FAQ

Soccer has been designated “the beautiful game” because it brings people together, locally, and globally. By establishing a club located in Pike Road, we aim to draw like-minded people together from our nearby community and beyond to a club founded on player development and the pursuit of excellence. Not only do we strive to grow participation in this beautiful game but also support the goals of a growing community while developing the next generation.

Yellowhammer FC is dedicated to player development. A development pathway illustrates the different levels of development at certain times in their soccer experience. We have designed a specific development model that informs both coaches and players what is desired at each level of development. If the pathway provides the road, the development model provides the mile markers for success.

At Yellowhammer FC the end goal for each player is a combination of their personal ambitions and their parent’s desires. We strive to develop players with the character, competence, and commitment necessary to pursue the highest dreams they have and succeed on and off the field. We believe soccer serves as a means for not only exercise and enjoyment, but through the game players learn key life skills, opens opportunities for college, and even enables a future career playing or coaching at the highest level.

The cost is based on the player pathway and can be found under program fees. Fees cover the club sanctioning & administration, insurance, coaches’ salary, Playmetrics management platform, field use fees, and all training & match fees (sessions, tournament entry fees, and referee fees). Depending on the Development Pathway the fee may also include additional training opportunities, video recording & analysis, film sessions, college recruitment support, and access to Techne personal training application (for mental, physical, and technical skill enhancement).

Yes! We seek to create a community at Yellowhammer FC and having multiple kids from the same family is a great way to work towards that. We offer a 5% discount for families in Academy/Competitive/Elite offerings with multiple kids in the club. The discount is applied to the player fees for each additional family member.

FALL: A typical Fall Elite/Competitive/ Academy season runs approximately 23 weeks. Player evaluations take place in May. The Fall Season starts in mid-July and ends in mid-December. 

SPRING: A typical Spring Competitive/Academy season runs approximately 14 weeks. The Spring Season begins in early February and ends in May. Player evaluations take place in December. 

DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE: The Developmental Program is approximately 10 weeks. 

The Development Program is for kids ages 4-10 (U5-U10) with little to no experience in the soccer and introduces them to the game. Players participating in the Developmental Program will have one training session per week and one match per week. The training session is run by a coaching team that consists of one professional trainer and 1-2 volunteer parents. The professional coach leads the training session with the assistance of the volunteer parents. For the match, the professional coach serves as a referee and overall match coach while the volunteer parents assist with running the substitutions, providing encouragement, and reinforcing lessons taught in the training sessions.

The Academy Program is an introduction to competitive soccer for kids ages 7-12 (U8-U12) that have at least a little experience with soccer. The Academy Program focuses on introducing and improving key aspects of the four pillars of the game. The Academy Program is the first level in the developmental pathway where we begin to instill the consistency of a commitment to training to our young people. Academy Program players train twice a week with a professional training staff as a pool of players. 

Players at Yellowhammer FC will spend about 5x as much time in training as they do playing matches. Training is where player development takes place. Matches complement training by offering players the chance to put on a uniform and continue their learning process by

competing against other players that they don’t know and getting immediate feedback.

Players will be scheduled for ~15 matches in the season. Matches will be against other club Academy programs in either organized playdates or tournaments. Playdates consist of 2-3 matches on a Saturday. Our Academy Program will participate in ~2 tournaments a season. A tournament consists of 3-4 matches spanning a Saturday and Sunday. The travel distance for a playdate or tournament is not intended to exceed 100 miles (or 90 min drive time) from Montgomery, AL.

The Competitive Program is designed for kids ages 11-19 (U12-U19) that have demonstrated the aptitude, attitude, and ambition to play soccer at a higher level. The Competitive Program is designed around maturing players development across the 4 pillars of the game to a level that increases their long-term success and opens playing opportunities beyond their high school years. Competitive Program players train twice a week with additional optional skills training available. Players are given access to the Techne training app and expected to continue personal development on their own for at least 20 min per week. It is in the Competitive Program where we seek to instill responsibility for personal growth.  

Players at Yellowhammer FC will spend about 5x as much time in training as they do playing matches. Training is where player development takes place. Matches complement training by offering players the chance to put on a uniform and continue their learning process by competing against other players that they don’t know and getting immediate feedback. 

Competitive Program teams will play most of their matches in tournaments, participating in ~6-7 tournaments over the course of the 23-week season. At least one to two of the tournaments will be College Showcase events, depending on the age group of the team. The furthest tournament for the Competitive Program is intended to be at most ~4 to 5-hour drive time from Montgomery, AL. Competitive Programs will also be scheduled for local friendlies against other club’s competitive programs. Yellowhammer FC operates on a Tournament-based match schedule versus a League-based match schedule. Please see below for more details.

