Below are upcoming dates for the 2025-26 season. All tryouts will be held at the nCino Sports Park. Director/Leadership contact information is also included below.

Registration information will follow early March. Until then, save the dates and check the web site and social media for updates.

U7-U10 (2019-2016 birth years): Academy BOYS AND GIRLS:

Academy Open House - Tuesday, May 13th & Thursday, May 15th

Academy Director: Ryan Penton (ryan@wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth.com),
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U11/U12 (2014 - 2015 birth years): Boys and Girls:

Monday, May 12th and Wednesday, May 21st: They will be held at nCino Sports Park with times and field assignments to follow.

2014 Age group:

2015 Age group:
 

U11/12 Director: ) chris@wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth.com

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U13, U14, U15 (2013, 2012, 2011 Birth Years): GIRLS

Wednesday, May 7th / Wednesday, May 14th

ECNL and NCYSA teams will be built for these age groups during these dates.

ECNL Girls Director: Will Heaney (will@wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth.com)

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U13 through U19): ECNL BOYS

Wednesday, May 7th and Wednesday, May 14th:

ECNL teams will be built through these tryouts.

ECNL Boys Director: Alex Nelson (alex@wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth.com)

Scouting Director: Dave Martin (dave@wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth.com)

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U16, U17, U19 (2010, 2009, 2007/2008): GIRLS

Saturday, March 22nd, Sunday April 6th: Held at nCino Sports Park @4pm

ECNL Girls Director: Will Heaney (will@wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth.com)

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(U13 through U19): BOYS NCYSA

Wednesday, May 21st & Thursday, May 22nd: Held at nCino Sports Park. Times will follow. 

ECNL Boys Director: Alex Nelson (alex@wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth.com)

Scouting Director: Dave Martin (dave@wilmingtonhammerheadsyouth.com)

WHYFC, in compliance with the U.S. Soccer Federation, build all of our teams and programming around calendar year age groups.  Each player trying out for WHYFC will tryout based on the year in which they were born.  The teams are also calendar year age group teams.

Tryouts occur over the course of two days.  Prior to the tryout, our coaching assignments for each team that the club intends to field for the upcoming season are announced, allowing parents and players to know who the coaches in the age group are. 

Tryouts are always scrutinized and results are will always be challenged.  WHYFC recognizes this and will always create a tryout structure and curriculum that is fair, unbiased, and gives every player trying out the opportunity to be evaluated.  At the conclusion of these tryouts, WHYFC will have notes on every player and will be able to discuss the results with any parent or player.  Though we will have notes on each player, WHYFC will not give or have formal evaluations from the tryout period.  Formal evaluations take time away from the coach’s opportunity to evaluate the players.

Each tryout day will have a focus on the evaluation of technical skills through passing and dribbling exercises followed by a game format allowing players to be evaluated and compared to other players in the age group. 

• Day 1 of the tryout will focus on small-sided (3 vs. 3 and 4 vs. 4 games)
• Day 2 of the tryout will increase field size and players on the field, and incorporate goalkeepers (At the end of each day of tryouts, the entire WHYFC staff comes to the office to discuss the players and build the teams.  The amount of work and time put into the tryouts is necessary to get the players placed and to stand behind the decision that are made.

The results of the tryouts will be placed on the web site within an appropriate amount of time.   Individual players will then receive an email inviting the players to accept or decline their position on the team.  This invitation will also have a deadline that will be determined at a later date.  The Following week, after the invitations and the acceptances, the club holds an informal practice where the players from each team officially meet their coach, the coach speaks to the parent group and the team enjoys a first practice together.

Practices for all teams officially start in the middle of August with games beginning in early September.