It’s hard to believe, but the end of the 2021-2022 soccer year is coming soon! This means it’s time to document the transition from the current soccer year to the upcoming 2022-2023 soccer year.
On the field, we’ll stay in the moment and focus on the here and now. We have more control over our current activities than we do over the future.
Parents will have questions related to the future: age groups, tryouts, coaching assignments and other factors. We’ll update this post with more details about the transition as more details become available. You can also ask your coach after any upcoming practice.
Quick links:
Age groups:
Our girls with 2014 birth years graduate from the Junior Academy program and will be eligible to tryout for the Tophat 2014 Girls Academy program (aka U9). Girls with 2015 birth years will be eligible to return to the Junior Academy Girls program for a 2nd year. Link: soccer age chart
Differences between Junior Academy and U9:
There are many similarities between the Junior Academy (2015) and U9 Academy programs (2014). Here are the main differences with the U9 program:
- Game format: The standard U9 game format is 7v7 including goalkeepers.
- Schedule: U9 game days include more outside opponents, and have roughly a 50/50 mix of home and away games. (Away games are usually in the metro Atlanta area.)
- Tournaments: U9 teams typically play local pre-season and post-season tournaments.
- Ball: U9 (through U12) players use a size 4 soccer ball.
Guest week / pre-tryout camp:
The Tophat Academy will host “guest week” practices the week of May 9, where prospective players can practice with Academy players and coaches. The guest sessions are available to Junior Academy and Academy prospects who want to check out the program.
Past years have included a pre-tryout camp, where current Junior Academy / Academy players had an opportunity to practice with the older Academy age group. There won’t be a pre-tryout camp this year. Current Junior Academy / Academy players will continue to practice with their current age groups through the end of the spring season.
Tryouts: May 23-25
Tryouts for all Tophat Academy programs for the 2022-2023 soccer year start Monday, May 23rd. Check our tryouts page for more information.
If your daughter will miss tryouts, be sure to notify her upcoming age group’s coach well in advance to review options. Link: coaching assignments
Tryout volunteers needed:
Coaches Ashley (U9 / 2014) and Ward (Junior Academy / 2015-2016) are looking for 1-3 parent volunteers to staff the tryout sign-in tent each night. Roles include greeter, data master (confirming player info on pre-printed registration lists) and artist (marking tryout numbers on players’ arms).
If you’re available to help any of the nights, please e-mail the appropriate coach and include which night(s) you’re available: Ashley Stinson (U9/2014 tryouts) or Ward (Junior Academy / 2015-2016 tryouts).
Coaching assignments:
The 2022-2023 NASA Tophat Marietta Academy coaching assignments are the same as they were for the 2021-2022 soccer year. Link: coaching assignments
Other questions:
If you have questions about other parts of the transition, please feel free to send them our way and we’ll address them.
Fees:
Fees for the 2022-2023 Junior Academy program remain the same as they have been since the 2018-2019 soccer year. Link: fees for the U9 and older Academy programs
Uniforms:
We’re finishing the first year of a 2-year uniform cycle. Families of returning players won’t need to order new uniforms unless they need to replace items their daughter has outgrown or lost. Link: uniforms
Academy Team Camps:
Our 2022 Academy Team Camp runs August 1-4 during after school hours.