A. Yes. After the Fall season, your team stays together to play more games in the Spring season.

A. Bears Academy is scheduled for 14-16 training sessions during the Fall & Spring.

Rec League is scheduled for 15-20 games during the full season, which includes the Fall, the Spring, and Soccer Days.

Travel League will have 16-24 games. 8 games each for Fall and Spring Seasons. 4 home and 4 away around N.E.O.

Travel will also be scheduled for 2 tournaments (1 each season) where teams could play between 3 and 4 games.

Adult will have 5-16 games in the summer

A. Yes. We have some Rec players who only play Spring soccer. Registration for Spring soccer is typically in Mid January.

A. First, register your child in the age-appropriate group based on their birth year. Than…

Bears Academy & Rec League players can email our Registrar to talk about what options there are and what is best for the player.

Travel League players can email our Travel Director.

A. We do not take player, team, or coach requestions.

Players are placed in Leagues based on birthyear, and on teams based on the need of the division.

A. Our goal is to have a balanced league. Each team should have a reasonable chance to win all of their games. Doing that is incredibly tough. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. We do our best to make sure each team has a mix of players of different ages and different experience levels.

A. We hope that our families can understand that we can not accomidate the requests of our over 1000 players.

A. Bears Academy & Rec League: Unfortunately no. With close to 60 rec teams and a 200-player Academy program, the schedule doesn’t have room for any rescheduled dates.

Travel League requires rescheduling and is done  through the Travel Director.

A. Cleats, shin guards, a ball, and a water bottle.

Soccer Cleats

• Metal cleats or cleats with a toe cleat in the front are not permitted (like baseball or football cleats)

Shin Guards completely covered by socks.

Water bottle labeled with the player’s name

Size-appropriate ball labeled with the player’s name

• Size 3 ball for U5 and U6 Bears Academy, and for League7
• Size 4 ball for U9 through U12 Rec and Travel teams under 11 years old 
• Size 5 ball for U15 Rec and Travel teams over 11 years old

Weather-appropriate clothing (the end of Fall and the start of Spring can be cold & wet)

A. Bears Academy & Rec League jerseys are included in the registration fee and will be given to each player before the first game/training session. Academy & Rec does not require uniform shorts or socks.

Travel League players will need to purchase a full uniform kit. 

A. Great question and we are glad you asked! Just talk to any member of the NRSC Board of Directors. They can give you more information about our program. You can also reach out to any of us.

A. Because you are a wonderful person! You and the players will cherish this time for the rest of your lives. Not to mention, you get a free coach’s shirt! 

A. Soccer Days is a tournament. it’s a fun time for all of our rec program to showcase what they've been learning.

A. Yes, they have a special program on Sat. The program is designed to showcase what they have been learning all season.

A. Travel League does not participate in Soccer Days. However, they are typically scheduled for 2 tournaments.

A. Yes, we have a Summer Camp every year that is run with the help of Players and Coaches from North Royalton High School. 

A. We do. Normally at the end of April during the Spring season. Information will be sent to coaches to share with their teams. 

A. Bears Academy doesn’t have weekday practices, they only have Saturday training sessions.

Rec League practices for the Fall usually start near the end of August.

Travel League practices for the Fall usually start the first week of August.

Travel and Rec spring practice are both at the end of March. Schedules will be sent to coaches and players after registration closes.

A. Practices for both Rec and Travel are on weeknights from 5p-6:30p or 6:30p-8p* at Churches and Schools around North Royalton. Coaches choose the time and place from our options. Players will be notified when and where practices are the week before practices start. 

Rec League practices once a week.

Travel League practices twice a week.

*In the Fall we start to lose daylight in October. We shift practices slightly to accommodate. Coaches will let their teams know when this officially happens. 

A. Yes, teams will practice together one night a week. Players will be notifies of the day and time the week before practices start.

A. That’s not really a question, but don’t freak out. Players will typically hear from their coach a week or two before practices are supposed to start. If you haven’t heard from your coach by mid-Aug (for the fall) and mid-March (for the spring), you could freak out, OR just email the Rec League Director and we’ll figure out what is going on. 

A. Bears Academy: Schedules will be posted  about a week before the first training.

Rec League: If all goes smoothly, about a week before practice is supposed to start. 

*Schedules are subject to change for a variety of reasons. Always check the site and with your coach about an upcoming game.

Travel League: If all goes smoothly, about a week before the games are supposed to start. 

If you have players in multiple programs, all of your shcedules will be in the same place.

