ACADEMY FAQS

2026/27 Age Groups (School-Year Format)

Find your player’s age group by locating their birth year and month.


👉 Swipe left/right to view full chart

Birth Year JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJUL AUGSEPOCTNOVDEC
2019 U8U8U8U8U8U8U8
2018 U9U9U9U9U9U9U9 U8U8U8U8U8
2017 U10U10U10U10U10U10U10 U9U9U9U9U9
2016 U11U11U11U11U11U11U11 U10U10U10U10U10
2015 U12U12U12U12U12U12U12 U11U11U11U11U11
2014 U13U13U13U13U13U13U13 U12U12U12U12U12
2013 U14U14U14U14U14U14U14 U13U13U13U13U13
2012 U15U15U15U15U15U15U15 U14U14U14U14U14
2011 U16U16U16U16U16U16U16 U15U15U15U15U15
2010 U17U17U17U17U17U17U17 U16U16U16U16U16
2009 U18U18U18U18U18U18U18 U17U17U17U17U17
2008 U19U19U19U19U19U19U19 U18U18U18U18U18

2026/27 Age Group Calculator

Enter your player’s birthdate to see their age group for the 2026/27 season (school-year format).

GENERAL FAQ

Will all WW Surf teams be moving to school year for the 2026/27 season? Yes. All teams that we form through tryouts for next season will be based on school year.

Will WW Surf allow players to ‘play-up’ an age group? All players that want to join a WW Surf team for the 2026/27 season must try out at their own age group based on the school year chart. We will form the strongest teams possible by having all players play on age. Any player that excels at their own age group will be given opportunities to train and potentially ‘guest play’ with the age group above but they will remain on their age group team.

Will WW Surf allow players to dual-register? No. Any player that accepts a spot in our Academy program does so on the understanding that dual registration with another club team is not permitted.

What is a pre-offer? This is an invitation to register for a spot in our Academy program at the relevant age group prior to tryouts. Players that receive and accept a pre-offer are still required to attend tryouts. If your player is selected to receive a pre-offer, you will be contacted by the Academy Director.

What is the ‘Assessment Period’ in June for? Tryouts will be used to identify players that we believe can compete and thrive in our Academy environment. However, there is only so much you can learn about a player over the course of 2–3 tryout sessions. So, to give every player the opportunity to earn their place at the correct level within their age group, we will use the whole month of June to work with and fully assess the players before finalizing their specific team placement on July 1st. This system will be used across all age groups in our Academy.

If my player doesn’t make the top team on July 1st, is there an opportunity to be moved up during the season? Yes. All of our Academy players will be continually monitored throughout the season to ensure they are at the right level of competition. If a player is clearly excelling and is ready to step up, we will move them up without hesitation. The same way that a player would be moved down a level if they are struggling or demonstrating a lack of commitment over a sustained period of time.

Do you provide Financial Aid and, if so, what is the process to apply? Yes, we provide financial aid to families that qualify. To apply, you must check the relevant box on the tryout registration form and complete the financial aid application. If you receive an offer to join our Academy once tryouts are completed, the offer letter will include your financial aid award. We have a very strong Financial Aid program because we are committed to providing access to all players that have the desire and determination.

Which league platform will the U8–U12 Academy teams compete in? The Washington Premier League (WPL). We will place each Academy team at the appropriate level within the WPL to ensure they will be challenged. This might mean a team playing an age group up if necessary.

Which tournaments will the Academy teams attend in the 2026/27 season? The tournament schedule will be announced prior to tryouts. We are mindful of the impact the World Cup will have on summer travel so we will likely focus on local tournaments over the summer and consider the travel events for later in the season.

If my player joins the WW Surf Academy, where can I expect the practices to be held? This depends on which region you join. The North Region training base will be split between Bothell & Snohomish fields. The Central Region will be split between Bellevue, Redmond & Issaquah. The South Region will be split between Tacoma & Puyallup.

When & where will the U8–U12 Surf Select training sessions be held? The Surf Select sessions will be held on Saturday or Sunday in the Tukwila area.

Is the U8–U12 Surf Select open to all players throughout the season? There are two periods of the season that the Surf Select sessions will be open to all U8–U12 Academy players – June & December. These two months will be used to assess all of the players that attend to then determine which players will be invited to participate in the subsequent months. See the Surf Select page for more details HERE.

Why is the Surf Select program considered such a huge value add? Our internal Surf Select program will bring together the most committed players from our North, South, and Central regions at the U8–U12 age groups. The training environment will be highly competitive and take the players out of their comfort zone. There will be two high-level, local tournaments that the selected players will have the opportunity to compete in – basically an All-Star WW Surf Academy team. All of this will be provided at no additional charge. To get anything similar to this type of program, you would spend thousands of dollars and not receive the quality and consistency that our Surf Select program promises to deliver.

Explain the training format for a player that joins the WW Surf Academy at the U13–U19 age groups? Our club is unique in the sense that we are spread across 3 regions. This means that our talent pool has never been fully utilized – until now. For the 2026/27 season, we will finally bring together the strongest players in each age group to compete alongside one another in the various league platforms we have access to. For the weekday practices, we will have Academy Lead Coaches assigned in each region so that the training maintains the highest standards and follows the same curriculum to ensure consistency and development. On the weekends, the players on each specific team will come together with their Head Coach to train and compete. This format is similar to that of a regional or national team and, when implemented correctly, can create a level of intensity and drive that all high-level teams need to be successful.

Which tournaments will the Academy teams attend in the 2026/27 season? The tournament schedule will be announced prior to tryouts. We are mindful of the impact the World Cup will have on summer travel so we will likely focus on local tournaments over the summer and consider the travel events for later in the season.

Which league platforms will the U13–U19 Academy teams compete in? The WW Surf Academy has access to some of the most prestigious league platforms in the nation. See the breakdown below:

            GIRLS
              TIER 1: GA
              TIER 2: GA Aspire
              TIER 3: NPL

            BOYS
              TIER 1: MLS NEXT Academy
              TIER 2: EA
              TIER 3: NPL

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