THE OFFICIAL HOME OF
STEPHENVILLE SOCCER

PARENTS
Welcome, SSA Parents!
Thank you for partnering with us as we work to grow and improve the Stephenville Soccer Association. Your investment of time, energy, and resources is deeply appreciated, and we’re honored to serve your children through the game of soccer.
This page is designed to support you by answering common questions and providing helpful information about our league. Whether you're new to SSA or a returning family, we want your experience to be smooth, enjoyable, and enriching.
How We Serve You
We believe that strong communication between the SSA Board and our community is key to a successful league. That’s why we’re committed to listening, learning, and continuously improving. Your feedback helps us create a better environment for all players and families.
Please explore the Frequently Asked Questions below, and don’t hesitate to reach out with suggestions or concerns.
We’re here to help—and always looking for ways to serve you better.
Ways to Play
Learn More
- 01The aim of recreational soccer is to provide all types of families the ability to play and enjoy the game of soccer without the added stresses of travel, competition, financial commitments and skill level. It allows kids the opportunity to have fun, make mistakes and learn the game in a supportive environment. Recreational soccer is for kids ages U4 to U19 who are primarily interested in having fun, staying active and making new friends. U4 through U8 games are played in town on Saturdays at the Stephenville Soccer Complex and do not require travel. Coaches are often a parent of a player or other community member and are unpaid volunteers. It is common for kids at this level to be involved in other sports or activities and as a result, teams rarely participate in tournaments. Stephenville teams ages U9 and up play against other teams from Granbury, Weatherford, and Mineral Wells in an effort to create full leagues. Travel to these towns is required several times per season and games can be scheduled on Sundays as well.
- 02Academy soccer was build to serve as a bridge between the rec and competitive club soccer levels of play. Throughout North Texas Soccer, clubs create "academy teams" and post open practice schedules that are free to participate in. These sessions are designed to help players increase their technical abilities and raise their soccer IQ levels. Most clubs use these teams as a recruiting tool to develop and feed future competitive teams that begin at age U11. Academy soccer is available to those U7 - U10 players who would like to increase their commitment to the game in addition to recreational soccer. Players often play on both recreational and Academy teams simultaneously. Academy games are played on Sundays in Arlington. Whenever a conflict does arise between a player's rec. team and their academy team, priority should be given to the recreational game. How it works: The Academy level allows players to play year round: outdoor in the fall and spring, and indoor in the summer and winter. Teams hold open practices throughout the week and choose/submit a roster on Friday night to the league in Arlington of who will play that Sunday. Rosters are able to change from week to week and "full commitment" is not required to play for an academy team. Playing time is NOT guaranteed in Academy soccer games. It is possible for a child to be listed on a game day roster, dress for the game, travel to the game, and not receive any playing time. Playing time is awarded to players at full discretion of the coach. Cost: Academy soccer can require additional expense to parents in that there exist registration fees for the league play, insurance, coach fees, and uniform costs, etc. The cost of playing for a particular academy team differs greatly from team to team. Some teams have benefactors who pay for everyone, while other academy teams split the cost between parents. Some academy teams run by large clubs are completely free for all players.
- 03Competitive soccer allows for more committed players to advance their skills through higher competition. There are two different levels of competitive soccer based on age: 1. Academy Soccer (U9-U10) 2. Select Soccer/ Club Soccer (U11-U19) Most academy and select teams practice multiple times a week and allow for kids to participate in a practice before committing to a team. This allows families to have a say in the teams they want to play for. In Stephenville, our competitive club is Quest FC and becomes available for U11 players. Learn more about Quest FC Here. Click Here (https://www.ntxsoccer.org/competitive-member-clubs/)to view other competitive teams in the state. Select soccer is for competitive players ages U11 to U19. A Select player may not play on a recreational team in addition to their club team. Teams usually practice three or more hours per week with other additional practices as needed. Playing time and even making a specific roster is not guaranteed and spots on a team are awarded through tryouts. Players sign contracts to play for a given on July 1st and become committed to that team for the next 11 months. Clubs typically hold open practices the month of June as players look to join and/or change teams. Different clubs have different tryout policies. Financial commitments also increase at this level, ranging from several hundred to a several thousand dollars per year. When a player joins a team, parents sign one-year contracts obligating financial contributions to the team and organization. Like Academy teams, Select teams play in tournaments and entry fees may or may not be included in your dues. Coaches for Select teams are typically much more knowledgable than lower level recreational coaches and often have a coaching license (C, D, E, F). These positions require much more time and commitment and are usually paid.