How to Start an Over 50 Soccer Team

Starting an over 50 soccer team can be fun but also challenging, especially if you are in charge of putting it all together. Just think of all the fun it will be to have the friendship of others who are interested in playing soccer too. Finding these people requires work, but by following the steps below you will be able to find them and start an over 50 soccer team.

Instructions

1. Decide if you want to start a men's team or a women's team. Once you have made this decision, make sure you have enough players for a team and substitutes to play in times of injury or illness. A good rule is to have at least 16 team members but no more than 20.

2. Look for over 50 leagues in the area you would like to play. You need to find out whom you talk to in order to know if they will accept a new team for their league.

3. Collect all the information that you need in order to join the league. Make sure you note any deadlines that you need to meet.

4. Organize the team. If you have already selected the team than set up a meeting to be sure everyone is in agreement with the league you have checked out. You need all the participants on the same page, so pass out the information you have gathered and give the players a chance to vote on it.

5. Choose a name for the team and colors for the uniforms. Find out if there are any stipulations on what you can call the team and the colors of the uniforms from your league contact. You also need to check if you need to get a local business to sponsor your team or if the league already has sponsors set up for new teams coming into the league.

6. Provide schedules for everyone so they know when there are practices and when the games will be. Since this is a mature team, everyone should be in agreement to the practice schedule and games. If there are conflicts, see if you can change the schedule, but unfortunately since we all have busy schedules you may not be able to accommodate everyone. This is another reason to have extra team members.

Tips & Warnings

• You may be able to have a co-ed team, so check that out.

• If some of the team members have to drop out because of schedules or fees, you can check with the league to see if they know any people who are waiting to get on a team.

• Don't forget to have a manager and a coach.

Resources

• The Bellingham Herald.
• California locations men's & women's soccer.
• Medway Over 50 men's team.
• The Boston Globe.