Saint Paul Youth Athletics

Saint Paul Youth Athletics offers a wide range of sports, including adaptive athletics, baseball, basketball, flag football, lacrosse, soccer, futsal, slowpitch softball, T-ball, machine pitch, volleyball, sailing lessons, boating lessons, and the Sunnies developmental swim team. Participants in youth sports are grouped by age into 4U (ages 3–4), 6U (ages 5–6), 8U (ages 7–8), 10U (ages 9–10), 12U (ages 11–12), 14U (ages 13–14), and 18U (ages 15–18). Each participant may request to be paired as a “buddy” with one other friend, with sibling pairs and children of two adults coaching the same team together automatically buddied unless requested otherwise.

• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Fall sports registration opens June 1 at 9am, with soccer, flag football, and lacrosse in the fall; soccer and futsal in the spring (indoors) and fall (outdoors); baseball, slowpitch softball, T-ball, and machine pitch in the summer; basketball in the winter; volleyball in the spring; registration months are January for volleyball and indoor soccer (futsal), March for baseball, lacrosse, softball, and T-ball, June for soccer, flag football, and lacrosse, and September for basketball, with each sport’s regular registration period lasting one month.
• Price: Soccer and flag football are free for ages 9 and up, lacrosse is free for ages 7 and up and is also described as free for all ages in its program age range, basketball is free for ages 9 and up, and slowpitch softball and volleyball are free for all ages in their program age ranges; if registration fees apply, there is an early bird discount during the first 5 days of registration (25% off on the 1st day, 20% off on the 2nd day, and 10% off on the 3rd, 4th, or 5th days), all refunds are subject to a $10 administration charge unless the program has been canceled or filled, and no refunds are granted after the first season game has begun.

Participants 8 and younger register in one of three service areas (Northwest, East, or South), and participants 9 and older register by recreation center, with exceptions for softball and baseball, which register by service area. There is no residency requirement, and every child and teenager up to 18 is eligible for Saint Paul Youth Athletics, with people who live in the city having first choice of all programs and participants who do not live in Saint Paul possibly paying an additional registration fee. Players may not play on more than one team in the same age group, and Saint Paul Parks and Recreation offers coaching and officiating opportunities as well as field and facility rentals. All gender identities are welcome, and participants may register on the sports team that aligns with their gender identity or, if they do not identify as male or female, on the sports team of their choice. Adaptive athletics are offered year-round, with options for adults too, and many youth sports are free for young people who live in Saint Paul, with a fee assistance program available to help make sports with registration fees accessible to all.

Saint Paul Parks and Recreation states that its athletic programs for young people are built on the principles of fair play, good sportsmanship, and respect for one’s self and one’s opponent, and that it expects everyone involved in youth athletic programming to contribute in a positive manner to a healthy environment where participants will feel safe and welcome and find their athletic experience rewarding. Working in partnership with many community organizations, the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy secures private financial support for parks-related projects throughout the community.

Last updated June 27, 2026.