Modern Soccer Coach Podcast The Age-Group Reset: Turning US Youth Soccer’s Biggest Disruption into an Advantage with Tom Shields
Jan 8, 2026
Tom Shields, STA Technical Director and youth soccer development expert, dives into the recent US youth soccer age-group registration change. He discusses how this shift from calendar-year to seasonal registration aims to enhance player development, aligning more closely with school years. Tom addresses common parental concerns about team placements and the transition for late-birthday players. He also shares his five-part communication framework to foster trust and collaboration among coaches and families, highlighting the need for professionalism and well-being in coaching.
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Lead Change With Five Communication Actions
- Keep members informed, inspired, interested, involved, and included during major change.
- Use face-to-face briefings plus written updates to build trust and control the message.
School-Year Alignment Reduces 'Trapped' Players
- Moving from calendar-year to school-year registration reduces 'trapped' players at school transitions.
- Aligning age groups to the school year brings more stable team environments during high-school transitions.
Proactively Educate Your Membership
- Get in front of the change quickly and educate your membership about why and how it will happen.
- Run targeted presentations for different parent and player groups to manage expectations.