PROGRAM INFO
What is the DISCOVERY PHASE?
Our Discovery Phase is for players aged 3 to 7 that are interested in a fun and inclusive environment intended to ignite a lifelong love of soccer.
What is the Recreational Soccer Program?
Our Recreational Program is for players aged 8 years old to 18 years old interested in playing soccer. We accept all skill levels and experience is not necessary.
What is the Academy Soccer Program?
Our Academy Program is for players aged 8 years old and 9 years old interested in playing in a more comprehensive learning environment in comparison to recreational soccer. The focus is on technical development and basic decision making as a key building block in preparation to select soccer.
What is the select soccer program?
The Sporting Iowa select program is a WDMSC and JUSC partnership that merges the players from both clubs to deliver a comprehensive and competitive learning experience.
REGISTRATION INFO
HOW MANY SOCCER SESSIONS PER YEAR?
We have two (2) soccer session per year: Spring & Fall and also provide additional programming for all ages throughout the winter months.
WHAT ARE THE APPROXIMATE SEASON START AND END DATES?
Spring season begins in early April and concludes in early June. Fall season will begin at the end of August or and will conclude at the end of October or beginning of November.
WHEN DOES THE SEASON START AND HOW LONG IS IT?
Each season begins with practices approximately 2 weeks before games begin. Each age group will play 8 games on either Saturday or Sunday depending on age and division.
WHEN DO I REGISTER MY CHILD FOR SOCCER?
Our registration process begins up to four (4) months before our season starts.
HOW DO I REGISTER MY CHILD FOR SOCCER?
If you are new to West Des Moines Soccer Club then you’ll need to create a new account on our registration system. You will need an electronic copy of your child's birth certificate and player photo. Once you have an account and add your child as a participant, you will be able to see the available programs based on his or her date of birth. Choose the program you are interested in and follow the program through to payment. You will receive a confirmation email when registration is complete. Go to register.wdmsc.org to register.
WHAT IS COVERED IN THE COST OF MY REGISTRATION?
WDMSC is a non-profit organization. The registration fee includes registration, medical insurance, referee fees, player cards, field maintenance and equipment, games shirts and soccer balls for 4U-6U players, and participation in eight (8) games.
DO YOU ACCEPT LATE REGISTRATIONS?
All late registrations will be accepted for two weeks after end of registration closes. Participation on a team or program will be on a first come first serve basis and will only be granted if we have available space on a roster. Late registrations that are not accepted will be refunded the full amount.
CAN I REGISTER MY CHILD TO PLAY FOR A TEAM IN A HIGHER AGE GROUP?
Requests to play in older age groups can be made and must be approved by the Director of Player Development & Child Education.
WHAT IS THE REFUND POLICY?
Refund requests must be submitted through Contact page. Full refunds will be offered if we are unable to place your child on a team. Our refund policy can be found on our Governance Resource page which constitutes the fees and timeline restrictions.
WHAT IF MY CHILD CANNOT PLAY SOCCER IN THE FALL? CAN HE/SHE PLAY IN THE SPRING?
Yes, registration opens late spring for the Fall session and opens in the winter for Spring session. Please note team/coach/player requests cannot be guaranteed.
TEAM INFO
HOW ARE SOCCER TEAMS FORMED?
Teams are formed based on age. Specific requests are accepted but not guaranteed.
WHO WILL BE COACHING MY CHILD?
Our teams are predominantly coached by volunteer coaches supported by our professional coaching staff. Volunteer coaches are provided with education and resources to ensure that development can occur is a positive learning environment with a research based methodology and curriculum.
WHEN WILL I HEAR FROM MY COACH?
Teams will be contacted by their respective coaches after the registration, team formation and compliance period has concluded. This is usually approximately 4 weeks after registration closes.
HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER TO BE A COACH OR AN ASSISTANT COACH?
