Zone Boundaries Expanded to Include Under-7 and Under-9 Zone Association Registrants

Upcoming Expansion of Age Groups Bound to Zone Boundaries:                                                                                                                                                                   

 

Effective Indoor 2025-26, the current zone boundaries will be expanded to include under-7 and under-9 players who register with a zone association. Registration for the indoor season opens in June 2025 and players who are registering with a zone association in the under-7 to under-15 age groups are to register with their zone of residence. This change is intended to establish a family’s home zone at the youngest possible entry into a zone association’s programs thereby alleviating unnecessary changes at under-11 when boundaries historically came into effect. The expansion of zone boundaries for under-7 and under-9 players does not include players who register with a community association for under-5 to under-9 community league. This change only applies to under-7 and under-9 zone development league registrants, effective for indoor 2025-26 season.

 

A Permission to Play Out-of-Zone process is available on the SYSI website with a deadline of August 31 for the indoor season.

 

It is the SYSI Board’s intent that this change will be for the better good of soccer in Saskatoon as a whole and a review of the boundaries will continue to occur on an annual basis. It is our desire that the time, energy and resources of everyone involved in youth soccer, be focused on growing the game as rapidly as the city itself is growing. The world is beating a path to Saskatoon and the world’s game is a wonderful way to create lasting relationships, stronger neighbourhoods and healthier, fitter children.

 

If you are a parent and have any questions regarding this change, please contact your resident zone association.

 

How Zone Boundaries Were Born:                    

                                                                                                                                                     

Saskatoon Youth Soccer Inc. (SYSI) started as an informal collection of clubs that joined together to become a registered non-profit corporation in 1984 and member of Saskatchewan Soccer Association, with the purpose of organizing leagues, tournaments, and the overall promotion of soccer for all community associations and clubs within Saskatoon. Leagues and practices were played at Prairieland Park, warehouses, and various school gyms. As the clubs grew in size, it became apparent that greater parity was needed within the leagues to provide more meaningful competition and further grow the game. In addition to this, soccer needed a place to play as the sport was growing at a rapid pace and was becoming more and more challenging to fit the leagues and accommodate growth within the current play spaces.

 

To address these needs, in 1996 the organization became more structured with the formation of five permanent clubs/associations, each with responsibility for a geographical area or zone established under the By-laws of SYSI. These member clubs are Saskatoon United Soccer Club, Hollandia International Soccer Club, Aurora Soccer Club, Lakewood Soccer Association, and Eastside Youth Soccer Association. With the formation of the five zones, clubs became dedicated to an assigned geographical area of Saskatoon ensuring no player was left behind and all had a place to play with their zone of residence, which ultimately led to growth in registrations and better parity in the leagues. The new organizational structure also gave the Saskatoon youth soccer community the stability it needed to participate in the construction of the first dedicated soccer facility in Saskatchewan, the Saskatoon Kinsmen Henk Ruys Soccer Centre in 1998 and also played a key role in the creation of the Saskatoon Sports Centre in 2006.

 

Since inception, SYSI has been a leader in Saskatoon in connecting communities and zone clubs to the largest organized youth soccer league in the province and is one of two sole members of the two soccer facilities in Saskatoon receiving priority bookings for our leagues and programs further heightening a consistent and exceptional playing experience for our members.

 

SYSI continues to set the benchmark for league program delivery in Saskatoon and we continue to see growth in participation despite an ever changing economy. This is due in large part to our extraordinary community of players, families, and volunteers who ensure that SYSI and its member community and zone associations have a bright future.

 

Zone Boundary Review Process:                                         

                                                                                                                                   

In 2012, the SYSI Board and its members adopted an annual review process which is conducted by a committee comprised of SYSI Board and Zone Board Directors who then recommend any necessary zone adjustments for SYSI Board final consideration and approval. Adjustments are made typically every three years if a variance of 5% in registrations exists between two or more zones. Ensuring soccer registrations amongst all five zones are balanced leads to greater parity in the league and meaningful competition for all participants. The annual review provides the ability for the SYSI Board to anticipate and respond to shifts in population, registrations, and other factors which drive registration in particular neighborhoods. The zone boundaries were last adjusted indoor season 2023-24 which means there shall not be any further boundary adjustments to neighborhood assignments until indoor season 2026-27 at the earliest.