AYSO Region 889 Youth Soccer Programs

AYSO Region 889 Youth Soccer Programs offers youth soccer through a Fall Core Program, a Spring Program, All-Stars, the EXTRA program, and the EPIC Program. The programs include options such as All-Stars for players with strong skills and commitment, the EXTRA program for advanced players seeking a competitive soccer experience, and the EPIC Program for children and adults whose physical or mental disabilities make it difficult to participate on mainstream teams. In the fall U5 to U7 program, friend requests are permitted and attempted to be honored, scores and standings are not kept, and competitive imbalances are managed by coaches by sharing players and adjusting numbers on the field.

• Ages: 4–14 years old
• Schedule: The fall season usually starts near the end of August and plays through the middle of November, and teams formed after winter tryouts play in the Spring season to prepare for the primary Fall season, which starts August 1 and runs through mid-December.
• Price: The registration fee for the EXTRA program is approximately $250, plus additional costs for custom Extra team uniforms, exclusive Extra training camps with ProTouch soccer, and tournament fees; club soccer costs can range from $2,000 to $3,000.

In the fall program every year since 2010, a player draft based on player ratings is used for 8U to 19U divisions, where coaches choose their teams, including assistant coach and players, and first- and second-year players and referees are balanced and distributed across teams. In the spring program for U8 and up, coaches and teams from fall are allowed to continue, recruiting of players from other fall teams is discouraged, and balanced teams are created through flighting into competitive brackets with re-flighting midseason and again for the Spring Tourney, while Region 889 tries to place all kids in the spring program rather than running a Spring Select program. All-Stars is open to players in 8U, 9U, 10U, 12U and 14U who played in Region 889's Fall Season, provides a more competitive environment for players with superior skills, effort, attitude, team play and commitment, and excludes players in the EXTRA Program, who are not eligible to participate.

The AYSO EXTRA program is available for boys and girls in age groups U9 to U14 and is presented as an affordable alternative to club soccer, with a focus on player development for those aiming to play at higher levels such as high school or competitive club teams. Players are selected for EXTRA through an open tryout process after the Fall Season, typically held in late November or early December, where defending, attacking, speed, ball control, game knowledge, attitude, effort, and player and parent commitment are evaluated. Participation in EXTRA requires a one-year commitment covering both Spring and Fall seasons, with players required to be registered with AYSO and prohibited from participating in other club or non-AYSO soccer programs during the Fall primary season, including practicing or guest playing for other clubs, and from playing on club teams during the fall EXTRA season. Teams formed after winter EXTRA tryouts play in the Spring season to prepare for the primary Fall season, the EXTRA gaming circuit includes teams from Los Angeles to San Clemente for older divisions (U10+), younger divisions (U9) play locally in South Orange County communities such as Lake Forest, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Ladera Ranch, and Aliso Viejo, professional trainers support the program to enhance individual player skills, EXTRA coaches are volunteers trained through AYSO’s advanced programs with certifications exceeding the age group they coach, and players are guaranteed a minimum playing time of half the game.

The EPIC Program provides a quality soccer experience for 4-year-old children and adults whose physical or mental disabilities make it difficult to successfully participate on mainstream teams, and all EPIC players have the opportunity to play a minimum of one-half of each game. EPIC teams may include players who are blind or visually impaired, amputees or players with conditions that impair mobility, players who are mentally or emotionally challenged, players with autism, and players with Down syndrome.

AYSO Region 889 emphasizes good sportsmanship, positive coaching, balanced teams, and everyone plays, and states an objective of creating a safe and fun soccer environment for the kids of Aliso Viejo. AYSO Region 889 uses local field usage in neighborhood communities and operates as part of AYSO, which is a volunteer organization. The EXTRA gaming circuit for Region 889 is sanctioned by Section 11, and AYSO Region 889 has the highest spring participation in Area 11L (South Orange County) every year. AYSO’s broader community involvement includes a partnership with BEEUP Snacks as the Official Fruit Snack Partner for the 2025–2026 season, a partnership with Chicago Public Schools to enhance youth sports programming, a partnership with the US Center for Mental Health & Sport focused on player and volunteer wellness, and a partnership with Northland Sports Alliance expanding soccer programming in Kansas City.

The mission statement for AYSO Region 889 Youth Soccer Programs is “Providing world class youth soccer programs that enrich children's lives.” Michael Karon, President of AYSO, was recognized by Stack Sports for his impact in the world of sports volunteering, and Brandon Miller is listed in the leadership team.

Last updated June 28, 2026.