What is the All-Star program?

The purpose of All-Stars is to provide those Coaches and Players that have demonstrated superior skills, effort, attitude, team play and commitment the opportunity to continue to develop their coaching and playing skills in a more competitive environment against teams with similar skills.

How are Coaches & Players Selected?

Coach Selection

Coaches in good standing with the Region are selected by the Region Executive Board with guidance from the Division Director and All-Star Coordinator, in 10U through 14U divisions. Coaches who wish to be selected are expected to participate in the coach development program and to observe players throughout the season. All Star coaches typically have a higher level of experience in competitive play, higher level of AYSO coaching certification and/or hold a USSF coaching license.

All Coaches interested in being the Head Coach or Assistant Coach of an All-Star team must apply by submitting a completed All-Star Coach Application. Please contact your Division Director for details.

All-Star Coaches and Assistant Coaches must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered as a Coach or Assistant Coach for an All-Star team: 

• Must have been a Coach or Assistant Coach in AYSO in the current fall season;
• Must have the minimum coaching certification required for that age division;
• Must be registered as a volunteer and be current on Safe Haven, CDC concussion, and Sudden Cardiac Arrest certifications.

In selecting coaches, the Board will consider, among other things, coaching ability, years of experience, higher levels of coaching certifications, additional training accomplished, Referee certification, discipline record, and demonstrated sportsmanship of the candidate. Volunteer service to the Region will also be considered. The Selection Committee will select All-Star Coaches based upon the applications received and/or the Division Director’s and All-Star Coordinators’ recommendations. Newbury Park Region 42 is committed to selecting as many teams as possible for All-Star play, as limited by qualified coach applicants and/or player number in a particular age group. All-Star Coaches are typically selected by week 7 of the fall season.

Player Selection

Selected coaches will invite players to join Region 42’s All-Star teams. Players must have played in the Region 42 fall core program and played in a minimum of half of their fall team’s games EXCEPT as limited by documented injuries. All-Stars is open to players in 10U, 12U and 14U.

Head coaches of core teams are required to rate ALL of the players on their team, and will have the opportunity to simultaneously nominate those players they believe are of the caliber to play on an All-Star Team. Selection for All-Star teams will be based on the ratings, nomination, and observation by the All-Star coach, Division Director, and/or All-Star coordinator. There is no guarantee that every Fall team will have a player on the All Star team, or that an equal number of players will come from each Fall team.

Possible Number of Teams and Players 

• A, B & (potentially) C teams for 10U Girls & Boys, each with 9 players
• A, B & (potentially) C teams for 12U Girls and 12U Boys, each with 11-12 players
• A teams for 14U Girls and 14U Boys, each with 14-15 players.

Confidentiality

To avoid disappointing players, all aspects of the All-Star selection process must be kept confidential. Coaches should not discuss ratings or who was selected as a player for any team until AFTER the Panther Shootout Tournament ends. The Head Coaches will then notify families that their players have been invited to play on the All-Star team. This process may take several days to complete.

How long does the All-Star season last?

All-Star Tournament

Practices begin in December and the Area All-Star tournament is in January. The Area All-Star tournament is a two-weekend event, with games played on Saturday and Sunday for two consecutive weekends during the month of January. Teams that place 1st or 2nd in the Area tournament may be invited to participate in the Section All-Star tournament in February. This tournament is held in Bakersfield, CA, typically the last weekend of February. Teams that win Section may be invited to participate in the Western States All-Star tournament in March, also in Bakersfield.

AYSO Open Tournaments

AYSO open tournaments begin in December and last through June. These tournaments are fundraisers for AYSO Regions. All-Star teams may move forward as tournament teams. They do not need to keep the same players on the roster and often include substitutes as kids move on to other commitments. There is no minimum tournament entry requirement; however, typically, these teams participate, on average, in one tournament per month. Length of the post-season is up to each team with player and coach availability.

What is the time commitment for players and their families?

To join an All-Star team, we ask players and parents to commit to two 90-minute practices a week through December and January. In addition, families must be willing to put the AYSO All-Star commitment before any other sport during the January All-Star tournament. In the case where a player’s core team has qualified for League Playoffs, held in early to mid-December, League Playoff practices are prioritized over All-Star practices. Under AYSO regulations, players are restricted to a maximum of 2 practices in total per week.

Player participation in open tournaments is at the discretion of the player and parent. All-Star teams may stay together, but players are free to leave after the January All-Star. Players who leave the team can be replaced, but only with players who were registered with AYSO in the fall Core, Extra, or United programs. Guest players from other Regions are allowed in open tournaments.

Each team is required to have an assistant coach (AYSO-trained and certified) as well as support from a Team Manager. All-Star teams do not have to provide Team Referees for the All-Star tournament. However, almost all open tournaments require teams to provide an AYSO certified referee crew or forfeit their referee deposit.

How much does it cost?

All teams are self-funded with no scholarships offered; however, each team can be supported by sponsors. Players must purchase a uniform for under $80 (this includes two jerseys, shorts, and socks). Other AYSO Region 42 All-Star gear is also available through the uniform vendor.

The All-Star tournaments (Area, Section, Western States) incur no registration cost to the player, as Region 42 pays the entry fee for each Newbury Park team, typically around $450 per team. Travel costs are paid by the families should the team qualify for Section or Western States.

Costs of open tournaments are the responsibility of the players’ families with no Region 42 funding. These costs range from $450–600 for team registration with an additional cost of a referee deposit ($150–200). Depending upon the number of tournaments entered, costs can range from $325–500/per player.

Who to contact if you have any questions?

For all questions in regards to Region 42 All Stars program, please contact your Division Director or the Post-Season Coordinator.