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BAYS - Boston Area Youth Soccer, is a league serving over 50 towns and open to teams ranging from Under-10 to Under-18. U10 teams play 6v6, U11 & U12 teams play 8v8, U14 and older teams play 11v11. High School age teams play only during the spring to avoid conflicts with school programs. The inter-town competition is often very competitive. Teams are placed in brackets with opponents from other towns thought to provide close competition from within roughly the I-495 boundary. Typically, each opponent is played twice during a season, once in Cambridge and once away. Game times are usually the same from week to week throughout the season, with games on Saturday for U10-U14 and on Sunday afternoons for the U16/U18 teams in the spring. Most BAYS teams practice twice weekly.
BAYS teams are organized according to player ability. Players are ranked using Player Placement Assessments and Coach Evaluations during the spring. These rankings are used to place boys and girls onto teams that best meet their soccer skills and interests, so that they are challenged but not overwhelmed. Ability-grouping is the priority; thus, friends cannot expect to play on the same BAYS team if their playing abilities differ widely. BAYS teams also are formed over the summer and generally stay together through the following spring.
BAYS is a good option for children who are looking for more intensive work on soccer skills, physical fitness, and game strategy and, for middle school players, who may be thinking about playing High School soccer. Participation on a BAYS team requires a larger time commitment from the players and the away games are often harder to get to.
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