Frequently Asked Questions
What is Aiken FC?
Aiken FC is an Aiken County-based soccer club comprised of local families and local, licensed coaches organized to provide superior training and development for families interested in the sport of soccer.
What is my child's age group?
Please determine your child's age group by our age chart:
Why choose Club Soccer over Recreational Soccer?
Generally speaking there is room for both levels in any community. It's a good idea for parents to understand what each option has to offer. Both of these options have advantages and disadvantages depending on the goals of the player.
Recreational soccer (Rec)
Rec soccer is a great place for kids to get their feet wet and decide if soccer is for them. It is typically offered by local recreation departments and depends on parents volunteering their time as coaches.
Pros -
Rec soccer introduces kids to the sport, gets them playing, learning, and having fun. Rec is a place where equal playing time is encouraged and skill levels vary drastically. In short, if you are new to soccer and aren't sure that your child is committed to the game, then rec soccer may be a good option for your family.
Cons -
The biggest limitation in rec department soccer is coaching. The coaches are often parent volunteers, some with experience and some who have never played soccer, let alone coached soccer. This is not to say that rec department coaches are bad. However if your child is excelling at the sport, their growth may be hindered by the coaching abilities available at the rec level. Additionally, rec soccer often places an emphasis on games with minimal time allotted for training. For example, a rec season consists of 10 weeks with the first 2-3 weeks allotted for practices and the remaining weeks comprised of only games.
Club Soccer
Club Soccer is the next level in training and the choice for competitive youth soccer.
Pros -
Club soccer is typically a more dedicated group looking to grow players through a commitment to training and competition both locally and regionally. Most soccer clubs have a coaching staff that includes past players from high school and college with a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. In the case of Aiken FC, all coaches have the appropriate training and licenses for their age groups. Finally, club soccer places an emphasis on sportsmanship, character development, and technical growth.
Cons -
Club soccer is more expensive than rec soccer, but it is a greater investment in your child. The fees associated with club soccer are used to pay for coaching licenses, field maintenance, etc. Even with these costs, Aiken FC is able to offer competitive rates as compared with other club experiences.
I heard that Club Soccer is prohibitively time consuming. Is that true?
Seasons:
Fall season begins August 1 and lasts until late November.
Spring season runs from January until May.
Training:
Training sessions are approximately 1 to 1.5 hours twice per week.
Some teams will also have a third training session available to them.
Games:
Games are played on the weekends.
A season will consist of 10 games, which includes tournaments.
Travel destinations during the season will be within South Carolina. Post-season play may require traveling to surrounding states.
For the younger teams, every effort will be made to limit travel times to games to no more than 2 hours.
If time commitments are a concern, carpools can be very helpful.
Isn't Club Soccer really expensive?
Like any exceptional experience, Aiken FC must charge fees to accomplish its mission. Acknowledging that the families the Club wishes to serve do not have unlimited resources at their disposal, Aiken FC has endeavored to keep dues as low as possible without surrendering the fundamental offering of the Club - superior local training and service. With that said, the dues for Aiken FC are as follows:
U8 to U10 - $650 (fall and spring)
U11 to U12 - $750 (fall and spring)
U13 to U14 - $850 (fall and spring)
U15 to U19 - $575 (fall only)
Dues cover all training, USYSA and SCYSA fees, league fees, referee fees, field costs, training jerseys, and annual Club operations. The only additional expenses over and above the stated dues are:
Uniform kits, which include 2 full kits (jersey, shorts, socks) (home and away)
Tournament entry fees and coach's travel expense for tournaments (hotel, if necessary, per diem, mileage)
Does my child need to be a Soccer Superstar to play at the Club Level?
Not at all. Your child just needs to have willingness play soccer and improve their current soccer skills. Our goal is to train and foster a love of soccer at all age groups and all skill levels.
What is your refund policy?
Full refund (dues only) - If practices have not started and player has not yet been registered with the South Carolina Youth Soccer.
50% refund - Player has participated in training, but has played zero (0) games. No refund given if player has participated in games.
Exceptions: Player is injured and is out for the season or moves mid-season = partial refund minus $100 registration fee. Requires a vote by the AFC Board before refund can be given.