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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

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Printable FAQ Document

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Bellevue United FC – FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions)

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All Programs:

  • Why Bellevue United FC?

    • Bellevue United FC, along with our sister clubs in Eastside Youth Soccer Association, is a community-based nonprofit organization run by a volunteer Board of Directors who are members of this community and have the best interest of our players first and foremost. Bellevue United FC has been in the community since the 1960s as an original founding member of Washington Youth Soccer. We have grown tremendously, offering programs for players age 5-18 team and individual training programs in nearly every season of the year. We operate year-round, and are continuing to grow to meet the demand of our community.

  • What is the geographic area of your programs?

    • Our general boundaries include the Newport area south of I-90 from Lake Washington out to the Issaquah border, north of I-90 and west of I-405. Essentially West Bellevue and South/Southeast Bellevue feeding Chinook MS, Tyee, MS, Bellevue HS, Newport HS.

  • Refund Policy

  • What programs are available for my child throughout the year? (chart of age group and months/seasons)

    • Recreational Soccer: Ages 5-18, late-August through October or early-November

    • Juniors: U8 and U9, Summer, Fall and Spring seasons, for the player who wants a pathway into competitive (ie: select or premier) soccer

    • Competitive/Select/Premier: U10-U19, teams formed based on Birth Year, there are try-outs for this program to form teams at the appropriate level to compete in North Puget Sound League

  • What equipment will my child need?

    • Shin guards, soccer shoes (cleats and/or turf shoes), water bottle, appropriate size soccer ball. A uniform will be provided/purchased separately based on the team/program, but athletic clothing for training sessions is preferable for rec and Juniors.

  • How do I register?

    • Create an account, or login to your current account here: Sports Connect

    • Returning players, please use the same email address/login information as before to avoid duplicate accounts.

  • Is there financial assistance if I can’t afford the registration?

  • How do I volunteer?

 

  • Why do I have to submit a birth certificate or proof of age?

    • The state association requires proof of birth to ensure all players are placed on the appropriate aged team.

  • Who do I contact if I have a problem with the coach, playing time, etc?

    • Always go directly to the coach first. If a problem cannot be resolved after a direct conversation with the person you have conflict with, you can contact the club VP or President.

  • Are there leagues or programs in winter, spring and/or summer?

    • Our rec teams participate in fall league. Our select teams participate in a fall league, as well as state tournaments in the winter and potentially spring. Most select teams will compete in some friendly games or tournaments in the summer. Our Juniors teams will participate in a league that we manage in the fall, and eventually in the winter and spring as well.

  • Do you have soccer lessons or private coaching?

    • We offer Spring Training that is separate from any team. Most of our training is team-focused due to the nature of the game. Some of our coaches do provide private coaching or lessons outside of the club, and we do not endorse any private coaches outside of our club programs and operations.

 

Rec:​

  • When does the program start? When will I find out the schedule for practices and games?

    • Training will either start late-August or early-September. The schedule and team assignments will be released mid to late-August.

  • Who is my child’s coach?

    • A volunteer from our community! Usually a parent from the team, but it might not be a parent, and in some cases some of our older players come back to volunteer their time and coach younger teams.

  • Will my child be on the same team as last year/years prior?

    • If you register by May 31, yes. After May 31, players will be placed on teams where space is available on a first-come first-served basis. To guarantee a spot on the same team, register early! If you want to request your child be placed on a different team than years prior, please email the registrar.

  • What are the requirements to coach? Who are the coaches?

    • Every coach is required to complete required safety training as well as a background check prior to being assigned to a team. Coaches are volunteers from the community.

  • How are teams formed? How are players assigned to a team?

    • Primarily by neighborhood and school attendance, though as teams get older/bigger they will be combined to make a full roster.

  • What does the registration fee cover?

    • Field rental fees, league registration fees, player dues to the state association, referee costs, administrative costs, etc.

 

Juniors:

  • What is the difference between Juniors and Rec? Between Juniors and Select?

