​FAQs

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What is the Penn Hills Soccer Association?
The PHSA is a non-profit, 100% volunteer organization. It is a local soccer club created to promote the development of soccer skills for the children of Penn Hills and surrounding communities. The PHSA is a member of PA West Soccer. We follow the rules, guidelines and training philosophies of PA West Soccer.

How do I contact the association?
Written correspondence can be sent to our email address at pennhillssoccerassociation@gmail.com or by regular mail at
Penn Hills Soccer Association
PO Box 27095
Pittsburgh, PA 15235

Is my child eligible to play?
The age of players is determined by their birth year. 
Children ages 4 - 13 are eligible to play in the PHSA In-House League. The In-House League is divided into age groups Under 6, Under 8, Under 10, and Under 13.
There are Travel teams associated with the PHSA that are U10 through U19 Leagues. If you are interested in playing on a Travel team, please send your contact information to our Vice President of Travel (See Board Members tab)

When and where does the club play?
A full season for In-House and All-Star teams includes two - eight-week sessions. A Fall session which begins near the second week of September and ends around the first week of November, and a Spring session which begins near the second week of April and ends around the first week of June.
In-House teams play all of their games on Saturdays at the fields located on the grounds of Universal Memorial Park, 1 Memorial Lane, Penn Hills, PA 15235.  
Travel teams typically play on Sunday afternoon. Half of their games are played at home on the Universal Park Fields or Friendship Park on Hunter Road. Half of their games are played on the road in surrounding communities. The level of play of a Travel team determines the area covered by their league.
In-House Fee Schedule
·         First player $130

Reduced fees for families suffering financial hardship can be applied for by submitting a letter to the Board of Directors explaining the situation. The decision of the Board of directors is final.

What do we receive for our registration fee?
Each player receives a soccer uniform (shirt, shorts, and socks) to be worn on game days. The players play in two sessions (eight weeks in the fall and 7 weeks in the spring). Participation awards are distributed in the Spring. All referee fees and field maintenance are covered by the PHSA.

When do we get our uniforms?
The first uniform order is placed within one week of the close of regular registration. The first order takes four weeks to arrive. We try to have the uniforms available to coaches at the time of field set up which is usually two weeks before each session starts.
A second uniform order is placed Monday after first day of the each session for late registrations. Those uniforms take approximately two weeks to arrive.

What do we need to provide?

• Shin guards are required for all players regardless of age.

• Soccer cleats are required.  Metal spikes are not permitted due to the potential of injury.

• A soccer ball will be a necessity for practice.

Typically sporting goods stores run specials in the early fall and spring with package deals on cleats, shin guards and balls. The PHSA also does have a “swap box” where you can find all of the above, but the selection can be very limited as it is based on donations.

Is there a reduced fee for playing in only one (Fall or Spring) session?
There is not a reduced price for playing in just the fall session. The actual cost of running the PHSA is more than we collect through player registrations. Registration fees cover the cost of the uniforms, PA West registration fees and insurance fees. These costs are the same per child whether they play in one or two sessions. So we can not discount the registration for a single session.
The PHSA makes up the balance of the operating budgets by sponsoring a tournament over the Thanksgiving weekend. It is our Autumn Ambush. Over the past several years, the income generated by this tournament has allowed the PHSA to be the most affordable sports program in the area.

What is the Difference between In-House and Travel?

• The In-House program is a non-competitive instructional league. Goals are not counted in the U6 & U8 divisions, game scores are not recorded for any division, and team records are not tracked.  The players are evaluated by their coaches at the end of the year and used to place them on teams the following year. Players are assigned to teams by a computerized program designed to create balanced teams based on skill level, age in the bracket and gender to allow teams to be evenly matched.

• All-Star (Travel) teams are still instructional, but they are competitive teams playing against other PA West clubs. Inter-club play is during the Fall and Spring sessions and they usually participate in tournaments during the off-season. Players must play in the In-House league for at least one year to be eligible to try out for a travel team. Players for the teams are selected by the team's coach based on tryouts.​