Team Sports
In this region it is not common for neighborhood children to casually meet up and play soccer after school. Almost all sports are organized and you have to join a team in order to play.
Most teams play only during one season of the year. Sign up for teams the season before. So if you are interested in a winter sport, sign up in the fall. When the teams fill up, no new kids can join.
There are two main types of sports teams:
town teams- Everyone is welcome to play on town teams. Some teams may have try-outs to place children on teams with similar skill levels. Most town teams travel to play teams from other Massachusetts towns. The links on this page are for town teams.
club teams- Club teams are private sports teams. They are more competitive. Children need to try out for club teams and not everyone gets on the team. Club teams are also more expensive than town teams. They may travel to play teams from other states.
Most teams have at least 1 practice and 1 game each week. The practices are usually during the school week and the games are usually on the weekend. Older kids have more practices and more games each week. If your child joins a sports team, expect to do a lot of driving. It is not common for Sudbury families to carpool or take turns driving.
Each sport has its own culture so be sure to get the phone number of another parent on your child's team so you can ask them questions.
Soccer
fall, winter, spring
The game you probably know and love as "football" is called "soccer" in America.
Sudbury Youth Soccer has teams for children from pre-K to high school, a youth referee program, and indoor soccer during the winter.
American Football
fall
In the U.S. football is a game in which teams of 11 players try to get an oval-shaped ball into a goal on the opposite side of the field. Opponents can physically block players with their bodies and knock them to the ground. This full-contact version is called "tackle football." Tackle football players wear protective gear such as helmets and pads.
Flag football is a version of the game without physical contact. Players wear belts with ribbons or "flags" hanging down. Opponents grab the flag instead of tackling each other to the ground. Flag football teams have fewer players, smaller fields, and the game play is much faster and more aerobic.
Cheerleading
fall
Sudbury offers both competitive and sideline cheerleading teams for children in kindergarten and older.
Competitive cheer teams travel to competitions against other cheerleading teams and perform more stunt cheer moves like lifts, acrobatics, and dance.
Sideline cheer teams may learn a few stunts but focus more on action cheering, encouraging teams at Sudbury youth football games. They travel to perform at games.
Basketball
winter
Sudbury Youth Basketball offers teams for children in grades K-8.
Lacrosse
spring
Lacrosse is the oldest sport in North America, created by the indigenous communities native to the region. The original version of this game involved teams of 100-1,000 men and fields that were several kilometers long. The modern competitive version is more similar to soccer, with 10 players on each team and standard-size fields.
Players use a long lacrosse stick with a net at the end to carry, pass, catch, and throw a small rubber ball into a goal. There are different rules for boys' and girls' teams. Boys' teams are allowed more physical interaction and body contact so they wear more protective gear like helmets.
Sudbury Youth Sports offers lacrosse teams for boys and girls from kindergarten to high school.
