I really love that it's open to anyone and that it's available year round for kids. I think one area that can be improved. The refs and staff this season are really great and really try to keep it a great environment. One thing that is tough is when teams are really slim as was the case this season for our team because it's very hard to have young players play for pretty much 38 minutes straight. Seems like team should be be at a minimum 8, even at the expense of a team who has requested a coach preference--first come first served kind of thing. Realize things like that are hard to operationalize but I think it's the most fair way to ensure that younger players can take breaks.
I've liked the location and we've had an overall good experience - good coaches, fun kids. I like the frequency of leagues (though that can lend to too many emails). I like the small teams (more play time) though it can be tough for absences! I do feel like teams could be more balanced since age ranges are wide (I have a fresh 7 year old, and I can tell some teams have much more experience).
I love that there are all girls teams for soccer. My 5 year old is learning about teamwork and gaining confidence. Her coach, [FIRST NAME REMOVED], is great.
Perfect for beginners and those who just want to play a sport without pressure from those who may have been playing at a high level for years. Whether you just want more time on the field in a positive and encouraging environment or you want to learn a new support and try it for the first time, this is the perfect place. Great outlet for kids who want to play but are not great compared to peers who have excelled quickly.
Everything is so well organized that, as a coach, I am able to focus entirely on coaching while all program logistics are managed properly and in a timely manner by i9 support staff. It's always great teaming up with i9!
I loved the all girls basketball option. We had a much better experience doing an all girls team this time! The coaches were great, taught the girls a lot and things really seemed to click.
My dislikes were the refs inconsistencies. One game they’d be calling out of bounds frequently with any little step out, others would barely call it. The problems with swarms of girls teaming up on one girl for defense wasn’t commented on until the 3rd game that it was supposed to be man to man defense. Then finally we had a game against a team where the girls were clearly much older than our team. We found out after they consisted on mainly 7 year olds, when it’s supposed to be equally distributed….
We have enjoyed our experience for the most part but those were things that came up.