Competitive soccer is for focused, highly motivated, talented players, who want to experience the enjoyment and developmental benefits that come from a) professional coaching, and b) training and competing with and against other focused, achievement-oriented players. Competitive players are trained regularly to develop soccer skills and training habits that will enable them to acquire a sense of mastery and competence, and to compete successfully in inter-club competitions. Teamwork, sportsmanship, and character development are cornerstones of TPSC’s Competitive Program.

Basic Structure of Competitive Teams

• Practices usually commence in a non mandatory basis in the spring, once per week, through mid June.
• August 3-7, 2026 is the mandatory start week for teams 2008-2018 and August 10-12 for teams 2019/20.
• Tournament play may start in August for some teams. Depending on the age group, teams play in 1-2 tournaments during the season.
• League games typically commence after Labor Day weekend.
• Some teams play in NorCal State Cup.
• Cost for the 2026-2027 season, May-May is TBD (2025/26 fees were $2,020 - $2,670)
• Additional costs include individual travel to tournaments and player uniforms.
• Financial Aid is available for qualified families.  To request a financial aid application, email financial_aid@tiburonsoccer.org  Applications are due May 1, 2026 in order to be considered.

Age Group Classification for COMPETITIVE TEAMS

The soccer age group cut-off dates are changing for the 2026/27 season, which begins on August 1, 2026. The new age group system will shift from the current birth year method to a scholastic year system, which was last used seven years ago.

It's important to note that the new cut-off date does not align precisely with the state's school year cut-off dates (see reasons below). While Tiburon Peninsula Soccer Club (TPSC) had no input in this decision, we must comply with the mandate from our governing bodies (US Soccer, US Club Soccer, and NorCal Premier) to implement this change.

TPSC will work closely with our State governing body (NorCal Premier) and our United partner clubs to provide detailed information to our families ahead of the team formation process in May 2026. Almost every club and team in the country will undergo changes to their team compositions, and TPSC will be no exception. As with any significant change, there will be both benefits and challenges for each club and family as we transition to the new age cut-off dates.

Below, you will find a table outlining the age cut-offs for the 2026/27 season, along with additional information from US Club Soccer explaining the reasoning behind this change.

Our competitive team formation will be subject to the numbers and quality of players who turn out for tryouts. Final decisions on team formation and Division placement will not be made until tryouts are complete.

The following information was provided by US Club Soccer.

Why is the age group cut-off changing from January 1 (birth year ages)?

There are multiple reasons for this change. First, the Aug. 1 age group cut-off most effectively reduces the number of “trapped players” in youth soccer and reduces negative impacts on these players at multiple stages of their career. “Trapped” players are those who, due to soccer age group cut-offs, are in an older soccer age group than their school year. Trapped players have significantly reduced competition opportunities and disrupted training experiences in 8th grade (when most of their team is in high school) and are similarly negatively impacted four years later when players from the older soccer age group, but who are still in high school, are moved down into the same soccer age group.

“Youth soccer has been talking about January 1 vs. August 1 for years,” said Mike Cullina, US Club Soccer CEO. “From my experience managing two clubs and a league in Virginia, a range of 2-5 players per team were negatively impacted by a Jan. 1 cut-off date in their eighth grade and high school senior years. US Club Soccer’s staff and board of directors regularly communicate with our leagues and clubs, and we’ve determined that that range remains accurate today.

“That’s a huge number of kids who have been adversely affected by the January 1 cut-off date. While coming to this decision has taken additional time, improving the experiences of hundreds of thousands of players was worth the extra time to gather research – particularly team rosters with graduation years and school start dates – and most importantly, listen to the youth soccer community.”

Second, an Aug. 1 age group cut-off best aligns soccer age groups with school year ages, maximizing the number of players who participate in soccer programs with their school-year friends. This alignment has a positive correlation with increased numbers of youth players entering and staying in the sport.