During registration there is a section to sign up to volunteer. Choose which volunteer position you are interested in and you will be contacted. Volunteer coaches are vital to making our program a success. Please consider volunteering or finding out more about volunteer opportunities within our club. If you are interested in volunteering as a coach, please reach out to our Director of Player Development & Coach Education at moffat@sportingiowasoccer.org.
WHEN ARE GAMES AND PRACTICES?
Games are played on Saturday morning and afternoon, Sunday afternoon and evenings, and occasionally weeknights for makeup games. Practices are decided by the individual coach.
WHAT SIZE SOCCER BALL SHOULD MY CHILD HAVE?
4U-8U = Size 3
9U-12U = Size 4
13U-19U = Size 5
9U-12U = Size 4
13U-19U = Size 5
DOES MY CHILD NEED A UNIFORM?
All players will need to purchase a jersey (except U4-U6 age group), shorts, and socks. You will need to supply shin guards, water bottle, and soccer ball (except U4-U6 age group). Soccer cleats are not mandatory although they are recommended especially on days when the fields may be wet.
IS THERE AN ADDITIONAL COST FOR THE UNIFORM?
Yes. Please visit the Uniforms page for required uniform and equipment. Please note age groups U4-U6 jerseys/t-shirts are supplied by the club including a soccer ball.
OTHER INFO
DO BOARD MEMBERS GET PAID?
The West Des Moines Soccer Club Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers.
CAN I DROP MY CHILD OFF AT THE FIELD TO RUN ERRANDS DURING THE PRACTICES AND/OR GAMES?
We strongly recommend that a parent/guardian be present with their child during the time they are at the soccer field, in case there are any problems during the session. If there is a need to leave to pick up another child, please let the coach know when you will be leaving and when you will return. Be sure the coach has your contact information. Also, reach out to a team parent to help watch your player's activity.
WHY AM I not RECEIVING ANY WDMSC EMAILS?
First thing first, please create an entry in your email address book called "WDMSC" or WDM Soccer Club" and add the following the email addresses:
We will do our best to respond to your email with 24-48 hours. These times may be longer at the start of each season as we have higher volume as these times.
Still not receiving our emails? Do a check on the following:
- Club.Admin@wdmsc.org
- noreply@wdmsc.org
- mailer@demosphere.com
We will do our best to respond to your email with 24-48 hours. These times may be longer at the start of each season as we have higher volume as these times.
Still not receiving our emails? Do a check on the following:
- Check your email spam folder
- Be sure the retention policy on the spam folder is set at least for 30 days
- Be sure the email rules don't automatically delete emails from addresses not in your address book
WHAT ARE YOUR PLAYER SAFETY REGULATIONS?
SafeSport
The United States Congress passed, and the President signed in to law, the SafeSport Act. This law requires all adults who have regular interaction with minors in youth sports to be mandatory reporters and to take training to understand that role. Iowa Soccer is providing a 90-minute web-based training from the Center for SafeSport free of charge to all coaches and other adults that require it. When coaches suspect or hear about possible sexual abuse, they are now required by Federal Law to report it to the Center for SafeSport.
Additionally, we are required to provide parents information that you can share with your children to help them understand and identify potential abuse. A link to the SafeSport Parent Toolkit with age specific information can be found on our website here. We strongly encourage you to review it with your children. Additionally, you can learn more about the SafeSport Act at uscenterforsafesport.org and about US Soccer's initiatives at www.safesoccer.com
Concussion Education
Understanding concussions, the symptoms, and the treatment is very important as we learn more about the brain. While not new, Iowa Soccer is continuing the requirement that every coach takes the CDC concussion education training designed for coaches. This 30-minute webinar must be renewed every other year. It is not possible to have a certified athletic trainer or other health care professional at every practice or event, so we want to ensure that coaches have the education needed to properly identify the symptoms and then act in an appropriate manner with the impacted players. We will continue to staff our competitions with certified athletic trainers who will perform concussion checks any time a head injury occurs, and if a concussion is suspected, per Iowa Soccer policy players will not be able to return to play until cleared by a medical professional.