    • Juniors is only for U8 and U9 players. Juniors has paid professional coaches instead of volunteers, and provides a pathway towards competitive select soccer. There are three distinct sessions throughout the year (fall, spring, summer), and they will compete in  Juniors Development League against other area clubs. There are no tryouts for Juniors, though ideally players who choose Juniors are excited about soccer and able to focus, participate and want to compete. For Juniors, it’s more about the player’s attitude towards developing as a soccer player versus their initial skill level. Our coaches are prepared to coach and develop any player that wants to work towards ‘competitive’ (ie: club select) soccer. Select soccer has tryouts and begins at the U10 age group.

  • When is the season? When/where are games and practices?

    • Summer (July-August), two weekdays a week

    • Fall (September-November) two weekdays a week plus a Sunday afternoon game

    • Spring (January-April) two weekdays a week plus a Sunday afternoon game

    • All Juniors training and matches will be in the Bellevue area. We hope to establish both a West and East location for convenience for families in the near future. The location of weekend games is TBD in Bellevue.

  • Who are the coaches?

    • Paid professional coaches trained in our methodology

  • Is this program right for my child?

    • Does your child love to play soccer and want to learn more? If they are eager and willing to learn then Juniors should be a good fit for them.

  • Can my younger child “play up” in Juniors?

    • At the discretion of the coaches, a younger U7 player can potentially play up to U8. We want every player to have the best experience, so we will ask coaches to evaluate players’ interest levels in the first couple of sessions.

  • Can I volunteer?

    • There will be opportunities to volunteer in Juniors, TBD.

    • Team Managers, game day site volunteers, etc.

    • All volunteers are required to complete safety training and pass a background check. Reach out to the registrar for more details.

 

Select:

  • When are tryouts? What are tryouts like?

    • Typically May, with the exception of High School Boys that are usually in February. Tryouts are an opportunity for coaches to evaluate players and players to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and attitude toward the game. The evaluation period is about an hour long on two separate days.

    • No club gear of any sort is allowed to be worn during tryouts

  • What is the difference between club select and recreational soccer? From “Premier” soccer?

    • Select soccer is on a ‘competitive’ pathway, and there are tryouts for teams. Bellevue United FC has paid professional coaches for our club select teams. While select soccer is expected to be the player’s first priority during the league season, we understand players participate in other sports during winter and spring.

    • Club select tends to have a slightly longer season (8-10 months a year), with travel throughout the North Puget Sound League area (typically up to an hour away for away games). Most of our select teams will compete in WYSA Founder’s Cup tournament in January, and some will continue to train and compete in WYSA President’s Cup against area premier teams in April and May.

    • Premier soccer refers to different leagues, Regional Club League and others outside of WYSA affiliation (PSPL). Travel is farther and the season is longer, and most premier clubs expect soccer to be the top priority year-round. Many of our select teams are competitive with premier teams. We do currently have one girls team that competes in the RCL Division 1. Many of our teams will compete in President’s Cup against RCL teams.

  • Can players participate in multiple sports while playing club select?

    • Yes! This is a benefit of club select versus premier soccer. We support multi-sport athletes and the select season has fewer conflicts with winter and spring sports.

  • What does the registration fee of select soccer cover?

    • Coach salary, field rental fees, league registration fees, player dues to the state association, referee costs, administrative costs, etc.

    • Uniform costs, tournament fees and team dues are not included.

  • If I live outside the ‘boundaries’ of Bellevue United, can my child still tryout for a BUFC Select team?

    • Yes. While most of our players live within the area, tryouts are open to all age-appropriate players.

  • Do you have Premier Soccer?

    • Yes, we have teams that participate in the Washington Regional Club League (RCL), and many of our select teams will choose to participate in President’s Cup against other area “Premier” teams.

    • We believe that terms like ‘select’ and ‘premier’ are simply names, and not necessarily reflective of a level of play. Many of our teams that compete in NPSL are able to compete with many premier teams in the area. 

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