In-House Program
REGISTRATION LINK:
please note, FALL registration is CLOSED until june 1.
CLICK HERE for the In-House Team Assignments. Please note that practice times are subject to change, and this is communicated to families by each team/coach. The FIELD MAP for this season is located on this page.
Please CLICK HERE for the Soccer Shots (U5) groups page. Players are assigned to Tuesday OR Thursday for this program!
All children who register for in-house soccer and are born between 2012-2019 will be placed on a team for Fall 2024. If your child was born in 2020-2021, they would be a part of the Soccer Shots u5 Program (see below for more info on Soccer Shots). The Soccer Shots schedule is different from In-House teams.
IN-HOUSE Q&A
Q. WHAT AGE GROUPS CAN REGISTER FOR IN-HOUSE?
A. We are accepting players born between 2012-2021 for the in-house program (this includes SOCCER SHOTS).
We will offer teams at: u7, u9, U11, and u13
Q. CAN WE SELECT THE REGION WE WANT?
A. You do not have to "live" in the area you sign up for. For the fall season, players can select their field preference: Lock Haven, Mill Hall, or Beech Creek. Please make sure you select the region you are interested in when you complete your application. We will do our best to honor the preference of all families, but we may have to shift some players around to complete teams. In the spring, we only have the Lock Haven field location.
Q. WHERE DO "u5" PLAYERS PRACTICE?
A. Our u5 program (players born in 2020-2021) will be run through Soccer Shots. These players only practice and play one evening per week. All Soccer Shots sessions will be held at our fields in Lock Haven. Soccer Shots sessions will be held on either Tuesday OR Thursday. Please see below for more on Soccer Shots, including the schedule.
Q. WHEN ARE PRACTICES AND GAMES?
A. In-House Teams from u7 to u13 will practice 2x/week (weeknights) and play games on Saturdays. Practice schedules are dependent on the availability of coaches (who are volunteers). Games are typically scheduled in the morning to early afternoon time. The first game is tentatively scheduled for April 6, with the last game the beginning of June for the Spring season. Practices will officially begin the week of March 25th. As soon as practice and game schedules are available, they will be posted on our website.
Q. WHERE ARE THE GAMES PLAYED?
A. In the fall, games are typically scheduled at all (3) field locations: Lock Haven, Mill Hall, and Beech Creek. For our older group(s), there may also be some games scheduled in Bellefonte or Penns Valley, as well. In the spring, all U7-U9 games are played on the Lock Haven fields. U11 and U13 may play away games against Bellefonte, Penns Valley, and Bald Eagle Area teams.
Q. CAN MY CHILD PLAY ON THE SAME TEAM AS THEIR FRIEND, SIBLING, COUSIN, ETC.? and/or CAN WE REQUEST A COACH?
A. As long as they are in the same age group (as defined by our age matrix), we will try to honor requests for playing with a family member. You MUST include this information on your application when registering, as this information is available to the Team Selection Committee (part of our In-House Board of Directors) when they are assigning groups. Please do not send in separate requests once registration is complete as it is too difficult to track. Please understand that our volunteer team works very hard to accommodate requests, but we cannot accommodate every request. We also have a responsibility to try and keep teams fair so we cannot keep groups of friends together for multiple seasons. You cannot request that your child play with their (5) best friends "due to ride purposes." This will not be honored. Our In-House program is a developmental program, firmly against stacking teams. If you want your child to play competitive soccer, bring them to travel tryouts.
Q. MY CHILD IS INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE SPORTS/ACTIVITIES. How will I know the schedule to sign up?
A. Unfortunately, the teams and schedules are developed AFTER registration closes, so there is no way to know which days you will be practicing in advance. If you know your schedule for your other activities, please include this information on your application when registering, so that we can attempt to assign your child to a team during a time when they (or you!) are available. There are TWO PLACES you can enter requests on your application. If you see the box that says "LAST CHANCE FOR ANY SPECIAL REQUESTS" please include other activities and information about which nights you are or are not available in this box. We will do our best to place your child on a team that is practicing on nights to not conflict with other activities - as long as we know in advance. Once the teams are released, we are not able to make changes.
BOTTOM LINE: We love that children are involved in lots of things. PLEASE JUST LET US KNOW if you have conflicts in your schedule... for example if you can't get your child to practice until after 5:45pm, or your child has dance every Tuesday.
Please note, registration for Fall is open from June 1 - August 1. Registration for Spring is open from January 1 to March 1. THESE DATES DO NOT CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR!
The system will close at midnight on the last day to register. Late registrations are not accepted.
what is the "in-house" program?
The "In-House Program" at WBSC is designed to provide a developmentally appropriate, structured soccer curriculum to local youth players. The In-House program begins with the u7 level (ages 5-6) and continues up to u13. Each player is assigned to a team and will receive a uniform for the season. In-House teams typically practice (2) evenings a week, with games played against other teams on Saurdays. The In-House schedule includes 7-8 games per season. Our regions for Fall include: Lock Haven, Mill Hall, and Beech Creek. For Spring seasons, we only have the Lock Haven region for u7-u9. In the Spring, u11-u13 will play games against teams from additional areas, inc. Bellefonte, Penns Valley, Bald Eagle, etc.
We are excited about our partnership with SOCCER SHOTS for our U5 players. Please click on the icon to learn more about this program. JUST A REMINDER... registration should still be completed through West Branch Soccer Club, NOT on the Soccer Shots site for children born in the age groups listed for U5. Soccer Shots groups practice one night per week, for a total of 7 weeks. There are no games on Saturdays or Sundays for this group! If you child was not born in the two years listed for this program, please see the special note (below).
Soccer Shots Schedule for Fall 2024
Mini Group (Ages 2-3): 5:20-5:50pm
U5 Group (Ages 3-5): 6:00-6:50pm
SPECIAL NOTE (for u5): Our registration system uses the child's BIRTH YEAR for registration. If you have a child born after 2021 and you are interested in signing them up for the Soccer Shots "Mini" program in Lock Haven, you must register through the Soccer Shots website. Please note that the registration fee may differ when you register through Soccer Shots. Registration for the 2-year old group typically does not open up until right before each season. Keep an eye out for it!
THE “THREE CS” – COACHING, COMMUNICATION AND CURRICULUM
The foundation of Soccer Shots is our relentless commitment to providing best-in-class coaching, communication and curriculum.
GREAT COACHES
Every Soccer Shots coach must complete our comprehensive training program to receive certification.
All Soccer Shots coaches are trained in the use of developmentally appropriate techniques.
Coaches are routinely evaluated and undergo ongoing training.
Our coach selection process evaluates not only the ability to coach soccer, but also the ability to engage and inspire children.
SOCCER CURRICULUM & STANDARDS
Our developmentally appropriate curriculum places an emphasis on character development and skill building.
Our program is created under the guidance of childhood education specialists, professional soccer players and experienced and licensed soccer coaches.
We constantly re-evaluate and update our curriculum to stay current with childhood education standards.
Our Vision: To provide a beloved growth experience for every child; a remarkable experience for every family.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!
Our In-House program runs on volunteer power! There are so many ways to help. We don't want to leave our parents feeling out-of-the-loop, so we will be offering FREE Coaching Clinics, meetings, and volunteer night events to keep everyone up-to-date and informed on everything you need to know. Don't know much about soccer? It's ok! All coaches will be provided with a structured curriculum that is packed full of organized practice ideas and soccer drills/games that will keep your kids moving and learning about soccer. If you DO know a lot about soccer, please don't be shy. We would love to have you as a part of our team and help us to grow the love for soccer in our area!