A as their teammate request
- No requests for specific coaches will be honored
- Coaches cannot request specific players or assistant coaches
- Siblings in the same age group will automatically be a ride share and may not request additional ride share participants
Assuming all criteria are met, both players will be placed on a team together. If the ride share is new, or the players are changing divisions, they will be placed on a new team together.
Parents, please contact the parent of your player's teammate request and make sure they intend to request your player as well! This will help avoid any confusion for us, and for you, when teams are being formed.
Coach volunteers please note: if one or more of the ride share participants' parents is also their coach, and the ride share requested is new, both players AND the coach will be assigned to new teams!
What happens if games are cancelled?
If games are cancelled due to weather, there are multiple actions that GSA will take to ensure that the message gets out to our members:
- RainoutLine
The best way to determine if fields are open in Gahanna, and that games/practices can be held is to use RainoutLine, provided by Gahanna Parks & Recreation. All Gahanna Parks are listed at https://rainoutline.com/search/dnis/6143331211. The same information can also be found by calling (614) 333-1211.
- GSA Website
The GSA website will be updated to indicate that the fields are closed. There will be a large yellow or red banner indicating if it is a partial closure (yellow) or full (red).
- Recorded Message
If you call the GSA office at 614-855-0506 the information about which divisions are cancelled will be stated on the recorded message.
- SLI Notify
GSA will activate it's automated calling system, SLI Notify, which will call all of our members at all phone numbers we have on record to report cancellations and field closures.
If neither the website nor recorded message states games are cancelled, and no automated call is received, then games are not cancelled. The website, phone message, and automated call will not change or be activated to indicate games are on; only if games are cancelled. GSA will attempt to notify members of cancellations no less than one hour before games are scheduled to begin.
Please be aware that GSA's policy on closures does not override the referee's ability to cancel a game if they feel that the field conditions are too poor to play safely. GSA attempts to evaluate the condition of the fields anywhere from 2-4 hours before games begin. If games are not cancelled and field conditions deteriorate more quickly than expected, then it is left to the referee's discretion to determine if each individual game will be played.
What division will my child play in?
Division placement is based on date of birth. Based on the player’s age as of August 1 of the seasonal year. Please see the Age Placement page for a full listing.
Can my child play in GSA while playing for a club/school team?
That depends. Players participating on a school-sponsored soccer team are not allowed to participate in GSA under Ohio High School Athletic Association rules while they are in-season with their school team. They may play in the off-season with certain restrictions (max 5 players from same school on a non-school team) if they are freshmen, sophomores, or juniors, and intend to return to their school team the next season. Seniors have no restrictions on playing in the off-season as they are no longer considered to be part of the school team once their senior season has concluded.
A player on a club team may participate in GSA if they have also registered with GSA and have been rostered to a team. However, this is strongly discouraged as players of club caliber can have a large impact on the game.
What equipment does my child need to play soccer?
All players are required to have shin guards and a uniform* to play in games. Additionally, every player should have soccer cleats and a ball that is appropriate for his or her age group. U-4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 use a size 3 ball; U-10 and 12 use a size 4 ball; and Middle School, High School, and Adult teams use a size 5 ball. Players should have comfortable, weather appropriate clothing for wearing to practices as well.
*U-4 players are not required to wear a uniform though many prefer to do so.
What is GSA's refund policy?
Requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to the Registrar, either by postal mail (Gahanna Soccer Association, PO Box 307121, Gahanna, OH 43230) or by email to info@gahannasoccer.com. Requests made prior to the close of registration will be honored and credit will be given, less any late fees. The player's uniform may also be returned for a full refund if it is still in new condition and has not been worn for any training, game, or other activity.
Requests for refund made after registration closes will only be granted if the reason is deemed "hardship" and is at the discretion of the GSA President. Examples of "hardship" circumstances are a debilitating injury or illness, or relocation to a distance not feasible for participation since the close of registration. Should the refund request be granted, credit will be applied to the credit card used for payment, or by check from Gahanna Soccer Association if the original transaction is over 90 days old or payment was made via cash or check.
What is GSA's jewelry policy?
The following items are prohibited from being worn at both practices and games. Referees will not allow players to participate while wearing disallowed items.
- Earrings
- Facial Piercings
- Necklaces
- Bracelets (any material)
- Hard hair bands, barrettes, or pins
Exceptions
- Medical Alert necklaces and religious emblems may be worn, but they must be taped securely to the chest
- Medical alert bracelets may be worn but must be taped securely to the skin
There are no exceptions other than those mentioned above. Failure to remove prohibited items will disqualify a player from the game until he or she has removed said item(s). GSA will not refund any portion of registration fees for a player missing games due to being unable, or unwilling, to remove a prohibited item.
What uniform colors do we wear for the games?
Players on the home team must wear their blue jersey, blue shorts, and blue socks. Players on the away team must wear their gold jersey, blue shorts, and gold socks. Players may not mix their socks as the referees are trained to observe sock color to determine possession.
It is advised to wear a light undershirt and bring both colors of socks and jerseys (if not reversible) to all games in case the wrong kit is worn by mistake and the player must change. Players that have the reversible jersey can simply change which side is out. Players with separate blue and gold jerseys should bring both to all games in case a change is needed.
