CDA Slammers Adopt Seasonal-Year Age Group Formation Cycle (Starting 2026-27 Season)

CDA Slammers will transition to a seasonal-year age group formation cycle starting with the 2026-27 season. This aligns with the practice used by ECNL, NPL, SoCal League (US Club Soccer), and Club Premier National League (US Youth Soccer) across the US Soccer ecosystem.

 

What’s Changing

  • New cycle window: August 1 to July 31 (registration and team formation)
  • Current cycle remains for 2025-26: Birth Year (January 1 – December 31) remains in place for the 2025-26 season
  • Transition timing: The 2026-27 team formations will begin during tryouts for each designated age division.

 

Why This Change

  • Aligns with the academic calendar used by most school districts across the United States.
  • Standardizes onboarding, competition scheduling, and development pathways
  • Reduces scheduling conflicts and creates a more predictable, family-friendly rhythm
  • Follows recent announcements across the broader U.S. Soccer youth ecosystem

 

Leadership Statements

“This shift to a seasonal-year formation cycle is about putting players first—creating a more predictable, family-friendly rhythm that aligns with school calendars and reduces scheduling conflicts. We are committed to the long-term development and enjoyment of the game for every participant.”
— Alex Camargo, CDA Slammers Co-Executive Director

 

“As one of the largest youth soccer clubs in Southern California, we have enough teams in every age division to facilitate all of our players so they can continue their development journey through CDA Slammers and take advantage of our pathways.”
— Walter Camargo, CDA Slammers Co-Executive Director

 

Implementation Highlights

> August 1, 2026: Player registration and team formation begin for the 2026-27 season
> July 31, 2027: End of the 2026-27 seasonal-year cycle
> 2025-26 season: Maintains the current Birth Year cycle (January 1 – December 31)

 

Quick Q&A

Q: Will this affect players already in a birth-year track for 2025-26?
A: No. The 2025-26 season will continue under the Birth Year cycle. The new seasonal-year cycle starts with registrations and formations in August 2026 for the 2026-27 season.

Q: How will tryouts be impacted?
A: Team formations for 2026-27 will be initiated during tryouts, in line with the new August 1 start date.

Q: Will this apply to all CDA Slammers programs?
A: Yes. The transition covers ECNL, NPL, SoCal League (US Club Soccer), and Club Premier National League (US Youth Soccer) pathways.

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