FAQ's

Recreational (House) League

Q. How can I register my child for a recreational (house league) program?
A. Registration is done online. Select the recreational program you're interested in from the drop-down menu above and look for the registration link.

Q. When will I know what team my child has been assigned to?
A. The team's coach will contact you 1 week before the season begins to introduce themselves and the team.

Q. Where will the games be played?
A. It depends on your child's division. We utilize a variety of fields and facilities, and the location of your child's games will be dependent upon field availability in any given season. A tentative schedule is posted in early January for the upcoming outdoor season. The final schedule, which will closely approximate the tentative schedule, will be posted 1 to 2 weeks prior to the first game. To view a list of our fields/facilities and their locations, click here.

Q. I want to volunteer my time to assist the NTSC. What positions are available and what is required?
A. Our primary ongoing need is for coaches. The requirements and responsibilities for these positions are as follows:

Coaches are responsible for organizing a team, running practices and directing the players during games and scrimmages. Coaches should have solid teaching and leadership capabilities – the ability to effectively interact and guide the players is more important than in-depth soccer knowledge and experience (altough these are definite assets). NTSC provides ongoing training and support to coaches to help with the technical aspects of the role; above all, though, our coaches should be good communicators, well-organized, committed to the job, willing to learn and dedicated to following and upholding Club policies and regulations. Requests by 2 individuals to coach together will be honored if at all possible, and Coaches' children who are in the age division will be assigned to their team. A detailed Coach position description is here.

Other volunteer opportunities are listed here.

Q. Can I make a special request about the team placement of my child (i.e. that they be placed on the same team as a friend of theirs)?
A. Unfortunately, NTSC is unable to honour such requests except for siblings, and because of their on-field responsibilities, the children of 2 Coaches per team. Our primary objective in the recreational (house league) program is to develop skill-balanced teams, and honouring such requests would undermine this process. Remember, though, that making new friends can be a great experience for a child – not to mention their parents! 

Q. I have two children who are quite close in age, but qualify for different age divisions. Can the younger child move into the older age group to play with their sibling?
A. We cannot move a player into an older age division to honour requests of this sort. This would be unfair to other players, who legitimately belong in that age division, who may be turned away to accommodate the younger player. In rare circumstances, however, if one division is full and the next-oldest age division is in need of players, the Club may – at its discretion – move one or more players up into the older age division, with the agreement of the parents. But we will not accept registrations that are dependent upon this or any other condition.

Q. We are planning to take an extended vacation that conflicts with the season. Should I still register my son/daughter?
A. Our house league regulations prohibit a player from missing more than four (4) games during any one session (spring, summer or indoor), including the finals tournament. Any player who will be absent for any reason should advise their coach in advance, so that the coach may prepared accordingly. Any player who contravenes our guidelines on attendance may be dismissed from NTSC, at the discretion of the Club administration and/or be ineligible to participate in the house league program the following year. Coaches are asked to keep records of player attendance and submit these to the Club.

Q. Depending on the team's schedules, our child may have a conflict with other sports/activities. Should we still register?
A. We expect that all parents registering their children in our program are willing to make a commitment to the team that their child joins. This means arriving at games before the start time, and not missing more than four (4) games throughout the session. If you cannot meet this commitment, it is unfair to the coach and other players (especially those who may have been unable to register due to the division being full) to register your child.  

Q. What is the Club's refund policy?
A. All refunds are subject to an administrative fee. See specific program registration page for deadlines. 

Q. How do I go about withdrawing my child from an NTSC program?
A. Any player who wishes to withdraw from recreational (house league) soccer and remain in good standing with the Club must advise the administration in writing, by fax (416-924-4965) or email (administration -at- ntsoccer.com) no later than the second scheduled game in the session. Players failing to do so will lose their good standing with the Club and may be ineligible to participate in NTSC programs in the following year. Players may only withdraw after this time and retain their good standing if there are certifiable medical reasons or unique compassionate circumstances, in which case the administration must be promptly notified.

Q. How do I know if a game is cancelled due to bad weather?
A. In some cases, games may be cancelled ahead of time if there is prolonged rainfall – any such announcement would be made on the website and via texting for families which provide a cell phoen number. In most cases, however, decisions about whether to start or continue games will be made at the field by the referee. Unless you have been advised via the website or your coach that a game will not be played, you should proceed to the field as scheduled. For more details, view our weather/rainout policy.

Q. When will player photos be taken?
A. Schedules will be posted on our website and coaches will be advised.  Photography schedules may change because of weather.

Q. Can my child play with earrings?
A. No. The NTSC Laws of the Game state that players may not wear anything during the game that endangers themselves or another player – this includes jewelry such as earrings. We strongly advise parents not to have their child's ears pierced near the beginning of the season if this would result in the player being unable to remove their earrings for several weeks. No player will be allowed to play unless the referee is satisfied that they do not pose a safety hazard to themselves or any other player.

Q. Will my child be allowed to play if he/she forgets his/her shinguards for a game?
A. Due to safety and liability concerns, no player will be allowed to take part in a game, under any circumstances, unless they are wearing shinguards. Our referees have been advised that there are to be no exceptions to this rule, so please be mindful of this fact when preparing for each game.

Q. I have concerns about a coach or referee. To whom should I direct them?
A. For coach concerns, please speak to your division's convenor or the recreational administrator (administration -at- ntsoccer.com). For referee concerns, please contact the head referee at: referees@northtorontosoccer.com.

Q. How can I obtain tax receipts?
A. Please click here for information.