There isn't as much going on during the winter season as in other seasons. The weather is usually too wet for outdoor programs to be conducted with any reliability. Many U13 and younger competitive teams transition into indoor soccer. Some of these younger competitive club teams prepare for State Cup and Association Cup tournaments by slogging out practices and practice games. U14 and older competitive club team players on high school teams during the winter are prohibited from playing on their club teams, so club soccer for that age group shuts down completely. [Why? Click here.]

The "Short Version": SAYSO's Winter Indoor Soccer League is the most popular option for northern peninsula players. From December through early February, 50 or more teams complete in Redwood City, and so can you. This league is open to boys and girls - as individuals or combined into teams, even if they did not play on Gryphons teams during the previous fall. There are no tryouts. Since the games are held on non-holiday weekdays and weekends, and since there are only games, no practices, this fun activity fits in well with busy holiday schedules.

The following programs are listed by the San Andreas Youth Soccer Organization (SAYSO) as a public service. SAYSO neither endorses nor implies endorsement by the following non-SAYSO programs. SAYSO is not affiliated with the following non-SAYSO programs and is not responsible for their curricula or activities. Trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners, regardless of whether the trademarks and trade names are marked as being registered.

• Indoor Soccer Leagues - Arena indoor soccer is played on artificial grass or on gym floors inside an ice-hockey-sized arena. A standard-sized soccer ball is used. The field is enclosed by dasher board walls just like in ice hockey. The ball is played off the walls, so there are very few interruptions. (Option 1) Each winter, SAYSO assembles U6 and older teams to play in it's Winter Indoor Soccer League. Games are played at Ralston Middle School in Belmont. Depending on the age group, games can be on weekends or weekdays after school. Holidays are avoided. There are no practices. Cost is approximately $75 for Belmont residents and $90 for nonresidents. Players (not teams) register for this activity. There are no tryouts. All players are accepted. For more information, call (650) 593-5161, ext. 1015. (Option 2) New indoor youth leagues playing in other dasher-board/artificial turf indoor facilities usually start in early December or January. Indoor facilities generally register entire teams into their leagues, but they also have ways of assisting or accommodating individual players who are looking for teams to play on. There are three dasher-board/artificial turf indoor facilities on the San Francisco peninsula: World Class Indoor Soccer Arena in Redwood City, Off the Wall in Santa Clara, and World Cup Indoor Soccer in South San Francisco. Each has its own schedules, pricing, and registration procedure. Contact them individually and inquire about youth leagues.
   
• Boys and Girls Club Leagues - Boys and Girls Clubs on the Peninsula often offer indoor soccer using a fuzzy ball inside a basketball court. The ball is played off the gym walls. (There are no dasher board walls.) The Mid-Peninsula Clubhouse in San Mateo offers indoor soccer on a regular basis.
   
• Futsal Leagues - Futsal, an alternative form of indoor soccer, uses a special "dead" ball inside a standard basketball court. Unlike arena indoor soccer, the ball is not played off the walls. Rather, when the ball goes outside the basketball court, the game restarts with a kick-in from the sideline. The game is played 5v5, resulting in many touches on the ball. And, since the team size is less than half the standard outdoor soccer team size of eleven, futsal can be played by older players during the high school season. Because of its deviations from traditional soccer, players and coaches either love or hate futsal. Click here to see a comparison between soccer and futsal.  (1) The Palo Alto Soccer Club Futsal League has U9-U14 divisions, and occasionally has older divisions, as well. Games are played in San Carlos on Saturday and Sunday mornings starting in early December and continuing through February. Cost is about $110 per player. Registration is primarily by team, but individuals may be able to ask for assistance in getting placed on teams. Contact Diego Beltrami or Click here for more information. (2) The Jose Coronado Memorial Futsal League is sponsored by San Francisco Parks and Recreation and has divisions for U8 through U18. Games are on Sundays starting in early January. Registration is primarily by team, but individuals may be able to ask for assistance in getting placed on teams. For more information, call Luis Azucena at (415) 695-5008 or (415) 648-4375. Alternatively, contact Jose Guzman at (415) 641-2815 or (415) 201-3100.
   
• Police Activities Leagues - The PALs are similar to Boys and Girls Clubs in concept. In fact, the two organizations sometimes combine their efforts. For example, San Mateo PAL  has offered indoor soccer in conjunction with the San Mateo Boys and Girls Clubhouse. (San Francisco PAL offers a spring outdoor league, but not a winter indoor league.)