Illinois Futbol Club

Illinois FC aims to offer all young players the opportunity to reach their full potential in soccer by providing them a safe, fun and challenging environment in which to do so, through a structured training program that prepares them for the demands of high school, ODP and collegiate competition. We are committed to identifying, recruiting and promoting the education of the best youth soccer coaches in Champaign-Urbana and its surrounding communities, as well as providing opportunities for year-round play, in hopes of fostering a life-long passion for the sport on the part of all our members. We believe that soccer has a unique capacity to foster the positive physical, cognitive and social development of our children. In so doing, we strive to enhance the respectability and identity of the club within our greater community, and hope that we might be a source of pride beyond our membership alone.

Illinois FC is dedicated to promoting the following values through participation in its programs:

1. Friendship and support of others through an emphasis on teamwork.
2. The benefit of competition and goal-setting through a proper understanding of the lessons learned from both victory and defeat.
3. Developing a sense of commitment and bonding between parents, children and their community.
4. The importance of attitude, acceptance and communication in achieving personal success.
5. The importance of personal accountability in achieving group success.
6. The development of character and courage through an honest and disciplined investment in a collective enterprise.

We further are dedicated to an organizational structure and club atmosphere patterned after traditional  soccer clubs from around the world, where each and every member has a genuine and enduring obligation to promote the success of every other member, because we believe that model is best suited to teaching the values described above.

Illinois FC is always looking for new players to expand the club and to fill slots on existing teams. For players eight years old and younger the club has an "open door" policy. Girls aged fourteen and younger are, historically, in great demand to fill the rosters of our club teams. For teams aged nine and up the club uses tryouts and skills assessments conducted by the Director of Coaching and Illinois FC coaching staff to place players on teams. The club typically finds a place on a suitable team for most players, especially in the younger age groups. In addition, we offer the role of "practice player," which involves less money and travel, but lets the players train with our competitive teams and develop their soccer skills in hopes of future success in recreational, club, or high school soccer.

Illinois FC teams are formed after tryouts during the summer and those teams stay together for two seasons: a fall and a spring season, which includes some indoor training during the winter months. High school aged boys and girls play club soccer for one season: girls in the fall and boys in the spring. Most players join the club during formal tryouts. Players who wish to join the club but cannot attend an official tryout and/or move to town in mid-season should contact the Illinois FC Director of Coaching.

June

• Tryouts are the first and second week of June for ages 8-14 boys/girls and HS Girls
• Each player is encouraged to attend both tryout dates in order for proper placement (if you CANNOT make tryouts then you must contact the DOC)
• Tryout results and team notification made within 2 weeks of conclusion of tryouts
• State Cup begins in early June for girls U12 and up
• Most teams will have completed their spring season except HS Boys

July

• Registration for U8-14 boys/girls and HS girls is the second and third week of July in Champaign/Urbana
• MUST TURN IN VOLUNTEER SHEETS FOR FALL/SPRING CUP for U8-14 and FALL CUP for U15-U18 Girls
• Place uniform orders at Soccer Country by mid-July (for teams going to tournaments/showcases in early August will need place your order in early July)
• All teams should have team meetings for upcoming fall season
• CIYSL Call for teams is the third weekend in July (Fiscal year runs from July 1st-June 30th)

August

• Season officially begins August 1st- Practice can begin the first week of August
• CIYSL scheduling meeting is the first weekend in August
• CIYSL league games for the fall season begin the last weekend in August

September

• Fall Cup volunteers should be contacted by the second week of September (tournament coordinators/committees along with Director of Club Events will have begun the planning process in July)

October

• Fall Cup typically falls on the first weekend in October depending upon U of I calendar
• High School Boys Tryouts are on a Sunday following Fall Cup (if you CANNOT make tryouts then you must contact the DOC)
• Tryout results and team notification made within 1 week of tryouts ending
• Most teams will have completed their fall season except for HS Girls

November

• Spring Registration for HS boys in early November
• MUST TURN IN VOLUNTEER SHEETS FOR SPRING CUP
• HS Boys/Girls training is offered to prepare for tournaments/showcases in Nov./Dec.
• Place uniform orders at Soccer Country before Thanksgiving (for teams going to showcases in Nov./Dec. you will need to place your order in late Oct.)

December

• HS boys/girls teams have opportunity to participate in winter showcases/tournaments
• Players and coaches take month “off”

January

• Winter training begins first week of January – March –10 wk. program
• HS boy’s teams should have team meetings for upcoming spring season CIYSL Call for teams is the third weekend in January

February

• Notify membership about Annual Meeting CIYSL scheduling/annual meeting first weekend of the month
• All teams should have team meetings for upcoming spring season

March

• Outdoor training begins second or third week of the month depending on weather
• LISC Annual Meeting Regular meeting of the board following the Annual Meeting
• CIYSL league games for the spring season begin the last weekend of March.

April

• Spring cup volunteers should be contacted by second weekend in April (tournament coordinators/committees along with Director of Club Events will have begun the planning process in January)

May

• Spring Cup is the first weekend of the month (teams competing in MRL or State Cup will take precedence over Spring Cup)
• Promotion/Advertising is sent out for tryouts for ages 8-14 boys/girls and HS Girls that will be held in June

*The dates on the calendar roughly stay the same for the following year unless otherwise notified. Preparation and planning for the Fall Cup and Spring Cup will be headed up by committees formed by the Director of Club Events and will meet monthly leading up to each tournament. In the event that a process is changed on the timeline then we will make adjustments accordingly.