St. Louis is definitely a soccer city! There are many options for every type of program from beginner to competitive.
Pay attention to whether you are signing up for an instructional program (learn-to-play format with practices and scrimmages), recreational program (no tryouts, everyone guaranteed to play, no games outside of the league boundaries), or competitive program (players tryout and may not be placed on any team, and schedule often includes out of town games/tournaments)
There are two types of soccer leagues: indoor soccer and outdoor soccer (typically, indoor soccer is played in winter/spring and outdoor soccer is played summer/fall)
Gear/equipment involved:
Soccer cleats (different cleats are required for outdoor soccer vs. indoor soccer vs. futsal)
Shin guards
Knee-length socks
Soccer ball (preschoolers typically use size 2, 5-8 years old use size 3, 8-11 year old use size 4, and 12+ use size 5)
**If your child plays goalie, they may need goalie gloves
Pro-Mom Tips:
Useful items to keep in your minivan are sunscreen, bug spray, camp chairs, and extra water bottles
Around third grade, most leagues begin enforcing being “offside” – rewatch season 1 of Ted Lasso to get a handle on this notoriously tricky rule!
All of KEEN’s programs are based on a single principle: pair a trained volunteer with an athlete and let them discover together how much they can do. Programs are all open and unstructured, allowing athletes facing significant challenges to have fun and be successful. KEEN programs are open to all youth ages 5-21 with physical or developmental disabilities. Certain programs are for select age groups only.
Absolutely Free
Volunteer-Run
Age Appropriate & Non-Competitive
Open, Unstructured and Flexible
Tailored for Each Athlete’s Needs
Inclusive, Regardless of Severity of Disabilities
KEEN Sports is an “open-gym” atmosphere and is filled with more than your typical sporting activities. Along with shooting hoops and scoring soccer goals, our kids love to roll around on scooters, run under our large multi-colored parachute, bike around the gym, and much more!