The Elite Program is designed for kids ages 13-19 (U14-U19) that have demonstrated the aptitude, attitude, and ambition to play soccer at a premier level. The Elite Program is designed around perfecting players development across the 4 pillars of the game to a level that increases their chances at playing at a high-level collegiate program and/or professionally. Elite Program players train three times a week. Players are given access to the Techne training app and expected to continue personal development on their own for at least 40 min per week. Elite

Program players will be expected to study the game through film analysis with a technical trainer at times during the season. In the Elite Program we seek to strengthen a player’s dedication toward personal excellence.

Players at Yellowhammer FC will spend about 5x as much time in training as they do playing matches. Training is where player development takes place. Matches complement training by offering players the chance to put on a uniform and continue their learning process by

competing against other players that they don’t know and getting immediate feedback.

Elite Program teams will play most of their matches in tournaments, participating in ~5-7 tournaments over the course of the 23-week season. At least two to three of the tournaments will be College Showcase events, depending on the age group of the team. For the Elite Program, it is imperative to have the teams play at highly competitive tournaments and showcases for players to get visibility and ranking. The furthest tournament distance is dependent on tournament selection (which is informed by club staff and team families). Elite Programs will also be scheduled for local friendlies against other club’s highly competitive programs. Yellowhammer FC operates on a Tournament-based match schedule versus a League-based match schedule. Please see below for more details.

League-Based: A League-Based match schedule means the preponderance of a team’s matches for the season are based on participation in a league the club has signed the team up for. Leagues can be sanctioned by US Youth Soccer, United States Sports Specialty Association, or US Club Soccer (lead organizations that supply the insurance for the players). There are several leagues across the US that exist at the national, regional, and state level (e.g., Elite Clubs National League – ECNL, Girls Academy – GA, ECNL Regional – ECRL, Mid South Conference, Gulf States Premier League, Southeastern Clubs Champions League – SCCL, etc.). Each state may have more than one league. Alabama has one state-based league: Alabama State League- ASL. Leagues are formed to offer teams a structure for matches and opportunities for competition at varying levels. Leagues tend to culminate with an opportunity to compete for a state, regional, and national league conferences/cup. 

League organizations charge the club and the team to participate in the league, ranging from $600-$3000 depending on the type of league. Teams are also responsible for referee fees for matches played at home. Winning a league bracket tends to afford the team eligibility for the league conferences/cups. The eligible team would still be responsible for paying an additional fee to compete at the conference/cup. Certain leagues allow sanctioned clubs to attend the qualifying conference/cup without playing in or winning a league bracket (e.g. SCCL Cup).

A league traditionally consists of 6-12 matches per season depending on the bracket size. In most leagues you can expect to play the same team twice, once at your home field and once at the opposing team’s facility. Participation in state league in AL would require teams to drive as far as Huntsville and Mobile for a single state league match (~3-hour drive). If participating in a regional league, an away match would be at least a 3-hour drive and could be an upwards of a 7-hour drive. A club that follows a League-Based match schedule will also plan a few tournaments for their teams to increase the match count for the season.

Tournament-Based: A Tournament-Based match schedule means the preponderance of a team’s matches for the season are based on participation in tournaments. Tournaments are hosted by other clubs, corporations, or governing organizations. There are different types of tournaments, some that consist of round robin, semi-finals, and finals, others that are showcases and consist of 3 matches only. Today nearly all tournaments have a 3-match minimum standard. The purpose of a tournament is to draw talent from across different clubs and leagues and provide concentrated competition over a single weekend to determine a top team or provide a venue for college scouts to observe players.

Tournaments require an entrance fee ranging from $400-1300 per team depending on the type (standard tournament or showcase), number of teams participating, and level of  competition. If the tournament is out-of-state or a distance away, there will be an overnight stay at the tournament location and require the additional cost of transportation, lodging, and food for the player and/or family. Please see information below on group travel options.

Tournament selection allows control over the specific dates of matches, the distance of travel, and degree of competition for each team. A club that follows a Tournament-Based match schedule will also plan a few local friendly matches for competitive events at a home field.

At Yellowhammer FC we are dedicated to development. Given the current state of the league structure in Alabama and the surrounding region, we believe that a Tournament-Based match schedule versus a League-based match schedule is optimal for our players and families. Providing players and teams with matches that test their ability and offer them an opportunity to compete is vital to their development.

We believe a League-Based match schedule puts a greater strain on families than the benefits provide, even if participating in the Alabama State League. The league administrators decide which bracket the team participates in establishing who and where the team will play. In Alabama participation in a league, either state or regional, demands a high travel commitment for a single match (i.e., Huntsville, Mobile, Georgia, Florida, etc.). Participation in a league does guarantee home matches, but you must play the same teams twice. For a league match date are coordinated between coaches and the league just prior to the start of the season, resulting in limited control and late awareness for families over the scheduled events. A League-Based approach also typically includes a few tournaments which means there is at least one scheduled event for most of the weekends in the season. State-league is more cost effective than other leagues, but to gain higher levels of competition from a league families must assume the higher cost and travel requirements of regional/national leagues.

