Click here for a registration link.

Click here for additional assistance registering. 

Please contact our Registrar Alexis Bejarano (registrar@nortac.org) if you have additional questions. 

Click here to review the differences (and many similarities) between these two programs. Sparta Tacoma teams are our highest level teams that begin at U9 (currently birth year 2015’s). 

I want in as a coach for this program! How do I do that? 

Click here to see our coach checklist. 

Steps 1-13 must be completed BEFORE the first practice session. 

If you have any additional questions on the coach registration process through Sports Connect, please contact our Registrar Alexis Bejarano (registrar@nortac.org).

Our first focus is on helping kids develop the best possible behaviors to optimize their character development. Click here to review our principles of coaching that guide our learning environments. 

Curriculums and ongoing guidance are provided to each volunteer coach and specific learning objectives are utilized for each age group. Click on a curriculum below to review your son or daughter’s age group:

Sparks

U6

U7

U8

U9+ 

For ALL (practice and game events): 

Soccer ball with name on it. 

Cleats

Shin-guards (not required for Sparks)

More than enough water. 

Enough layers. 

Red NORTAC jersey (these will be distributed at the first practice session). 

Black shorts and socks (family purchases their own).

Usually schedules are finalized  a couple of weeks prior to the official start of the program. Each family will receive an introductory email from their coach including coach background and schedule for your Sparks group or older team. 

Yes - the Director of the program needs enough time to create teams, assign coaches and finalize schedules. The deadline is July 31st. 

The earlier a family registers, the more likely they will secure a place in the program and any friend and coach requests can be met. Friend and coach requests are not guaranteed. 

In-house programming will definitely take place for age groups up to birth year 2016.  For age groups older than birth year 2016, our priority is in-house programming rather than an alternative league such as the SSUL (see more information on this league in another FAQ below). Age groups may be combined to create enough teams for an in-house league. 

Birth year 2019 to 2018 groups are the most likely to be co-ed. Birth year 2017+ groups are more likely to be single gender groups. 

There are no teams, sessions are shorter (45 minutes), and there are no weekend games (two events per week instead of three). 

There are also different objectives in terms of what each kid learns to do with the ball. Most activities will involve kids moving with their own ball through tried and tested games that bring smiles to their faces! 

If your son or daughter is a birth year 2019 (U5), they have the choice of either participating in the Sparks program or our U6 program. 

If your son or daughter is new to soccer or this will be their first experience with soccer instruction, they should be registered in our Sparks program.

Players are predominately grouped by birth year. The objective within each group is to have as much parity in competence between players as possible. 

During the registration, families can submit a “friend request” for a friend within the same birth year.

Playing up or down an age group may be considered if it makes sense developmentally for a player. Final decisions on placements will be made by the Director of Coaching. 

These are additional league organizations that NORTAC may utilize if they do not have enough teams to create their own in-house league. Click here for more information on the SSUL league and here for more information on the PCSA league. 

Character development is a critical piece within all NORTAC programming. Click here for NORTAC player agreements. We view families as partners in the experiences of each child, so we continually provide parent education to optimize the teaching we provide. Click here to see NORTAC parent agreements.

YES! Enthusiasm to work with kids and a willingness to learn through the guidance of the Director of Coaching are the most important components. All volunteer coaches are required to complete child safety certifications and commit to NORTAC Coaching Agreements (click here to view) prior to coaching in the program. 

I would like to coach in the program but the preliminary practice days don’t work with my schedule. Can I still coach a team?

Let’s talk! Likely we can accommodate your schedule, particularly if it is a pre-arranged group of kids that can also practice on the days that you are available.