Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the club non-profit or for-profit?

Eagle FC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. We are a volunteer-run organization. We do have two paid employees who manage the day-to-day operations of the club, but the majority of the work in the club is done by parents that volunteer.

How Many Children Play at Eagle FC

Each year we average about 1,800 children playing in our recreational, travel, and TOPS programs combined.

Is the Eagle FC program co-ed?

The U05/U06 age group is co-ed. The U07 and older age groups play same gender and two age groups are combined to play together: U07 & U08 play together, U09 & U10 play together, etc.

Do you offer travel, recreational, or both?

Eagle FC offers recreational play, travel teams, and a TOPS program which means that there’s almost certainly a team that matches your child’s ability. We typically are able to offer multiple travel teams in each age-group for both boys and girls.

What is TOPS?

TOPS is The Outreach Program for Soccer, and is a community-based training and team soccer program for young athletes with special needs. A TOPS soccer player is defined as any youth player, 5-21 years of age, with a physical or mental disability, who would like to play with a team based on ability, rather than age.

Is my child old enough to play?

Children turning five during the current year are eligible to register for the combined Fall-Spring seasonal soccer year.

What is a Fall-Spring seasonal soccer year?

Your initial registration fee provides TWO seasons of play: Fall of the current year and the Spring of the following year.

When do the Fall-Spring seasons begin?

The Fall season begins in August and, for recreational, concludes the end of October. The travel season may extend in to November. The Spring season typically begins the first week of April and, for recreational, usually concludes the end of May. The travel season may extend in to June. Children remain on the same team for the entire Fall-Spring seasonal soccer year.

On what team will my son/daughter be placed?

The Age Group Coordinators use information from the player registrations to help in dividing up recreational teams. Township, school, and previous season player rating information help to aid in the forming of the teams. Our goal is to keep recreational teams at equal skill levels to provide a fun experience for all. The Age Group Coordinators try to keep children from the same areas together and as close to home as possible. HOWEVER, this task can only be accomplished if there are enough parent coach volunteers from an area to accommodate teams for all of the children from that area that want to play.

When will we know who our child’s coach will be?

For the Fall season, we encourage our volunteer parent coaches to contact the players on their teams by August 1 with the field, days, and times that your child will practice. For the Spring season, we ask that the volunteer parent coaches contact the families of the players on their team around mid-March. Please keep in mind that our recreational coaches are parent volunteers and, like you, they have jobs, children, and busy lives.

When are practices?

Recreational practices for the Fall season begin in mid-August, are held twice a week, and conclude in October when ample daylight diminishes. Travel practices begin the first week of August. Depending on the weather and field conditions, all practices for the Spring season begin the first week of April and usually conclude prior to Memorial Day Weekend. Spring season practices for recreational teams are only held once a week.

When are games?

Fall season recreational games begin the last weekend in August and continue through the end of October. U05 through U14 recreational games are played on Saturdays, usually between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. U15-U19 boys’ and girls’ recreational teams play their games on Sunday afternoons. Depending on the weather and field conditions, Spring season recreational games commence the beginning of April and finish up the weekend prior to Memorial Day Weekend. Travel game schedules are dependent upon the league in which the team chooses to play.

How Many Fields Does Eagle FC Manage?

We install and maintain about 40 fields. We use fields provided by the Eagle FC townships, the Cumberland Valley School District, local neighborhoods, and churches. Eagle FC provides the goals, maintains the nets, and lines the fields.

Where Will My Child Practice?

Eagle FC utilizes township, school district, development, and church fields throughout Hampden, Middlesex, Monroe, and Silver Spring townships. Our Age Group Coordinators do their best to TRY to keep children playing as close to home as possible. This task can only be accomplished if there are enough parent coach volunteers from an area to accommodate teams for all of the children from that area that want to play.

What does the registration fee include?

Your recreational registration fee covers the cost of a uniform (jersey, shorts, and socks), player, team, and insurance fees paid through the Eastern PA Youth Soccer Association, referee fees, field equipment, and field up-keep. Your travel registration fee covers travel league fees, player, team, and insurance fees paid through the Eastern PA Youth Soccer Association, referee fees, field equipment, and field up-keep. The registration fee includes play for the Fall-Spring seasonal soccer year.

For recreational play, other than the uniform provided by HMMS, is there any other equipment my child will need?

All players are required to wear shin guards. Soccer cleats are strongly encouraged. Every player should bring an age/size appropriate soccer ball to practices. Soccer equipment is available at sporting goods stores such as Angelo’s Soccer Corner, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Wal-Mart.

What size soccer ball does my child need?

Size 3: U05 – U08, ages 4, 5, 6, 7 (U05 & U06 ages are given a size 3 Dino Ball for our Dino Program)
Size 4: U09 – U12, ages 8, 9, 10, 11
Size 5: U13 – U19, ages 12 and older

What if my child tries out for a TRAVEL TEAM but is not selected?

Players that try out for TRAVEL but are not chosen for a TRAVEL TEAM are automatically placed on a team in our recreational program.