We believe a Tournament-Based approach, increases the control a team has over who, where, and when teams play and the level of competition. By using tournaments to schedule the preponderance of the matches, teams can set their schedule months prior to the start of the season (e.g., for the Fall season by late May/early June). Tournaments also increase the benefit of travelling for a match by guaranteeing 3 matches versus just 1. A Tournament-Based approach ensures the teams will compete against other clubs outside of the state and even region, increasing the players exposure to different levels of competition and playing styles. Matches provide an immediate learning and feedback. Playing multiple matches in a weekend provides greater opportunity for learning as players adjust their performance one match to the next and varying circumstances over a short time. Tournaments also provide an opportunity for players to be evaluated by college coaches. Unless a team is competing and/or wins a league regional or national conference, college coaches do not pay attention to league play. An additional benefit of tournament participation is the opportunity for team, player, and family bonding. At Yellowhammer FC, building a community is central to our mission and the more time our players, teams, and families spend together the stronger our community. Additionally, tournaments provide life experience to players and teams as they deal with the responsibility and experience of traveling to a tournament. Even in a Tournament-Based approach, the teams will have home matches organized as friendlies between other clubs.

Selecting a Tournament-Based match schedule means there are times when the teams will have to stay overnight at the tournament location. For lodging Yellowhammer FC will secure group hotel rates and options for players to be chaperoned and share rooms with other players/families. For transportation, Yellowhammer FC is partnering with rental car companies to ensure there is group transportation options for teams. For food cost, the teams will manage this by group meals and bulk options. Also, club sponsorships and fundraising are used to offset the cost of travel for players to tournaments.

Uniforms are ordered by the club as a bulk order for the teams. Following player selection and commitments, players will be asked to provide size requirements to the club manager. If the initial deposit and uniform kit payments have been made, the club will submit the players uniform order with the bulk order and have uniforms within 2 weeks. Uniforms will be distributed by the coaches to the players at the opening season camp. 

A link for additional club gear is available, please see gear deck here.

All payments are made through the Playmetrics portal (either through the website or Playmetrics app). You will have the ability to see your specific fee requirements based on your player(s) registered program. You have the option to set up automatic payments to make monthly payments or you can make a one-time payment.

Playmetrics provides parents and players visibility on their team’s calendar of events.

Playmetrics is the platform used for all communication between players/parents and the coach or club. Once committed and assigned to a team, the player and parents will have access to several communication tools within Playmetrics: messages (email), chat, alerts, and notifications. All these tools are available through your Playmetrics login. You can send emails to or chat with individuals or groups within the club. Please see our Yellowhammer FC Communications Standards document for more information on expectations for communication.

Yellowhammer FC takes the safety of our players, coaches, and families very seriously. We monitor weather conditions and will communicate via Playmetrics messages and alerts if there is a cancellation or modification to a  scheduled event. We strive to make cancellation notifications as early as possible to prevent wasting people’s energy and time traveling to an event unnecessarily. However, we also balance the timing with the specific weather conditions to ensure we are not needlessly cancelling an event for temporary conditions. 

There are covered areas at the field location for unpredictable, real-time inclement weather events.

Yes! Yellowhammer FC is committed to lowering the financial barriers to participation. The Yellowhammer Scholarship Fund assists families with financial need by covering a portion of a player’s fees and/or travel expenses. Funding for the Yellowhammer FC scholarships comes from a variety of sources including donations from businesses, families who want to help other Yellowhammer FC families, and Club-organized fund raisers.

Scholarships can be granted in almost any amount dependent on the circumstances, but we aim to stick to these principles:

•  Scholarships can cover the cost of up to 2/3 of the player fees. Players are responsible for the remaining 1/3 and uniform kits.
• Scholarships can cover the cost of up to 2/3 of a player’s tournament lodging and transportation expenses. Remaining 1/3 and food costs are player’s responsibility.

Please fill out the Scholarship Request Form. Any player who qualifies for a scholarship will be required to fulfil 4 hours of community service per month. Yellowhammer FC has partnered with business in the community that provide options for where to conduct volunteer hours.

There are several ways to support the Yellowhammer FC Scholarship Fund, to include:

• “Rounding Up” your own player fees and the extra will be put in the Scholarship Fund account.
• Send a tax-deductible donation to Century Church, P.O. Box 640104 Pike Road AL,36064  - We have partnered with Century Church, the owner of our home field complex to join in building a community around sports in Pike Road. All donations made for the Scholarship Fund through Century Church will be applied directly to the Yellowhammer FC Scholarship Fund. 
• Use FlipGive to earn cashback and apply earnings to Yellowhammer FC Scholarship Fund.