Niceville PAL Soccer

09/11/2026

THIS IS AN UPDATED POST ABOUT SMART START SOCCER. The previous post contained incorrect start and end dates.

Here is some important information below that should address any questions you may have.

Your child’s session occurs on Tuesdays from 5:15 to 6:00pm or 6:15 to 7:00pm; OR on Thursdays from 5:15 to 6:00pm or 6:15 to 7:00pm session. We begin on 15 September (Tuesday sessions) or 17 September (Thursday sessions) and end on 20 October (Tuesday sessions) or 22 October (Thursday sessions).

Please be ready at the field 5 minutes before the start time, sessions will begin promptly at the scheduled time. During the first 5 to 10 minutes of each session, we will demonstrate the drills for that evening. We will then divide the players up into groups of 5 to 6 players, and they start at various practice stations (kicking, dribbling, passing, throw-ins, etc.). Each group will work at a station for about 5 minutes and then switch to another. All stations will be completed by each group. For the last 5 to 10 minutes, we combine all groups and play Red Light / Green Light with soccer skills.

All Start Smart sessions will take place at the Rec Center Complex on field 1 behind the Niceville Library. Field 1 is the first field on the left as you enter the complex – look for the Start Smart sign.

We take roll at each session, so please see a Start Smart volunteer when you arrive.

Parent/assigned adult participation is required. You are your child's first coach and therefore you will take part throughout the sessions as your child's partner learning and teaching skills and drills.

Please take your child to the bathroom before the start of the session so that you can get the most from each practice session.

WATER AND APPROPRIATE DRESS
It will be hot for the first few sessions, please wear loose fitting clothes and comfortable shoes, cleats and shin pads are not required as this is non-contact at this age. Wear sunscreen and bring lots of water!! Players should drink water whenever they are thirsty (even during a drill).

A Size 3 ball is required at each session

START SMART T-SHIRTS
Start Smart t-shirt will be distributed at first session. The players should wear their Start Smart t-shirt at all sessions.

WEATHER
We do not practice if there is lightning and follow the 30/30 rule (no one on the field until 30 minutes after the last lightning strike). If we have lightning, practice will be cancelled immediately. Please quickly take your child to your car and leave the complex.

Please review the information contained within the Start Smart tab of our Sports Connect web site for more information. https://sports.bluesombrero.com/nicevillepalsoccer

We look forward to introducing the basic skills of soccer to your child and hopefully creating a love for the sport.

Niceville PAL Soccer League

08/20/2026

Parents and coaches... we are currently working on game schedules. This season's overall schedule is more daunting given an increased number of teams along with an odd number of teams in multiple divisions, which require Saturday byes and weeknight games. As promised in the pre-season Registration Handout, the game schedules will be available on Sports Connect prior to Labor Day. Thanks for your patience!

08/19/2026

All PAL Soccer practices tonight, August 19, are cancelled due to weather.

07/13/2026

PAL Soccer still needs sponsors for a number of our teams this season. If you have, or know of any business that would like to sponsor one or more PAL Soccer teams, please email [email protected].

The cost is $275 for the first team and $125 for each additional team. Sponsor fees help us keep player registration fees reasonable and enable more players to participate. PAL Soccer remains the lowest cost recreation sport in the Twin Cities area.

The 2026 sponsor form and more information about sponsoring a PAL team can be found on the PAL website - https://sports.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=995934.

Thank you for your assistance in helping us find sponsors!

06/06/2026

PAL Soccer is not affiliated with nor do we officially endorse this event, but in keeping with our effort to make folks aware of local soccer opportunities, we're sharing information about upcoming soccer camps in FWB. They are holding an attacking camp at FWB Rec and High School camp at Choctaw HS.

06/05/2026

Here are the latest registration numbers compared to the number of volunteers we have for coaches. As you can see, most divisions do not look good. Boys divisions are particularly lacking coaches. As a reminder, we have an accelerated schedule this season due to having to get coaches level 2 background checks. We would end up disenrolling over 140 players if registration ended today.

We still have three weeks of registration remaining so please consider volunteering!

05/27/2026

The chart below shows the number of players registered for PAL Soccer versus the number of head/assistant coaches we have volunteers for. As you can see, most divisions are short on head coaches. The numbers in the "Potential Disenroll" column are the count of players that will be disenrolled shortly after registration ends, based on their registration date.

Because of the new background check rules imposed by Florida statutes, we cannot continue to recruit coaches long after registration ends. We will spend most of July getting coaches cleared so we can form teams. We need to have ALL coaches cleared before the coaches meetings on August 8th.

Please consider volunteering to be a PAL coach this season!

05/15/2026

Registration for the PAL Soccer 2026 season goes live tomorrow, Saturday May 16, at 12:01am. Registration closes on June 28th at 11:59pm.

You can register your players for all PAL programs - Start Smart, VIP, and regular PAL Divisions (U6, U8, U10, U12, U14 and High School). You can also register to be a coach. The PAL divisions have a registration cap based on the expected number of coaches. Once the caps are reached, players are added to wait lists. As we get more volunteer coaches, players are removed from the wait lists in the order of their signup. Note that you must fully complete registration - including paying registration fees - in order to be officially registered.

To register, visit the PAL website at https://sports.bluesombrero.com/nicevillepalsoccer. Log into your account (or create an account if you don't have one), then follow the registration links.

If you have any questions or issues during registration, please email [email protected] and one of our Board members will reach out to assist.

This year is the 50th anniversary of PAL Soccer and we're looking forward to another awesome season! Come join us as players and coaches!

Send a message to learn more

05/12/2026

PAL Soccer is not affiliated with nor do we officially endorse EC Rush, but in keeping with our effort to make folks aware of local soccer opportunities, we're sharing information about upcoming EC Rush tryouts.

02/25/2026

PAL Soccer Family,

We're gearing up for the 2026 PAL Soccer season! Look for registration to begin on May 16th and run through June 28th. More information about registration will be coming out closer to the first date.

In the meantime, our partner, DICK’S Sporting Goods, is extending a 20% OFF discount throughout the store (Destin location only)! Be sure to use the coupon linked below, as this is specific to our organization.

20% OFF THROUGHOUT THE STORE (DESTIN)
March 6 - 9 (Friday - Monday)
​THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE THROUGHOUT THE STORE!

CLICK HERE - 20% OFF IN-STORE COUPON!
https://cmm.dickssportinggoods.com/crmcdn/getoffer.aspx?offer_entity_code=O241FR6H&token=LuPUnol7iDT0SqrH6jwpJyXSj8zpZktPBtiGy7csNjh1eGyUp5U-U3iX9vIR7jQroVc7IJWFmcUB98KBGCXvw2

Valid in-store only on the dates listed above.
Must be presented at register during checkout.

*If an item is out of stock in the store during our event, please ask to speak to a manager. They will order your item(s) and apply the 20% OFF + FREE shipping. The order must be placed with a manager in-store during event.