A. Rec League & Bears Academy: The majority of our games are played at Lucille Heasley Soccer Field (Heasley) on Saturdays. In the Spring, when the weather isn’t great, we have some games at Serpentini Stadium or other locations. Check the schedule for details.. 

Travel league: Home games are typically played at Lucille Heasley Soccer Field (Heasley) on Sundays. Some games can be at Memorial Park Field. Away games can be anywhere in N.E.O.

A. Lucille Heasley Soccer Field, Commonly referred to as “Heasley” is located at

5100 Walings Rd, North Royalton, OH, 44133.

Near the corner of Wallings and State.

Across the street from the NR Library and YMCA.

A. The length of our games can vary from age to age and from season to season. 

Check with the caoches for more details.

A. As well as FIFA’s “Laws of the Game”, our Rec League has a few other in-house rules.

A. Take them out. Earrings and other jewelry are NOT ALLOWED.

Almost certainly someone will show up for week one with earrings. They cannot play with earrings. They have to come out, even if they were just pierced.

No, you cannot put tape over them.

A. For the safety of everyone on the field, players with casts, braces, splints, etc. will not be allowed to play, unless it is covered by padding or similar material. The padding may be done by wrapping the cast in foam, bubble wrap, or another soft material.

The wrap MUST cover the entire cast, be inspected, and be approved, by a Referee prior to the player taking the field.

Players need to have a “return to play’ note from a doctor.

A. No, North Royalton city ordinance prohibits pets on city game field properties.

Yes, signs are posted at Heasley.

For “Service Animal” expectations, please talk to a board member BEFORE bringing a pet to Heasley.

A. We play. Soccer is played in the rain and other bad weather as long as it is safe for the players.

If the fields are unplayable, practices and games will be canceled.

If there is thunder or lightning, games will be paused for 30 minutes.

A. There are two reasons we can’t play on soft fields.

The first, and most important, is injuries. Not only for today but for the future. What ends up happening is we get “divots” in the ground which increases the chances for future injuries, not to mention injuries received playing on the soggy field. 

The second reason is that it hurts the fields for the rest of the season. When we “tear it up” early in the season, it makes it harder for the rain to absorb in future storms causing even more long-term damage to the fields. This is one of those instances where caution is king.

A. No. Absolutely not! It’s a game, and this is a learning league for EVERYONE! The players are learning, the coaches, the referees, and even the fans are need to learn how to be spectators.

It is very hard to find referees. Nationally there is a huge shortage because no one wants to get yelled at anymore. Most of our referees are kids and they WILL make mistakes. Referees make mistakes at all levels including professional matches.

Lets not even talk about the fact that our refrees are trained. Chances are, they knows a lot more about the soccer rules than anyone on either sideline. Yelling at a kid over a call at a recreational (or travel) game is stupid. Don’t do it.

If there is a problem with a referee, coaches should make a note on the back of the scorecard when they sign it. We will look into it. If you feel strongly that you would like to complain, wait 24 hours! If you still feel like there is a problem, contact a Member of the Board of Directors.

A. What you think is rough, someone else might think is just playing hard. It’s subjective. Take two kids, give them a ball to chase after running at full speed, and some of them are going to bump into each other, get their feet tangled up, trip, and fall. Some of the falls will look horrific. Then one or both of the kids will cry.

Someone will surely yell, “Come on ref! You gotta call that!”

Even if the ref did call it, the kids would still be on the ground crying. You’d still be mad, and most likely both kids will be fine once they stop crying.

Do some games get out of hand? Yes, and the referees are given instructions on how to handle that. But yelling at them is not going to help. It’s actually going to make things worse.

If you are a coach and you think the game is getting too rough, politely ask the referee to be more strict on the calls. Usually, it’s one or two players who are playing too rough, and asking the referee to keep an eye on them is the best way to handle that. 

A. What? You want to yell at the ref about their calls but you don’t know what off-sides is?

That’s ok, a lot of people get confused by this one.

Basiclly, it is a form of “cherry-picking.” Staying close to the opposition’s goal waiting for the ball.

Here is the rule simply put:

• An attacking player, when in the opposition half, must have at least two opposition players, between them and the opposition goal when a pass is played forward to them.

A. No, we don’t have those kinds of facilities at this time.

A. We would hope that all players, coaches, referees, and parents use their heads regularly.

But NO, heading is not allowed in any of our Bears Academy or Rec League age groups.

Travel Soccer allows heading at the U12 age level and above. 

A. By October and usually early in the Spring, it WILL BE COLD. Come prepared, dress warmly.

Not often, but we have played in the snow before. We still live in Northeast Ohio.