Questions parents actually ask.

SF SOL (formerly Girls Leading Goals) is an all-girls youth soccer club in San Francisco, coached entirely by professional, licensed women. We run programs from a girl's first team at age 5 through competitive league play (SFYS Premier and NorCal Premier), plus Winter Futsal and Summer Camps to keep her playing year-round.

Over 12 years. A lot of our families come back season after season, and more than half join by referral.

At 5. Micro Soccer (ages 5–6, K–1st grade) is her first team. Recreational runs 2nd through 7th grade, and Competitive runs U9 to U16. Winter Futsal starts in 2nd grade, and Summer Camps welcome ages 5–16.

Yes. Micro and Recreational are built for girls learning the game, and a week of camp is an easy first taste. Find her team and we'll point you to the right start.

Start with Find her team: three questions show her program and the next season with room. When registration is open, you register directly through TeamSnap. When a season is full or not open yet, you join the waitlist or get her link first, and a real person confirms her team.

Year-round. Winter Futsal runs January to February, the Spring season March to mid-May, Summer Camps June to August, and the Fall season September to November, our biggest season of the year.

Two to three months before each season starts, and rosters fill fast. Winter Futsal registers in late September (the league deadline is October 1). Winter practice teams register in October, and Spring opens in late October or early November. Fall registration follows spring tryouts in May. Find her team and we'll send her link the day her season opens.

Join the waitlist through Find her team. Spots do open midseason, and we call waitlisted families in order. We'll also send her registration link for the next season before it opens to everyone.

Often, yes. When a spot opens on a team that fits her age and level, we place her and pro-rate her dues for the weeks left in the season. Join the waitlist through Find her team, or reach out with her age and experience.

Tell us. The finder has a spot for her school and friends, and staff weigh teammate requests when forming teams. For futsal, we build teams around existing SF SOL teams.

4v4 games on right-sized fields with a smaller ball and no goalkeepers. There's one after-school practice a week and friendly weekend games where nobody keeps score. Her coaches are trained for the K–1st grade age group, and the goal of season one is that she falls in love with the game.

A real first foundation: comfort on both feet, first touch, shielding, trapping, 5–20 yard passes, and shooting with the inside of the foot. Just as important, she learns to be a good teammate by listening, encouraging, and celebrating a friend's goal. Coaches make room for mistakes on purpose, so trying something new never feels risky.

So fundamentals come first. A small game with no keepers means every girl is on the ball, and friendlies without a score keep the focus on fun and effort. Goalkeeping arrives in Recreational, when she's ready for a bigger game.

The same 10-week progression our competitive teams follow: dribbling and ball control, building out of the back, passing and possession, defending, finishing, then game strategy and goal-setting. The game grows too: 7v7 and 9v9, a bigger ball, passes of 10–40 yards on the ground and in the air, and her first goalkeeping (footwork, catching, and distribution).

No. It's the same curriculum and the same caliber of coach, paced for one practice and one game a week. We don't chase scores at this level, but development shows: our 2nd and 3rd grade Rec teams went 8–1–0 over the last two seasons. Rec teams play in the SFYS Recreational league.

Both run on the same SF SOL curriculum. Recreational is one practice a week plus weekend games, for building skills, confidence, and friendships at a social pace. Competitive is two practices a week plus SFYS Premier or NorCal Premier league games, for players ready for more commitment and tactical depth.

Yes, it's one of the most common paths at SF SOL. Competitive teams are placed through tryouts, and year-round player assessments mean one date never decides whether she gets seen.

Time. Twice-weekly training makes room for advanced attacking moves, real match vocabulary like thirds of the field and defensive compactness, and dedicated speed, agility, and injury-prevention work. Teams play 7v7, 9v9, or 11v11 by age, and every season closes with players setting their own SMART goals.

Our U9 and U10 Premier teams posted an 81%+ win rate last Fall, and both advanced to the Fall Championship. The results repeat because the system does: licensed coaches running the same curriculum every season.

Both are competitive league play with the same SF SOL coaches and curriculum. SFYS Premier is San Francisco's local league, with games inside the city ($1,200 a season). NorCal Premier is regional, with more travel and tiers by strength ($1,350–$1,450 a season, league fee included). Coaches recommend the right fit at tryouts, and NorCal's Advanced track is placed directly from tryout results.

5v5 soccer, keeper included, on a basketball-size indoor court with a smaller, heavier ball that stays low. Every player is in the game, so she gets hundreds of touches and makes faster decisions under pressure. Our Director of Coaching calls it the ultimate development accelerator for the outdoor game.

No. Futsal is open to SF SOL players in 2nd grade and up at every level, and she'll pick up the court's rules fast: 1- and 2-touch passing, kick-ins instead of throw-ins, and keepers who roll and throw instead of punting.

The season runs from the first week of January through February: one practice and one Sunday game a week, about seven of each. Playoffs can reach early March, and if they overlap spring, we work it out with the leagues.

Around her existing SF SOL team. We keep fall teammates together and only mix rosters to fill spots, so friendships and on-field connections carry straight into spring. Rosters are 7 to 12 players, and we aim for 7 to 10 so everyone plays a lot.

No tryout, but registration comes early. Families tell us they're interested in September, registration links go out in late September, and every team and player must be registered with the league by October 1, a hard stop. Spots usually go within hours, and interested families get their links first. New to SF SOL? Request a spot.

