What is the Family Cap?
Region 84 wants to help every kid that wants to play soccer be able to play soccer. We have a financial assistance program, and during our main seasons (fall and spring), we put a family cap on the division fees a single family has to pay. We know that the cost of soccer can really add up for our Region 84 families with many kids, so these caps are a way we help keep the costs manageable for them.
What are the different fees for soccer?
Understanding the different kinds of soccer registration fees helps understand how the family cap works:
Division Fee: this is the main registration fee that the Region charges. For the fall soccer season, it's $150/player for most divisions (for our youngest players born in 2021, it's $75/player). This family cap only applies to these division fees. The other fees below are added on top.
AYSO National Player Fee: this is a $25/player fee charged by the national AYSO organization to cover various costs, including insurance. This fee is charged only once a year in the fall (and is incorporated into the fall registration fees), and will will not be charged again until the following fall even if your child plays multiple seasons during that year. The region cannot waive or refund this fee. You can read more about this fee here.
Credit Card Transaction Fee: this is a $2.75 transaction charge that the vendor charges to process the registration transaction. The Region cannot waive or refund this fee.
[Note: for those players in the Advanced Extra Play Program, there is an additional Extra Play Program fee as well that is not a part of the Division Fee family cap]
How Does the Family Cap Work?
During its two fall seasons (fall and spring), the region will put a total cap on the amount of DIVISION FEES a single family has to pay for all of its players. For fall 2024, the family cap is $400. That means, a family will not pay more than $400 in DIVISION FEES.
However, as indicated above, there are other fees that the Region does not control (cannot waive or refund) that a family has to pay on top of the capped division fees, i.e., the $25/player AYSO National Player Fee and the Credit Card Transaction Fee (and for those in the Extra Play Program, the additional Extra Play Program fee).
Can You Give Me an Illustration of How The Family Cap Works?
You betcha! Let's say you have 4 kids playing in the fall. It's helpful to compare what costs would be without and then with a family cap. WITHOUT A FAMILY CAP, here is what would have been the fees for 4 players:
4 players x $150/player division fee = $600 (without cap)
4 players x $25/player AYSO National Player Fee = $100
1 x Credit Card Transaction Fee = $2.75
TOTAL: 702.75
Now, WITH A FAMILY CAP, here is what you will pay:
4 players x $150/player division fees = $600 $400 (family cap applied)
4 players x $25/player AYSO National Player Fee = $100
1 x Credit Card Transaction Fee = $2.75
TOTAL: 502.75 (saving $200)
How Does the Family Cap Show Up on the Registration Transaction?
The family cap works by discounting the 3rd player and beyond in a family.
The first two players in a family would not hit the $400 family cap at $150/player for the division fees ($300/total for two players). The $400 cap is hit with the third player registered, and is in fact exceeded by $50: 3 players at $150 division fee/player = $450 ($50 over the family cap).
The way the system processes the cap is that it gives a $50 discount to the third player to keep the total family division fee costs to $400. Each additional player after the third is discounted by the entire $150 division fee since the cap was hit with the third player. That is, if you have have 6 kids in the family, you will pay the full $150 division fee for the first two players; the third player will pay $100 division fee (with a $50 discount); and then all the other players' division fees are discounted by the full $150 since the division cap fee was hit.
Again, on top of the division fee (whether capped or not), you will pay the $25 AYSO National Player Fee per player, and the one time Credit Card transaction fee.
I'm confused. How Much Does the Family Cap Actually Save Me?*
With 1 or 2 players in your family = the family cap doesn't kick in so it doesn't have any impact. With 2 players, for example, you will pay $300 in division fees ($150 x 2), $50 in AYSO National Player Fees ($25 x 2), and the $2.75 Credit Card Transaction fee, for a total of $352.75.
With 3 players in your family = the $400 family cap would save you $50. The division fees are capped at $400 instead of having to pay $450 ($150 x 3) without the cap. On top of the $400 capped division fees, you will pay $75 in AYSO National Player Fees ($25 x 3), and the $2.75 Credit Card Transaction Fee, for a total of $477.75.
With 4 players in your family = the $400 family cap would save you $200. The division fees are capped at $400 instead of having to pay $600 ($150 x 4) without the cap. On top of the $400 capped division fees, you will pay $100 in AYSO National Player Fees ($25 x 4), and the $2.75 Credit Card Transaction Fee, for a total of $502.75.
With 5 players in your family = the $400 family cap would save you $350. The division fees are capped at $400 instead of having to pay $750 ($150 x 5) without the cap. On top of the $400 capped division fees, you will pay $125 in AYSO National Player Fees ($25 x 5), and the $2.75 Credit Card Transaction Fee, for a total of $527.75.
With 6 players in your family = the $400 family cap would save you $500. The division fees are capped at $400 instead of having to pay $900 ($150 x 6) without the cap. On top of the $400 capped division fees, you will pay $150 in AYSO National Player Fees ($25 x 6), and the $2.75 Credit Card Transaction Fee, for a total of $552.75.
And so on...
*Note: all the scenarios above are assuming that all the players in your family are in a $150/player division, which is all divisions EXCEPT our youngest division for kids born in 2021, which has a division fee of $75/player. If any of your kids are in that division, subtract $75 from the total costs indicated above.