Manhattan Kickers Soccer Club

What the club offers

Fall recreational soccer runs as an intramural league from roughly September through November. The region expects on the order of six hundred players in a typical fall cycle, with games on Saturdays and Sundays depending on age and division, one weekly practice teams are strongly encouraged to attend, and a season length near ten weeks including playoff and championship weeks at the end. Beyond team practices, the league arranges free skills sessions for field players and goalkeepers, opened to defined age groups on set schedules. Head and assistant coaches are volunteers who receive baseline training suited to the age group they lead. MKSC operates as American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Region 1378, so the familiar AYSO idea that everyone plays—regardless of prior experience—applies to recreational signup.

The travel program targets families who want competitive soccer. Teams train under paid coaching in that pathway, commonly on a twice-a-week training rhythm with weekend league games. Travel teams compete in the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL). Most travel games stay inside the five boroughs; some teams also play regularly on Long Island or in Westchester. Total player development on and off the field anchors the travel side, and the program works to keep travel expenses comparatively low with help from parents and volunteers.

Tryouts, registration, and volunteering

Travel roster spots hinge on tryouts the club announces when it is filling or forming teams. Notices have included walk-up tryouts with no advance registration, afternoon start times, a Manhattan field address, and a short gear list—cleats, shin guards, water—plus an upbeat, developmental tone. Because birth-year teams and seasons rotate, families should ask the club for the tryout block that matches the age group they care about rather than relying on any single past date.

Recreational player registration for Region 1378 runs through the AYSO online registration system (StackSports / Blue Sombrero portal for the region). Parents can flag volunteer interest on the application or reach out about coaching, refereeing, team manager roles, or regional coach-administrator needs. Every coach, referee, and team manager must register through AYSO national (eAYSO) so background and reference checks can be completed. Coach and assistant coach candidates complete Safe Haven and age-appropriate coaching coursework; prospective referees attend certification clinics. High school-aged referees can earn community service credit and a full fee refund after they officiate ten games.

Mission, community extras, and how to reach MKSC

The mission is straightforward: introduce as many children as possible to soccer, strengthen sportsmanship, grow participation, and help kids who love the game sharpen their skills. MKSC also promotes Kick It Forward, a year-round soccer gear donation drive aimed at keeping equipment in circulation for families who need it. General mail reaches the club at Peter Stuyvesant Station, P.O. Box 1284, New York, NY 10009. For recreational questions, volunteering, or regional soccer administration topics, email kffnyc@aol.com. Enrolled families also use TeamSnap for team sign-in and ongoing communication.