In order to meet the demand for organized youth activities this summer, Somerville Youth Soccer will offer a Summer 2020 program.

Format: One or possibly two weeknight or Saturday sessions per week of no-contact drills and exercises

Ages: Kids currently in Grades 2 to 8 (so kids entering Grades 3 to 9 in the fall), regardless of whether they played in the Fall 2019 season or registered for the Spring 2020 season

Dates: Lasting seven weeks from Monday, July 6 to Saturday, August 22

Fields: Mostly Capuano Field, East Somerville Field, and Winter Hill Field -- and possibly Tufts Triangle Field, Lincoln Park, and Dilboy Stadium

Registration: Anticipated to launch on Friday, June 19

Cost: Registration costs will be historically low.
- $35 for regular registration
- $25 for early bird registration during the first week of registration
- no-cost, no-questions-asked registration for families requiring financial assistance

SYS understands that some families will be ecstatic to get their kids out of the house and onto soccer fields, while others will be concerned about participating in youth sports right now. It will be up to each family and volunteer to decide whether they want to participate, and there are no expectations that anyone take part.

The guiding principles for these summer sessions are going to be FUN, FLEXIBILITY, and SAFETY.

FUN: After three months of virtual home confinement and social isolation, the goal is to give kids an opportunity for a structured, outdoor physical and social activity. While they won't be able to do scrimmages or games during Phase II (these are listed as permitted during Phase III), making these sessions enjoyable for the players will be a priority.

FLEXIBILITY: This is uncharted territory for everyone. None of the SYS volunteers have run a summer program before, much less on short notice during a global pandemic. So everyone involved is going to be asked to be patient, understanding, and adaptable when something doesn't meet expectations or a surprise occurs.

SAFETY: The public health experts who have overseen the drop in new COVID-19 cases both in Somerville and Massachusetts have come out with the guidelines for youth sports that will be used for this summer session. In order for this to work, total buy-in is needed and 100 percent compliance with these policies will be a condition of participation. Failure to comply will mean that the adult or child in question will need to leave the session immediately.