Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)- KidsPlay

What can I do to help insure my child has a positive experience in a KidsPlay program?

• Be your coach’s teammate. If there is any guidance you can give our coaches that might optimize your child’s class experience, please pass that guidance along. Parent updates on medical/behavioral/personal issues help our coaches to create lesson plans and define expectations of  individual players and the overall group.
• Set some reasonable baseline expectations for your child in the program. If they have a rough week, review those expectations. When they have a strong week, support and recognize their growth in class.
• Don’t overdue it, but practice outside of class. Any time you can spend throwing or kicking a ball around in the backyard will greatly help your child’s development.
• See the team. All KidsPlay programs are team activities. Try to avoid fixating on your child’s performance. Instead, look at how they interact with teammates, opponents, and their coaches. Encourage them to learn from more experienced players, and be a leader to younger/inexperienced players.

What does my child need to bring to class?

Here is a list of equipment needs for all classes:

Soccer:

There is no mandatory equipment for PC (Ages 3-4) and Level I Soccer (4-6). 

Blue Division (Ages 6-8) and Red Division (Ages 9-12) League players must have shinguards. 

KidsPlay provides a ball for all players to use during training time.

NFL Flag Football:

A mouthguard is mandatory for all age levels. All players receive their own flag belt. 

Floor Hockey: 

A mouthguard is mandatory for all age levels. KidsPlay provides sticks, eye protection, and full goalie equipment.

T-Ball: 

There is no mandatory equipment for any age level of T-Ball, but we suggest bringing a glove/mitt to class. KidsPlay provides bats, balls, bases, batting tees and a handful of extra gloves if players forget. 

Can I register for a class directly with KidsPlay?

Sorry, no. All registration is handled directly with our school district partners.

Where can I find the latest registration information for KidsPlay programs?

• Look for the “Registration Links” column at www.kidsplaywny.com
• Click on the .pdf file for the programs closest to you.
• In addition to schedules, fees and locations, each of those.pdf files contain a direct link to online registration.
• If you have any questions regarding KidsPlay programs, we encourage you to call, text or email your questions to us. It’s always pretty easy to track us down by calling/texting 480.2374 or emailing us at  kidsplay@me.com

What is the best way to insure we get a spot in class?

KidsPlay classes usually fill quickly which makes us happy and sad… 

We’re happy because a quick-to-fill class reaffirms that parents and children like KidsPlay a lot and spots in our programs are tough to obtain. The sad side of the story is that almost every session, longtime friends of KidsPlay find themselves closed out of a program.

Our best advice is to register on the first day of registration. For most programs, you are assured a spot in class if you register on the first day. Online registration seems to be the quickest and easiest way to get into a class. 

If you wind up being closed out of a class, consider registering for KidsPlay in a neighboring school district. Contact us at 480.2374 or kidsplay@me.com for registration info on the district closest to you.

Can KidsPlay squeeze my child into a class that is full?

There are a variety of reasons why we can’t and we won’t bore you by listing them all here. First and foremost, it’s an insurance issue. If an accident ever occurred in a class that had been overbooked, our liability insurance premiums would skyrocket and KidsPlay would likely have to shut down completely.

Is it worth it to place our name on a waiting list to get into a class?

Yes! People pull out of classes for dozens of reasons. Schedules change, children get injured or fall ill— and sometimes a child isn’t ready to participate in a structured youth sports program like KidsPlay.

If you are one of the first three names on the waiting list, there is a 10-30% chance a spot might open up for you.

And even if you are the 41st name on a waiting list, there’s always the possibility that a class with a heavy wait list leads us to find some gym/field space to open additional classes.

Can I register my 4 year old for a 5-6 year old class?

Sorry, the restriction we have from our insurance carriers is that all players must be of age by their first scheduled class.

The only exception we are allowed to make to this restriction involves the transition from instructional play up to KidsPlay leagues. Once a child is enrolled in KidsPlay, they progress to more advanced levels of play based on their ability, not their age.

Can my child play on the same team as a friend?

Usually, yes. Building existing friendships and forming new ones should be a big part of playing sports.

The only thing that ever prevents us from grouping friends together on a team is 1) if both friends are outstanding players and grouping them together creates an overly dominant team or 2) we have a string of 5+ players and grouping them together affects the balance of the league.