General Club Overview – Frequently Asked Questions

When Is Each Season?

  • Fall Outdoor: Sept – Nov, Dec OFF for all teams except NorCal Purple teams in State Cup
  • Winter Indoor/Futsal: Jan – March
  • Spring Outdoor: March – May
  • Summer Camps/Fitness: June – Aug

What do registration fees cover?

Fees cover club membership, coaching, team practices, technical development, goalkeeper training, game coaching, referees, fields, league fees, staff and player passes, equipment, insurance, administrative management.

Why are registration fees "increasing" this year?

Girls Unite is NOT increasing pricing from last year to this year. We are including three items in one price that were previously split into different fees through the year: State Cup Tournament ($250) + 1 additional Tournament ($150-300) + Winter Practices 2x/week from Jan-end of Feb ($250).

Are There Additional Costs?

Yes, additional costs may include personal gear, uniforms, tournament registration fees, team parities, and/or coach gifts.
PERSONAL GEAR & SUPPLIES NEEDED TO PLAY
  • Cleats or turf shoes
  • Shin guards
  • Soccer ball (age-appropriate)
  • Uniform kit via California Team Wear, one time purchase (jerseys, black shorts, black socks)
OPTIONAL EXPENSES
  • Additional tournaments (e.g. registration fees, travel expenses, etc.)
  • Private or semi-private coaching
  • Girls Unite spirit wear (e.g. club backpack, sweatshirt, jacket, etc.)

Do You Provide Financial Assistance to Play?

Girls Unite is committed to making high-quality soccer programming available to as many girls as possible.  For financial assistance with payment plan arrangements, please complete our Financial Assistance Request form. Once an offer is made and you are part of the club, a financial aid request link will be provided during windows of registration.
Please be sure to submit a separate request for each player. A new submission is required for each new season. Assistance is provided on a first come first serve basis and is subject to change from season to season.
Read more about financial aid eligibility criteria and application process here.

What are our home and away jersey colors?

Girls Unite competitive teams will wear purple jerseys at home games and grey jerseys at away games. Always bring both to all games. The home team is obligated to change if there is a color conflict.

How often do uniforms change style?

Our uniforms generally change every two or three years. We will have a new uniform in Fall 2022.

Can I request a jersey number?

Recreational players will be assigned jersey numbers on a first come first serve basis.
Competitive players will be assigned jersey numbers by Girls Unite staff after a competitive team offer is accepted and registration completed.  New numbers will be assigned for Fall 2022 – Spring 2023 season as we wish not to duplicate jersey numbers within an age group (and therefore we are not able to allow comp players to request specific numbers).

How Many Coaches Are On Each Team?

  • One head coach is assigned to each team; many teams have an assistant coach or a Junior Coach, in addition.
  • A Goal-Keeper Trainer is available to all goal-keepers.

Are Any Specialized Trainers on Staff?

Girls Unite have many professional female coaches on staff who incorporate specialized training for players at no extra cost, including:
  • Running Specialist
  • Strength & Conditioning Trainer
  • Goal-Keeper Trainer

How many practices per week are there?

Practices are 1-3 times per week depending on age and level of the team.

Are Additional Practices Available?

  • Additional technical and training sessions are offered for players who are interested.
  • If your child cannot attend their team practice, they can practice with another Girls Unite team in their age-group.
  • To make arrangements for either scenario, please contact us.
Contact Us

What Day/Time/Location Does My Team Practice?

For all teams, we do not know the exact days & times of practices until closer to the start of the fall or spring season. Many things need to be taken into consideration when scheduling all of our teams’ practices, most importantly fields we have available to us (which many are managed and assigned to us by SFRPD). Only after receiving our field allocations from the city, can we schedule practices which are also based around coaches’ schedules.We appreciate your patience & understanding in this process.
  • For recreational teams, Girls Unite does requests fields in proximity to schools players attend and based on input from team parents.
  • All practices are held in San Francisco.
  • All practice & game details will be listed on TeamSnap — the sports team management & communication tool used by Girls Unite to share essential details with families & players.
  • Fall season practices run from the last week in August – third week in November.
  • Winter “I” practices run from last week in Nov – third week in January. Most teams take December off unless they’re participating in State Cup (Purple NorCal teams)
  • Winter “II” practices run from last week in January – third week in February. SFRPD breaks Winter season into two permit cycles. Practices may change mid season.
  • Spring practices run from last week in February – third week in May.
Login to TeamSnap

How Do You Communicate with Families and Players?

