402 Development Team Formation 2026 - 2027 Season
All Tryouts will be at Speedway Village.
345 Speedway Circle, Lincoln NE 68502
Registration will open soon!! Please check back in one week!
As you may be aware, youth soccer across the United States is transitioning from birth-year calendar team formation to school calendar team formation. This change is intended to better align club soccer with the academic calendar and allow players to compete alongside their school peers. You can read more about the national decision here:
https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/news/2025/06/10/updated-decision-on-age-group-formation/
Below is a table showing the 2025-2026 birth year format versus the new format for the same age group in 2026-2027.
| | 2025 - 2026 | 2026 -2027 |
| Age Group | Birth Years | Birthday Range | Birth Years | Birthday Range |
| U7 | 2019 | 1/1/2019 - 12/31/2019 | 19 - 20 | 8/1/2019 - 7/31/2020 |
| U8 | 2018 | 1/1/2018 - 12/31/2018 | 18 - 19 | 8/1/2018 - 7/31/2019 |
| U9 | 2017 | 1/1/2017 - 12/31/2017 | 17 - 18 | 8/1/2017 - 7/31/2018 |
| U10 | 2016 | 1/1/2016 - 12/31/2016 | 16 - 17 | 8/1/2016 - 7/31/2017 |
| U11 | 2015 | 1/1/2015 - 12/31/2015 | 15 -16 | 8/1/2015 - 7/31/2016 |
| U12 | 2014 | 1/1/2014 - 12/31/2014 | 14 - 15 | 8/1/2014 - 7/31/2015 |
| U13 | 2013 | 1/1/2013 - 12/31/2013 | 13 - 14 | 8/1/2013 - 7/31/2014 |
| U14 | 2012 | 1/1/2012 - 12/31/2012 | 12 -13 | 8/1/2012 - 7/31/2013 |
| U15 | 2011 | 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011 | 11 - 12 | 8/1/2011 - 7/31/2012 |
| U16 | 2010 | 1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010 | 10 - 11 | 8/1/2010 - 7/31/2011 |
| U17 | 2009 | 1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009 | 09 - 10 | 8/1/2009 - 7/31/2010 |
| U18 | 2008 | 1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008 | 08 - 09 | 8/1/2008 - 7/31/2009 |
| U19 | 2007 | 1/1/2007 -12/31/2007 | 07 - 08 | 8/1/2007 -7/31/2008 |
One of the primary benefits of this shift is that it eliminates the challenging spring transition that has affected many teams — particularly those made up of both 8th graders and freshmen. Under the birth-year model, teams often lose a significant portion of their roster in the spring when freshmen leave to participate in high school soccer. This creates roster disruptions and continuity challenges for this age division across the state. Moving to school year team formation allows teams to remain intact throughout the club year, providing greater stability for players, coaches, and families.
As we align with this national change, 2026 team formation may look somewhat different. However, as a club, we will not dictate the level at which your player must compete. If your athlete prefers to “play up” in order to remain with their current team or peer group, you may choose to do so. We simply ask that you communicate your preference during the registration and team formation process so we can plan appropriately.
402 Development Academy's team formation events:
11 v 11 (U13 - U19) teams
June 1st - June 5th - Specific days and times for each age group will be updated toward the end of April.
9 v 9 (U11 - U12) teams
June 8th - June 12th - Specific days and times for each age group will be updated toward the end of April
Academy age (U7 - U 10) teams
June 8th - June 12th - Specific days and times for each age group will be updated toward the end of April