Questions Parents Actually Ask.

SF SOL (formerly Girls Leading Goals) is a San Francisco youth soccer club for girls starting at age 4, coached entirely by professional, licensed, all-female staff. We run programs from a girl's very first touch through competitive league play (SFYS Premier and NorCal Premier), plus Summer Camps and Winter Futsal to keep her playing year-round.

Head to the Programs page to find the right fit for her age and experience, then reach out through Contact or the program page's registration link. If you're not sure where she fits, just ask — we'll help you figure it out.

Yes. Micro Soccer and Recreational Soccer are both built for players building their first real skills, in a supportive, non-scorekeeping environment at the Micro level. See Micro Soccer and Recreational Soccer for details.

Over 12 years. SF SOL has been running girls' soccer programs in San Francisco for more than a decade, and a lot of our families come back season after season — that kind of loyalty says more about the program than we ever could.

Both run on the same SF SOL curriculum. Recreational is once-a-week practice with weekend games — built for building skills, confidence, and friendships at a social pace. Competitive is twice-a-week practice with SFYS Premier or NorCal Premier League play — built for players ready for a higher level of commitment and tactical development. See Recreational Soccer and Competitive Soccer.

SF SOL welcomes players starting at age 4. Micro Soccer (ages 5–6, K–1st grade) is typically her first team season, followed by Recreational (2nd–7th grade) and Competitive (U9+) as she grows. See Micro Soccer for what that first season looks like.

Yes — this is one of the most common paths at SF SOL. Competitive team tryouts happen each season; see Tryouts for how that works.

Four seasons, year-round: Winter Futsal in January–February, the Spring league season March through mid-May, Summer Camps June through August, and the Fall league season September through December — our biggest season of the year.

Earlier than you'd think — registration opens two to three months before each season starts, and rosters fill on a first-come basis. Fall registration opens in May (after tryouts), Spring opens in November, and Summer Camp registration opens around the turn of the year. If a season you want is already underway or closed, reach out — see the mid-season question below.

Yes — reach out. We'll look for the workable path: an open spot in her age group, the right team, or the next best entry point. When we have room, we can often place her after registration closes or once the season is underway. Send her age and experience, and we'll tell you what's possible right now.

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

Futsal is a fast 5v5 indoor game with a smaller, heavier ball — more touches, quicker decisions. No futsal experience needed: it's a two-month season (January–February) with one outdoor practice a week and weekend indoor games at SF Rec Centers, and she's grouped with her existing SF SOL team or age group. There's also a practice-only option for families who want the reps without weekend games.

Neither. Futsal is open registration and runs just two months — it's built exactly for players who want to stay sharp between fall and spring without committing to a full league season.

Yes — every coach on staff is female, licensed, and trained specifically for the age group she coaches. This isn't a marketing line; see Coaches for real names, credentials, and backgrounds.

Yes, every SF SOL coach goes through a background check before working with players.

Our coaches hold USSF coaching licenses and youth-specific training across our program levels. Individual credentials are listed on each coach's profile — see Coaches.

We publish real numbers, not a registration wall. SF SOL Member Dues range from $495/season for Micro Soccer up to $1,450/season for our highest Competitive tier, plus Camps at $495–$595/week. See the full breakdown on Pricing — including what's covered by SF SOL dues and what's billed separately (league fees, uniforms).

Yes. Financial aid is available for qualifying families across every program — reach out and we'll talk it through directly, with simple verification of need. See Financial Aid for how it works.

Dues cover coaching, curriculum, and club administration. Local league registration and uniform/jersey kits are billed separately — see the full footnote on Pricing for exact figures per program.

For the Spring season, yes — dues are collected in two installments: the first when registration opens in November, the second in early February. For other seasons, reach out and we'll talk through timing — we'd rather have that conversation than have cost timing be the blocker.

Both are competitive league play on the same SF SOL curriculum and coaching staff. SFYS Premier is San Francisco's local competitive league ($1,200/season); NorCal Premier is regional league play with more travel and a higher level of competition ($1,350–$1,450/season — those figures already include the league fee, since NorCal registration runs through SF SOL). Which one fits depends on her ambition — coaches help place her at tryouts.

Yes — this is one of the most common ways families join SF SOL. Your roster stays intact; no re-tryout is required. We take over the logistics — coaching, permits, and paperwork — so your team gets professional coaching without your volunteer manager having to run everything alone. See Bring Your Team for how it works.

That's exactly what this path is for. Your team joins under an SF SOL coach, the SF SOL curriculum, and our club structure — you don't have to give up your team to get professional coaching. See Bring Your Team.

Four things volunteer managers usually carry alone: professional licensed coaching (practices and games run on SF SOL staff and curriculum from day one), field permits and scheduling, league registration matched to your team's level, and uniforms/admin/season logistics. You keep the team spirit; we take the paperwork.

Whichever matches your team's level: SFYS Recreational, SFYS Premier, or NorCal Premier. Step one of the process is telling us your team's size, age group, and current level — we'll recommend the right league and walk you through the path.

It depends on her program: Micro is 1 practice/week plus weekend friendlies; Recreational is 1 practice/week plus weekend games; Competitive is 2 practices/week plus weekend league games. See each Programs page for specifics.

We operate across multiple districts in San Francisco, from the Mission and the Marina all the way west to the Sunset. Exact fields depend on the SF field-permit lottery each season, so we can't promise a specific park in advance — but this is the consistent footprint families can expect.

Field closures for outdoor practices and games are determined by the city (SFRPD) and the relevant league (SFYS or SF Vikings for Micro), not by SF SOL directly — the same way it works across every SF youth soccer club. Check your team's TeamSnap for real-time updates, or the league's official field status page. We'll always pass along anything we hear as soon as we know it.

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

Recreational kits run about $90; Competitive kits run about $265. Kits are on a 3-year replacement cycle. Full detail on Merch.

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

Plans change, and we get it — that's why we moved away from a strict no-refund policy. Cancel more than 30 days before your season starts and you'll get a full refund. Cancel between 14 and 30 days out and we'll refund 50%. Inside that 14-day window, or once the season's underway, we're not able to offer a refund. We commit to our coaches, fields, and administrative costs well ahead of each season, so the closer we get to kickoff, the less room we have to adjust.

Camp runs 9:00am–3:30pm, Monday–Friday. Early drop-off (8:30–9:00am) and late pick-up (3:30–4:30pm) are available, and there are half-day options too.

Soccer & Creativity is $495/week; Competitive Camp is $595/week. We offer a 10% sibling discount for each additional sibling, a 10% discount for families new to SF SOL, and financial aid with verification — just ask.

No — camps are open registration, any level welcome. For a lot of families, a week of camp is the easiest, lowest-commitment way to try SF SOL before joining a season.

At Beach Chalet Fields (Golden Gate Park) and South Sunset Soccer Fields, both in San Francisco.

No — only Competitive team placement (SFYS Premier and NorCal Premier) requires tryouts. Micro, Recreational, and Camps are open registration. See Tryouts for the Competitive process.

Reach out right away to schedule a makeup session — see Tryouts. One missed Sunday shouldn't be the reason she doesn't get seen.

About 75 minutes, start to finish: a welcome and introduction to our coaches and philosophy, 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 inside real match play. Every session closes with shout-outs and takeaways for every player — it should feel like the start of something, not a pass/fail test. Plan to check in 20–30 minutes before her session.

The same licensed, professional coaches who'll run her practices all season — not a stranger with a clipboard she'll never see again. Tryouts are the start of a relationship with her coaches, not a one-time evaluation.

No — tryouts are free to register.

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