  • TeamSnap is the online communication platform Girls Unite uses to share key information among families, coaches & Girls Unite administration pertaining to team logistics (i.e. fields, times, days, important updates that impact play, etc.)
  • Monthly newsletters will be emailed to provide club-wide opportunities, highlights and special event information.
Login to TeamSnap

What is the Girls Unite Refund Policy?

Registration fees are non-refundable past the designated deadline date (see player handbook for additional details). No refunds will be granted to players who drop out during a season or during their one-year commitment to the club. Additionally, no refunds or discounts will be granted if your child does not attend a team tournament or team camp. fees cannot be applied to other Girls Unite camp, clinic, or services.
Our refund policy takes into account that a player’s acceptance of a team position has the effect of denying another player an opportunity to play on a Girls Unite team or participate in a scheduled program. Additionally, Girls Unite also incurs costs each time a player registers to play soccer (administrative, staff, insurance, etc.).
Special cases may be brought to the Board of Directors for consideration: please email info@girlsunite.org.
Read Player Handbook

Does Girls Unite Follow SF Park & Rec Residency Team Requirements?

  • Girls Unite abides by all SFRPD team residency requirements
  • All players must submit residency proof when registering with the club according to SFRPD guidelines
  • For teams 9th grade and older, no more than 3 non-residents are allowed per team. For teams 8th grade and younger, no more than 2 non-residents are allowed per team.

What is Girls Unite Philosophy on Playing Time?

  • Girls Unite works to give all recreational and micro players equal amounts of game playing time.
  • Girls Unite works to give all competitive players that attend their team’s weekly practices playing time in games.  Players can have conversations with their coaches on how to increase their playing time in games, and find additional playing time opportunities/guest play in addition their team’s scheduled season games.

What is Club Soccer?

Club soccer is synonymous with competitive soccer, and is more selective and requires a larger commitment than recreational soccer. Girls Unite club/competitive soccer offers professional coaching, team practices, technical practices, goalkeeper training, and a diversity of competitive game experiences. With club soccer, tryouts are held to identify players and offers are made. Higher commitment involves personal drive/enthusiasm, growth mindset,2-3 practices per week, and a willingness to travel (within the Bay Area) for games and tournaments. Competitive teams play both fall and spring seasons, and often train together/maintain fitness in winter and summer as well.

Why does Girls Unite offer NorCal Travel rather than SFYS Upper House?

  • NorCal has many levels of play, including from Copper and Bronze which are appropriate for new/rising competitive players.
  • With more clubs and teams participating in NorCal, there is better matched skill-level competition for your player. This makes for a more positive experience (versus highly mismatched divisions) and is positive for player development.
  • In addition there is exposure to a broader range of opponents, as well as a diversity of playing styles.
  • More professional referee officials leading to a positive playing environment.
  • Most teams in the Copper and Bronze division will play 6-7 games within the city, and the 3-4 remaining games being within the Bay Area (~45m drive one way or less). Many of our travel teams carpool and have no problem making games.
  • NorCal gives Girls Unite more flexibility with game scheduling allowing coaches with multiple teams to be more consistent with their team games
  • NorCal greater flexibility in game scheduling also allows games to be moved as mass team conflicts arise (spring break etc)
  • NorCal provides coaches with professional development opportunities
  • NorCal allows fluid movement for guest play so players are able to increase their playing exposure for better player development. For example, players who are excelling at their current level will have the opportunity to play at a higher level or age group in order to challenge/develop their soccer game skills/IQ. In other instances, guest playing may be offered to cover roster spots when an older team has players unavailable and/or injured.