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Recreation Program Overview
ABYSA Recreation Soccer Programs are now available in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison County, and more!
Welcome to the club! With more than 4,000 children participating each year, ABYSA Recreation Soccer (4U-19U) is our largest program. Because the emphasis is on fun and participation, it is the ideal environment for most kids.
The ABYSA Recreation Program is the entry point for children who are new to the game. Experienced players at certain age groups who desire a higher level of play should consider our HFC Academy (8U-10U), HFC Academy (11U-12U), HFC Intermediate (13U-15U), and HFC Competitive (10U-19U) programs. The graphic below illustrates the player pathways available for our ABYSA and HFC families. For more information about our player development pathways, please visit our page: What Program is Right for Me?
Recreation Developmental Focuses:
In the ABYSA Recreation Program, the focus is on having fun, learning new skills, and developing positive character traits to help players become good teammates on the field and in life. In return, we hope to further each player's enjoyment of the game and contribute to their growth as community members.
Recreation Coaching:
ABYSA Recreation soccer is 100% coached by volunteer parents/coaches who are well-equipped and supported by ABYSA's Staff. Our volunteer coaches will receive weekly communications from the program director with the important info and weekly practice sessions provided throughout the season. Our coaches will use our curriculum of fun and developmentally appropriate practice activities designed by our USSF "A" Licensed Director of Coaching and Player Development, Shane Weems.
Click here if you are interested in coaching and check out our ABYSA Coaches Corner page
Team Formation:
Recreation teams are formed by a combination of geography and teammate requests so that practice can be as close to home as possible. When registering, please use the Special Request section to let us know if you are trying to connect with a specific player so that we can best serve you from the start.
Special Requests: If you have a 'Special Request' to be placed with a specific player for carpooling, etc., both families must complete the special request section to help us place you accurately since many families register at different times during the registration cycle. If you want your player to play up to one age group or have a girls' division player who wants to play in a boys' division, please enter that information in the Special Request section of the registration and we transfer your player to the appropriate division.
Seasons Offered and Season Length:
See the Registration Dates and Information section below for specific dates
| Age Group | Weeknight Practices | Saturday Games | Season Length | Average Season
Timelines |
4U-6U
Fall and Spring Seasons are offered separately
(See age group chart) | No
Each game day will consist of
30 minutes of skill-building games
and 30 minutes of gameplay | Yes
Playdates will be approximately
1 hour each Saturday | 7 Weeks*
| Fall season:
September - November
Spring Season:
March-May |
7U-19U
Fall and Spring Seasons are offered separately
(See age group chart) | Yes
Each team's practice day, time, and location are scheduled
by the volunteer coach. | Yes
Games will approximately
1 hour and 15 minutes each
Saturday | 10 Weeks*
teams may start practicing
2 weeks before the 1st game date |
*Weather cancellations will be added to the end-of-the-season
Fall 2025 - Spring 2026 Season Year Age Group Information
How ABYSA Divisions are created and named based on US Soccer's nationwide guidelines:
[Year at the end of the Spring season] - [Year player was born] = [ABYSA Division]
For Example: Spring 2026 - 2016 birthyear = 10U (Under-10)
All players will move up one age group at the end of each Spring season.
Click on the playing format and game rules below to see a program overview for each age group.
*ABYSA's 4U, 5U, and 6U programs use a modified learning model, so the format of the practice session and game may change depending on the learning topic that week.
Fall 2025 Recreation Registration Dates and Information
| Registration Dates for all ABYSA Programs (4U - 19U) |
| Fall 2025 Registration Opens | May 2025 |
| On-time Registration Deadline | July 1, 2025 |
| Late registration is available after July 1 | $10.00 Late fee |
| Spring 2026 Registration Opens | November 2025 |
*Registration will remain open until all teams in an age group are full
If you would like to know if a division is full, please go to your player's registration and see if your player's age group has a waitlist. If the age group has a waitlist, it is currently full. It is free to sign up for the waitlist and we do aim to get as many players as possible off of the waitlist so that they can participate with a team.
| Important dates - Fall 2025 Season |
| 7U - 19U Program Dates |
7U - 19U Coaches meeting
Coaches select practice location, day, time, and begin contacting families after this meeting | August 2025 |
7U - 19U Rec practices start the week of
| August 25-29th, 2025
|
7U - 19U First games*
| September 8th, 2025 |
| End of the season | November 8th or 15th for most teams |
| 4U - 6U Program Dates |
4U - 6U Coaches meeting
| August 2025 |
4U - 6U Soccer playdates begin*
| September 13th, 2025 |
| End of the season | November 8th or 15th for most teams |
*For additional schedule and location information, please Click Here for the "ABYSA Schedules and Locations" section.
Click on the image below to register:
- Help and instructions registering with PlayMetrics - Click here for the PDF Version
- Using the PlayMetrics system (desktop or mobile version) to navigate your account and team calendar
- How to add and remove contacts for your player's PlayMetrics account
Be sure to download the PlayMetrics Mobile app for easy access
to your account, schedule, and communications!