Background Checks
While coaches have been required to pass background checks in previous years, this year we are doing a more in-depth check and extending the requirement to any adult that has regular interaction with minors, which now includes checks of all club board members. This deep-dive check meets the standards that have been put forth by the National Council of Youth Sports by looking at federal, state, and local records for all counties in which the individual has lived for the last five years.
Every child, and his/her parents, should expect to have a safe soccer experience. In today's society, that means a lot of people behind the scenes are submitting to extra training and in-depth checks in order to comply with laws, requirements, and policies of various organizations and ultimately contribute to a safe environment.
You can be assured that every coach we clear has had an extensive background check, has taken a 30-minute training on concussion education, and a 90-minute training on his or her role as a mandatory reporter for abuse.
So, as we launch another soccer season, please make sure to thank our coaches especially, and also thank our staff to ensuring player safety is our #1 priority! They have invested the time to make your child's experience in soccer as enjoyable and safe as it possibly can be. And finally, please consider volunteering to coach or fill a role in our club…the soccer community as a whole needs help expanding its volunteer base so we don't continue to rely on the same group of people who raise their hands and say "I'll help!"
The United States Congress passed, and the President signed in to law, the SafeSport Act. This law requires all adults who have regular interaction with minors in youth sports to be mandatory reporters and to take training to understand that role. Iowa Soccer is providing a 90-minute web-based training from the Center for SafeSport free of charge to all coaches and other adults that require it. When coaches suspect or hear about possible sexual abuse, they are now required by Federal Law to report it to the Center for SafeSport.
Additionally, we are required to provide parents information that you can share with your children to help them understand and identify potential abuse. A link to the SafeSport Parent Toolkit with age specific information can be found on our website here. We strongly encourage you to review it with your children. Additionally, you can learn more about the SafeSport Act at uscenterforsafesport.org and about US Soccer's initiatives at www.safesoccer.com
Concussion Education
Understanding concussions, the symptoms, and the treatment is very important as we learn more about the brain. While not new, Iowa Soccer is continuing the requirement that every coach takes the CDC concussion education training designed for coaches. This 30-minute webinar must be renewed every other year. It is not possible to have a certified athletic trainer or other health care professional at every practice or event, so we want to ensure that coaches have the education needed to properly identify the symptoms and then act in an appropriate manner with the impacted players. We will continue to staff our competitions with certified athletic trainers who will perform concussion checks any time a head injury occurs, and if a concussion is suspected, per Iowa Soccer policy players will not be able to return to play until cleared by a medical professional.
Background Checks
While coaches have been required to pass background checks in previous years, this year we are doing a more in-depth check and extending the requirement to any adult that has regular interaction with minors, which now includes checks of all club board members. This deep-dive check meets the standards that have been put forth by the National Council of Youth Sports by looking at federal, state, and local records for all counties in which the individual has lived for the last five years.
Every child, and his/her parents, should expect to have a safe soccer experience. In today's society, that means a lot of people behind the scenes are submitting to extra training and in-depth checks in order to comply with laws, requirements, and policies of various organizations and ultimately contribute to a safe environment.
You can be assured that every coach we clear has had an extensive background check, has taken a 30-minute training on concussion education, and a 90-minute training on his or her role as a mandatory reporter for abuse.
So, as we launch another soccer season, please make sure to thank our coaches especially, and also thank our staff to ensuring player safety is our #1 priority! They have invested the time to make your child's experience in soccer as enjoyable and safe as it possibly can be. And finally, please consider volunteering to coach or fill a role in our club…the soccer community as a whole needs help expanding its volunteer base so we don't continue to rely on the same group of people who raise their hands and say "I'll help!"
We develop the PERSON, and then the PLAYER. We IGNITE a love for SOCCER.