Centre Soccer Association

What the club offers

Youth programming spans very young beginners through teenagers: early childhood work focuses on fun and basic skills, while school-age players move through structured in-house training and games. Recreational play uses local parks, local travel competes around Centre County and neighboring communities, and higher-commitment travel aligns with PA West and, for some players after evaluation, Penn United divisional travel. Adults can join pickup sessions, seasonal recreational and competitive leagues, and the State College Premier League. Behind the games, CSA invests in coach development, referee training, and special events that keep the wider soccer community active.

In-house youth programs

The FUNdamental track serves roughly U5 through U8 with coed groups, a one practice and one game rhythm each week, games without recorded scores, coach-led restarts instead of referees, and coaches allowed on the field to guide learners. U5–U6 sessions pair CSA with Soccer Shots staff and Eric Wales for weekday training while volunteer parent coaches support Sunday games; U7–U8 uses parent coaches with CSA curriculum support and on-field assistance from Wynter Adams, a former Juniata College player. Training and games for these bands take place at Circleville Park in Port Matilda.

The developmental program covers roughly U9 through U13 with ability-based groupings for one training day and balanced teams for other sessions, games, and festivals. U9–U10 trains at Circleville Park; U11–U12–U13 trains at Homestead Park in State College. The curriculum stresses technical growth and introduces basic tactics, with scrimmages against other CSA teams and chances to play neighboring clubs. Staff may identify developmental players for travel rosters. A girls-only U9–U10 pilot pairs twice-weekly training at Fogleman Fields with Sunday 7v7 games at Circleville for players who meet the pilot’s prerequisites.

Travel, tryouts, and high school local play

Local travel teams for about U9–U15 form from developmental players, tryout attendees, and coach referrals. Those teams train two or three times a week in fall and spring (winter and summer training optional), play PA West Sunday games in towns such as Bellefonte, DuBois, Tyrone, and Philipsburg, and expect a year-long commitment. Birth-year registration follows PA West rules tied to a July 31 age cutoff. Travel tryouts use a no-cost PlayMetrics signup, with evaluation sessions held at Fogleman Fields; after tryouts, families may be directed toward recreational in-house soccer, Division 5 local travel, Penn United divisions, or other development routes.

A separate high-school-age local travel offering serves players born 2007–2010 with a spring season from mid April through early June, Sunday kickoffs between noon and 5:00 p.m., and a $99 player fee that includes a team shirt while players supply black shorts and socks. Rosters cap and registration can close when full; athletes may participate alongside other club commitments.

Adult soccer

Adult players pay a $40 annual membership that bills automatically with the first registration each year. Pickup soccer—geared toward intermediate and experienced players—typically meets Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings around State College when grass fields are open, with extra turf sessions other parts of the year; pickup registration is covered by that membership. A women-only pickup session runs Monday evenings before sunset; it is free currently and rolls into the adult membership starting in 2026.

The coed adult recreational league targets intermediate players and newer adults who should try pickup first if unsure about level; teams are built from free-agent signups with optional friend pairing, play Sunday nights at 7:00 p.m. at SCASD North Field across spring, summer, and fall segments, and cost $65 per player per season. The 11v11 winter scramble runs five Sunday matches in November and December at North Field for $70 per player. Winter futsal on Sundays at C3 Sports (January–February) and the SCPL summer 8v8 scramble on Tuesday and Thursday nights at Fogleman Field Complex each cost $70 per player. The 8v8 B-League plays Friday evenings (with occasional Tuesdays) in spring and fall for about $70 per player across at least seven games.

The State College Premier League operates as a team-based spring and fall competition with a $825 team registration fee, Sunday afternoon windows, and rosters formed by captains who issue PlayMetrics invites—individuals without teams email league commissioners for placement help.

Mission, development philosophy, and policies

CSA’s mission is to provide a safe, fun place for every age and skill level to learn soccer while building character on and off the field. Programming through about U12 centers on individual skill before leaning harder into team tactics for older travel groups. Families register with credit cards, and CSA applies a $15 late fee inside the final two weeks before a season starts to cover rush uniform and scheduling costs. Withdrawal refunds for FUNdamental, developmental, and many adult offerings follow tiered deadlines with a $15 administrative fee inside the last two weeks before play or during week one; travel fees are generally non-refundable after acceptance except for narrow board-reviewed cases detailed in CSA’s travel policy.

How to reach the club

General youth and program questions go to programs@centresoccer.com or CSA’s online contact form. Mail may be sent to P.O. Box 32, State College, PA 16804. Travel-specific questions belong at travel@centresoccer.com. Adult programming questions route to adultsoccer@centresoccer.com; Premier League and scramble topics use SCPL@centresoccer.com, and B-League uses BLEAGUE@centresoccer.com. Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts share field status and seasonal reminders between formal emails.