Apple users click here
Android users click here
Para información en español
Monica Bastin
[email protected]
Click here for more information on program costs and how to order an ABYSA uniform
Current ABYSA Recreation Uniform Packages
(shorts and socks are optional) |
| 4U-6U Uniform Package | 7U-19U Uniform Package |
 |  |
Recreation Game And Practice Information
Game Schedule Information
Each family can access their player's ABYSA Recreation game schedule by logging into their family's PlayMetrics account. Once the season schedule is published - about 10 days before the 1st game date listed in the 'Important Dates' section - you will see the games in your PlayMetrics account calendar OR you can click on the team name in your account to see the team page.
Please check back each Friday before games during the season to make sure your child's schedule hasn't changed. There are times when games need to be moved throughout the season, so checking back each Friday will make sure you end up at your proper game location and time. When games are canceled due to inclement weather we will update the schedule by the following Wednesday.
- Instructions on using the PlayMetrics system (desktop or mobile version) to navigate your account and team calendar
- How to add and remove contacts for your player's PlayMetrics account
How to know if your game is canceled throughout the season:
Click Here for ABYSA Field Statuses - will make every effort to update the field statuses by 7 AM each game day in the event of inclement weather. If you do not see an update stating a field is closed for the current game date, your game is on as scheduled.
Most Common ABYSA Game Facilities
Most common ABYSA practice locations:
ABYSA's Volunteer Coaches will select their team's practice location, day, and time after the ABYSA Coaches Meeting on the date listed in the 'Important Dates' above. Each team's practice time and location will vary based on the school district, age group, and the volunteer coach's availability. Team practice times and locations are not assigned by ABYSA so that your coach can maximize the time when they are available to lead practices and create a positive environment for players.
Click Here for the most common practice locations selected by our Volunteer Recreation Coaches.
If your child is a 7U-10U player in Buncombe, Henderson, or Madison County who is playing rec soccer, but wants more time and help learning and mastering skills, our HFC Pre-Academy program offers an additional day of skill-building practice for players already participating in our ABYSA Recreation program or playing in other local programs.
The HFC Pre-Academy program provides a platform to introduce players to a training experience consistent with ABYSA's/HFC's next competitive level of the player development pathway (HFC Academy (8U-10U), HFC Academy (11-12U), HFC Intermediate (13-15U), and HFC Competitive (10U-19U)) while still competing for their recreation team.
Pre-Academy players will go to their recreation team practice one day of the week and then come to Pre-Academy for a second practice each week. Families can choose the Pre-Academy day that works with their ABYSA Recreation team's schedule. The HFC Pre-Academy staff is made up of highly qualified staff coaches who want to give back to the game and help guide some of our youngest players as they learn the skills and concepts to find more enjoyment in the game.
Click here to learn more about our HFC Pre-Academy Program!
Coaches Corner
ABYSA works hard to create a fun environment for both players and coaches. We provide resources for each age group, making it easy for our coaches to enjoy coaching--even with little or no coaching/playing experience. ABYSA takes care of all the details; Supplying coaches with practice plans, schedules, rosters, cones, scrimmage vests, and practice space as well as offering preseason coaches meetings and clinics. We work hard to make it easy for coaches to concentrate on having fun while teaching the player's soccer skills as well as important life lessons along the way. Coaching in ABYSA is almost as fun as playing, so if you are interested in coaching, please contact [email protected]
Click here for the full ABYSA Coaches Corner resource page
NCYSA Risk Management Information for Coaches and Volunteers
Click here for instructions on registering with NCYSA Risk Management
Become a Referee (must be at least 14 years old)
Becoming a referee is a great way to give back to your soccer community! Many of our ABYSA and HFC staff members and players regularly help referee local games at various ages and levels. Refereeing can also be a great way to earn extra money for players, parents, and family members that may already be at the fields all weekend!
Click here for more information on becoming a referee
Other Soccer offerings during the year
Will Voss
ABYSA Recreation Administrator
[email protected]
Shane Weems
ABYSA / HFC Recreation Director of Coaching & Player Development
HFC Pre-Academy, Director
FUNdamentals Soccer Camps, Director
Soccer In the Schools, Director
[email protected]
Silver Weems
ABYSA / HFC Assistant Director of Recreation Soccer
[email protected]
Para información en español
Monica Bastin
[email protected]
ABYSA and ABC Pediatrics of Asheville are proud of our ongoing partnership with the SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD PROGRAM.
ABC Pediatrics of Asheville and ABYSA, recognize that the life lessons learned from being part of a sports team are just as important as the physical activity and exercise that sport provides. We are grateful to ABC Pediatrics for helping us make learning about sportsmanship a core value of our recreation program and providing a format for coaches and parents to help our children learn these important lessons. We hope you will join us in using this program as a teaching tool.