We still have space in most age groups!  If you're still interested in joining us for the event, please send an email to information@portsoccerclub.com and we'll send you a registration link if we have a spot for your player.

The Port Washington Soccer Club is proud and honored to announce a new event being introduced to the community this upcoming Thanksgiving weekend.  It's the 2023 Pierce Slutzky Memorial Thanksgiving Cup - a special soccer event aimed at our younger players in the U4-U9 age groups.  While many clubs host tournaments aimed at older groups and competitive travel teams, the PWSC has developed an exceptional intramural/recreational soccer program in recent years, and we want to provide the younger, recreational players with a fun, festival-like event to enjoy soccer for a few hours over the holiday weekend.

With permission from his parents, the club is naming this event (which we hope is a "1st Annual" event) after Pierce Slutzky, a long-time player in the club who passed away in 2019.  The club has continued to honor Pierce's memory through a club scholarship for high school seniors in his name (click here for details and more about Pierce), and we also include a gold ribbon logo (which you may recognize from many cars in town) on all of our soccer balls in his memory.

The Thanksgiving Cup will be open to ALL boys and girls born in the years 2020 (U4), 2019 (U5), 2018 (U6), 2017 (U7), 2016 (U8) and 2015 (U9).  We hope that all of our existing intramural players will choose to participate, and we welcome other Port Washington community players to join us for this special event.   We will require all players to register by November 15 for this event, at no cost, so that we can form teams and schedules, as well as register any new players for insurance purposes.  All current PWSC players will need to wear their reversible intramural uniform kit (over warm clothing) and be able to reverse the colors (blue/gray) as needed for each game.

NEWLY ADDED!  For our U4 and U5 groups, we will just hold a clinic, and not formal games, as those players are not yet ready for games (or even scrimmages) - again, that clinic, featuring our training staff from Jigs Soccer School (and likely Gerneil "Jigsy" Lorne as well) will just be a fun 45-60 minutes of soccer skills and play.  We encourage families new to soccer to sign up and give it a try! 

U6-U9 players that are not already registered in our intramural or travel program will receive a FREE UNIFORM OR PINNIE for the event at no additional cost.  While the event is open to all players, we would recommend only registering a player who has some level of soccer experience, to avoid being overwhelmed by the situation. 

Parents wishing to make a donation may do so (no obligation), with 100% of such proceeds being donated to a cancer-related charitable organization (TBD) in Pierce Slutzky's memory, without any deduction for club costs.

The event will be held on the two large turf fields at Schreiber High School on Saturday, November 25, 2023 (with Sunday, November 26, 2023 set as a rain date if the weather does not cooperate on Saturday).  We will have 12 small-sided (20 yards x 30 yards) fields with our high-quality 5'x3' goals set up on the two turf fields, to allow us to play up to 12 matches simultaneously!

We ask that all families commit to attending once registered (or alert us if you no longer plan to attend), as no-shows may impact the ability for teams to participate.  We may shuffle teams at the field to accommodate any teams that end up shorthanded due to no-shows.

Players are welcome (and encouraged) to wear multiple thinner layers under their uniforms as well as hats/gloves if appropriate.  We want them to be comfortable, but also agile enough to compete.   Players can wear the same cleats on the turf that they wear on the grass fields.

Player / team assignments have been sent to registered players by email (check emails and SPAM folders if you haven't received it).  Regardless of what team your child is added to, the schedule below will be their set schedule for the day, depending on which age group they are in.  The only variable is which field they will be on.

U4/U5 Clinics (Fields 1-4)
BU4 (2020): 10:00 am - 11:00 am
BU5 (2019): 10:00 am - 11:00 am
GU4 (2020): 10:00 am - 11:00 am
GU5 (2019): 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Boys U6-U9 Games (Fields 1-12)

BU6 (2018):  
Games (25 minutes each) starting at 11:00 am, 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm
Fields 4/5/6

BU7 (2017):  
Games (25 minutes each) starting at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm
Fields 1/2/3/4

BU8 (2016):  
Games (25 minutes each) starting at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm
Fields 5/6/7/8

BU9 (2015):  Games (25 minutes each) starting at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm
Fields 9/10/11

Girls U6-U9 Games (Fields 1-12)

GU6 (2018):  
Games (25 minutes each) starting at 11:00 am, 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm
Fields 10/11

GU7 (2017):  
Games (25 minutes each) starting at 11:00 am, 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm
Fields 1/2/3

GU8/9 (2016/2015):  
Games (25 minutes each) starting at 11:00 am, 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm
Fields 7/8/9
 

The format of the event for our U6-U9 players and teams will be generally as follows, with modifications as deemed appropriate or necessary:

• The PWSC will randomly form teams for each group (Boys U6, U7, U8 and U9 and Girls U6, U7, U8 and U9).  Depending on numbers, we may combine certain age groups as well. (Sorry, no team requests will be honored and we will not keep our intramural "Pods" intact as we need to form smaller groups for each team.)  We will also have some teams from other clubs to fill out the brackets in each age group.
• Games will be played as 4v4 format, with 5'x3' goals, and no goalie.  This is the prescribed format from US Soccer for these ages, and this small-sided format ensures the most touches on the ball for each player.
• While scores may be kept during each game, there will be no posted standings.  This is for FUN, and the players should not feel ANY pressure regarding winning.  We just want them to compete and be relaxed.
• Each team will play in 3 games, and each match will have approximately 20-25 minutes of playing time.  Each game slot is 30 minutes, and each team will have a 30 minute break between each game (see schedule above).  Players should be at the field ready to start playing at least 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
• Our professional training staff, provided by Jigs Soccer School, will manage all PWSC teams at each game (at least 1 trainer per field), and we will utilize high school and college volunteers to referee each match.  
  PLEASE NOTE THAT JIGS SOCCER SCHOOL IS PROVIDING THE EVENT'S TRAINING/COACHING STAFF AT NO COST TO THE CLUB, FOR WHICH WE ARE GRATEFUL AND MOST APPRECIATIVE.
• Parents may watch from the sides of the field or the bleachers (at Whitney Turf) during games, but may not coach teams.  Any parents who become disruptive will be asked to leave the playing area (although their player may continue to play).  No chairs will be permitted on the field - the high school turf fields are valuable community resources and we don't want to risk any potential damage to them.

For our U4 (2020) and U5 (2019) players, we will hold a fun soccer skills clinic, similar to what we do every weekend at Sousa Elementary School.  There will be a low player to trainer ratio, with players broken out to individual fields to work with one of our amazing trainers!  If your young child has not tried soccer yet - this is a great opportunity to give it a try.  Players should wear sneakers or cleats, but there is no need to purchase cleats for this clinic.

The clinics will be from 10:00 am - 11:00 am on November 25th, on Whitney Turf (main turf field).

While there is no cost to any players in the event (including non-PWSC players who are interested in participating), families are welcome to make donations either while registering or at the field, and 100% of such proceeds will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Pierce Slutzky's memory, with no deductions for any club costs or expenses.

We will be collecting non-perishable food (canned and boxed) for the food pantry at Our Lady of Fatima in Port Washington.  Please stop by (even if you’re not participating) to make a donation to the food pantry.

The PWSC is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization.  Our dedicated volunteers make it possible for 1300+ kids in the community to participate in soccer each year.  If you are interested in volunteering for this event (setup, coordination, refereeing matches, etc.) please reach out to the club at information@portsoccerclub.com.

If you're still interested in joining us for the event, please send an email to information@portsoccerclub.com and we'll see if we have a spot for your player.