$500 per player for Winter 2027. That includes league play, a league jersey, weekly practice, and Sunday games. Financial aid is available.

Games are Sundays in SF Rec & Park gyms across the city (the Richmond, the Sunset, the Excelsior, and Visitacion Valley) through the Jose Coronado Indoor Soccer League, which assigns the gym by team and week. Practice times and places come out of the city's permit lottery. Winter practices have run on turf at Beach Chalet and South Sunset, and this year we're also lining up indoor court time.

One practice a week from January to February, with no games: the easy way to stay sharp until spring without the Sunday commitment. Registration runs in October. Get her link first.

Summer 2027 registration is coming soon. Get her link first and we'll send it the moment registration opens, while early-bird pricing lasts.

Technical skills and small-sided games in the morning, then a scrimmage after lunch with a real coaching halftime talk. Soccer & Creativity campers also make a creative project tied to the day's teamwork theme. It runs on the same curriculum our Director of Coaching builds for the season, compressed into a week.

Soccer & Creativity is open to any level: a week of technical progression (ball control, attacking, passing, defending, finishing) with a creative block each day. Competitive Camp is for players already training at the Premier or NorCal level: the same progression plus a daily shooting block and tactical talks, and no creativity block.

Camp runs 9:00am to 3:30pm, Monday to Friday. Early drop-off from 8:30am and late pick-up until 4:30pm are available, and half-day options run at 25% off the full-day rate.

Summer 2026 rates were $495 a week for Soccer & Creativity and $595 for Competitive Camp, with a 10% sibling discount, a first-summer discount for new families, and financial aid. Summer 2027 pricing, including early-bird rates, is announced when registration opens.

No. Camps are open to any girl ages 5–16, and for many families a week of camp is the easiest way to try SF SOL before a season.

Recent summers ran at Beach Chalet (Golden Gate Park) and South Sunset. Camps have also run at the Polo Fields, Glen Canyon Park, and Marina sites over the years, and each session lists its field when registration opens.

No. Only Competitive placement (SFYS Premier and NorCal Premier) uses tryouts. Micro, Recreational, Winter Futsal, and Camps don't. See Tryouts for the Competitive process.

About 75 minutes: a welcome from our coaches, a dynamic warm-up, a technical and passing assessment, small-sided games, and a full-sided game for her age group so coaches see her in real match play. Every session closes with shout-outs and takeaways for each player. Plan to check in 20–30 minutes early.

The same licensed coaches who'll run her practices all season, so tryouts are the start of a relationship, not a one-time evaluation.

Reach out right away to schedule a makeup, or request a year-round player assessment. One missed Sunday shouldn't be the reason she doesn't get seen.

No, tryouts are free.

Offers go out within 48 hours, with a short window to confirm her spot. Reach out anytime before then with questions.

Yes. Every coach on staff is a woman, licensed, and trained for the age group she coaches. See Coaches for real names and credentials.

Our coaches hold USSF licenses and youth-specific training, and our Director of Coaching holds a USSF B License. Individual credentials are on each coach's profile on Coaches.

Yes. Every SF SOL coach passes a background check before working with players.

We publish real numbers: $495 a season for Micro, $595 for Recreational, $1,200 for SFYS Premier, $1,350–$1,450 for NorCal Premier, and $500 for Winter Futsal. See Pricing for what dues cover and what's billed separately.

Dues cover coaching, curriculum, and club administration. Local league registration and uniform kits are billed separately. NorCal and futsal prices already include the league fee. See Pricing for exact figures.

Yes, for qualifying families in every program. Reach out and we'll talk it through directly, with simple verification of need. See Financial aid.

For Spring, yes: dues are collected in two installments, the first when registration opens and the second in early February. For other seasons, reach out and we'll talk through timing.

Micro is one practice a week plus weekend friendlies. Recreational is one practice a week plus weekend games. Competitive is two practices a week plus weekend league games. Winter Futsal is one practice and one Sunday game a week.

Across the city, from Golden Gate Park and the Sunset to the Marina, Mission, and SOMA. Fields are assigned each season through the city's permit lottery, so we can't promise a specific park in advance, but we'll tell you her field before the season starts.

The city (SFRPD) and the league (SFYS, or SF Vikings for Micro) decide field closures, as for every SF club. Check your team's TeamSnap for real-time updates. We pass along anything we hear as soon as we know it.

Cleats, shin guards, and a water bottle. Her game uniform is ordered separately; see Merch.

Through our official soccer.com Club Store. See Merch for the step-by-step, including how to claim her jersey number first.

Recreational kits run about $90 and Competitive kits about $265, on a 3-year replacement cycle. Futsal includes a league jersey. Details on Merch.

Yes, it's one of the most common ways families join. Your roster stays together with no re-tryout, and we take over coaching, permits, and paperwork. See Bring your team.

That's exactly what this path is for. Your team joins with an SF SOL coach and curriculum, and you keep your team. See Bring your team.

Four things volunteer managers usually carry alone: licensed coaching from day one, field permits and scheduling, league registration matched to your level, and uniforms, admin, and season logistics.

Whichever matches your level: SFYS Recreational, SFYS Premier, or NorCal Premier. Tell us your team's size, age group, and current level, and we'll recommend the path.

Cancel more than 30 days before the season starts for a full refund, or 14–30 days out for 50%. Inside 14 days, or once the season is underway, we can't offer a refund, because we commit to coaches, fields, and league fees well ahead of kickoff.