This decision to move to the Aug. 1 cut-off reverts to the same age group cut-off used prior to 2017, when U.S. Soccer mandated a Jan. 1-Dec. 31 timeframe. U.S. Soccer removed this mandate in late 2024, empowering its Organization Members to make the most appropriate age group formation decision for their members. US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer and AYSO – the three largest youth soccer organizations in the country – have remained in lockstep in making these decisions, recognizing the importance of consistency across the landscape.

Why is Aug. 1 a better age group cut-off than Sept. 1?

Initially, US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer and AYSO had determined to use a Sept. 1 age group cut-off instead of Aug. 1. After receiving significant feedback and identifying missing information in Department of Education school year cut-off lists, it has been determined that the Aug. 1 cut-off best reduces misalignment between age and school year. The Aug. 1 cut-off reduces not only the trapped player effect, but it also reduces the number of “force-ups,” a term referring to players in a younger soccer age group but older school year who must play up an age group in order to be with their school-year friends.

US Club Soccer believes:

· An Aug. 1 age group cut-off best balances the desire to reduce both the number of “trapped” players and the number of “force-ups” in youth soccer.

· A Jan. 1 age group cut-off creates the highest number of trapped players and negatively impacted youth players.

· No age group cut-off will eliminate all trapped players or force-ups. States and counties throughout the country have widely different school year cut-offs, and this variance will always result in some number of trapped players or force-ups regardless of age group cut-off date.

· There is no soccer developmental benefit to any specific age group cut-off, and no age group cut-off reduces concerns of relative age effect or changes the number of players impacted by relative age effect. Relative age effect is the phenomenon of players born in the first three months after an age group cut-off to be over-represented in identification programs due to early maturation compared to their age-group peers.

· Age group cut-offs have no correlation or relationship with level of play or level of soccer aspiration. Various soccer age group cut-offs are used across the world in youth soccer, in both amateur and professional programs.

 

 

ONE REGISTRATION.  ONE FEE.  YEAR-ROUND COMPETITIVE PROGRAMMING.

Tiburon Peninsula Soccer Club - 2026/27 Season Schedule

Under 8 (Born 2019)  Boys and Girls

May:

TPSC Competitive Soccer Tryouts

May/June:

4-5 Post Tryout Practices prior to school ending (optional)

August 10th - August 12th, 2026:

Team Camp, 3 Day Camp, 2 hours per day (mandatory)

August 17th - December 11th (mandatory):

2 practices per week (No practice during Thanksgiving week)

Participation in the NorCal Fall League 4v4 or 7v7, (8-10 league games)

Participation in a Fall Jamboree/Tournament

January and February:

1-2 practices per week. These practices will be pool practices and the club will combine teams and age groups when necessary (optional)

March - May:

TPSC Spring Academy which includes 1-2 practices per week. These practices will be pool practices and the club will combine teams and age groups (optional)

Participation in the Marin Spring League (MSL) or the NorCal Fall League (6-7 league games). The club will combine teams and age groups when necessary (optional)

U8 / 2019 - cost TBD (2025/26 fee was $2,020/player)

 

U9-U12 (Born 2014 to 2018) Boys and Girls

May:

TPSC Competitive Soccer Tryouts

May/June:

4-5 Post Tryout Practices prior to school ending (optional)

August 3th - August 7th:

Team Camp, 5 Day Camp, 3 hours per day (mandatory)

August 10th - December 11th (mandatory):

2 practices per week (No practice during Thanksgiving week)

Participation in the NorCal Fall League (8-10 league games)

Participation in two tournaments

Participation on the NorCal State Cup

January and February:

1-2 practices per week. These practices will be pool practices and the club will combine teams and age groups when necessary (optional)

March - May:

TPSC Spring Academy which includes 1-2 practices per week. These practices will be pool practices and the club will combine teams and age groups (optional)

Participation in the Marin Spring League (MSL) or the NorCal Fall League (6-7 league games). The club will teams and age groups if necessary (optional)

U9 - U12 / 2014-2017 - cost TBD (2025/26 cost was $2,670/player)