Soccer Club of Guilford

What the club offers

In-house recreation (SCOG calls it In-House Rec) covers U4 through U9 in a non-travel, in-town model: U4–U5 Tikes use clinic-style activities, U6–U7 Micro soccer plays 4v4 without a goalkeeper, and U8–U9 rec adds two weeknight practices plus Saturday games at U8–U9, with U9 moving to 7v7 including a goalkeeper. Older travel programming is organized for players from U10 through U19, including competitive and travel-recreation teams, with tryouts used for selection on tryout-based travel teams and roster rules that prioritize Guilford residents when numbers allow.

For spring 2026, Stack Sports enrollment for the club included high-school travel divisions (U15/U16 through U18, boys and girls) at $175 per player for a season running April 1 through June 14, 2026, with a March 28, 2026 registration cutoff on those divisions for that cycle. Spring 2026 In-House Rec for U4–U9 was offered at $130 per player with registration closing April 26, 2026, on-field spring play from early April through early June, and the same In-House Rec enrollment carrying season dates through August 31, 2026. Add-on spring 2026 Friday clinics at Calvin Leete School included a six-session shooting and finishing block priced at $90 (U9–U15, 5:00–6:15 p.m.) and a free goalkeeper clinic for players already enrolled in a SCOG season program, with sessions scheduled April 10 through May 15, 2026. Summer 2026 half-day camps (9 a.m.–12 p.m. at Calvin Leete, lead trainer Orlando Estrada) were tiered at $150 early bird through February 28, $165 March 1–April 30, and $175 from May 1 onward, with camp weeks July 6–10 and August 3–7 and age groupings U7–U9, U10–U12, and U13–U14 for that camp season.

SCOG keeps Guilford High School boys and girls soccer team updates next to its youth programs.

Costs, payment rules, and help

Registration charges are due in full at checkout or through an offered payment plan at the time of enrollment; unpaid carts may be removed after about twenty-four hours. Families may pay a payment plan balance early by recalculating the final amount to the full balance before submitting payment. Limited financial assistance may be available on a sliding scale when requests are made during early-bird In-House Rec windows; assistance does not apply to increased fees after early bird ends, income verification may be required, and after completing the registration path for a player who needs aid, families must notify the treasurer promptly or risk automatic cart removal. Every processed refund carries a $10 administrative fee per transaction; full registration refunds are available until regular registration closes, fifty percent refunds apply between the close of registration and the first practice, and no refunds are issued after the first practice except rare exceptions approved in writing to the club president, with additional rules for premier or comp deposits.

The In-House Rec refer-a-friend incentive rebates $20 toward the next IHR season for each referred new IHR participant, with no cap on stacked referrals, and IHR remains open to players from all towns. Travel tournament support includes one included in-state tournament per season for comp and travel-rec teams, with the club covering up to $650 of an out-of-state tournament application fee for the first such event and $0 for a second; other tournament costs, coaching travel expenses, mileage, per diem at federal GSA rates, and hotels remain the family responsibility. Volunteer roles such as board service, travel head coaches, parent assistant coaches, managers, and In-House Rec commissioners may qualify for structured player-fee rebates (for example $200 per season for many travel volunteer roles and $90 per season for IHR commissioners) when stipend forms and risk-management requirements are completed.

Where teams train and play

Home training and matches rotate across Guilford facilities: AW Cox School at 143 Three Mile Course; Bittner Park at 1400 Durham Road; Calvin Leete School at 280 South Union Street; Chittenden Park at 1 Field Road off Seaside Avenue; and Guilford High School at 605 New England Road, including stadium and upper turf 11v11 surfaces. Multiple lined grids run from 4v4 through 11v11, including dedicated In-House Rec grids at Calvin Leete.

Travel selection, residents, and community meetings

Travel tryouts determine selection when teams are tryout-based; when Guilford does not have enough players for a team, the club may supplement with non-residents rather than bump a Guilford player from a spot. In-house recreation has not excluded non-Guilford players under the written policy. General membership meetings are open to interested families at 7:15 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at the Guilford Community Center.

Mission, coaching expectations, and sideline culture

The club mission stresses fun, good sportsmanship, physical fitness, respectful attitudes, and teamwork. Recreation programming de-emphasizes winning in favor of skill development, balanced rosters, and equal opportunity to play; coaches are expected to give each athlete meaningful minutes (at least half of each match), rotate field positions including goalkeeping without forcing unwilling players before age twelve, and follow a five-goal rule that removes a player from the field after each additional goal once a team leads by five, adding players back if the margin narrows. Spectator guidelines require sitting opposite the team bench, avoiding in-game coaching or negative referee contact, and keeping pets off fields. Equipment standards require shin guards and cleats, correct ball sizes by age group, no jewelry, and hydration at practices and games.

How to reach the club

Postal mail goes to The Soccer Club of Guilford, P.O. Box 21, Guilford, CT 06437. General questions go to scoginfo@guilfordsoccer.org. Registration flow, programming communications, and events are coordinated through the Director of Programming (Mike Wnek at mike.wnek@guilfordsoccer.org). Families enroll through the club’s Stack Sports login when programs are open. Referee assignment questions can go to the referee coordinator at 203-605-6668 or eugenemulone@gmail.com.