Second grade house sports in Darien are generally similar to what your child played in first grade. New this year – girls can sign up for cheerleading, team play starts for flag football, and baseball and softball both add a weekly clinic. Travel hockey also starts in second grade, and depending on your child’s birth year, travel soccer could be an option as well.
Flag Football
In second grade, Darien Junior Football League‘s (DJFL) 2nd grade flag football splits the kids up into teams, which will be coached by parent volunteers. The season begins in early September. Teams will have one practice during the week (determined by the coach) and games are played on Saturday mornings at Hindley School. The league provides team shirts and flags. Look for registration to start in April.
Field Hockey
Darien Junior Field Hockey’s program for second grade is the same format as 1st grade and continues to build the same skills. The one-hour weekly sessions typically meet for an hour at 12:15pm on Saturdays at Darien High School’s varsity baseball turf. High school field hockey players run the clinics along with parent volunteers. Girls are split into groups usually organized by elementary school, and will learn fundamentals and how to work with the stick and ball. Team play starts in third grade. Look for registration from April through June (late fee registration until September). The program typically runs from mid-September through late October.
Lacrosse
Second graders will continue with the Blue Wave Buddies lacrosse program for boys and Blue Wave Buddies lacrosse for girls, both run by Darien Youth Lacrosse (DYLAX). This fun, skill-building program is a series of clinics run on Saturday evenings (and some Sundays) from late March through May. Both volunteer parent coaches and 8th grade players will help groups of second graders (arranged by elementary school) learn fundamentals through drills. Team play starts in third grade. Registration begins in November.
Basketball
Second grade Pee Wee Hoops, which is part of the Darien YMCA’s house basketball program, is run similarly to first grade hoops. Teams are organized by boys and girls, as well as elementary school, so your child’s team will be filled with familiar faces. The program meets once a week on Saturdays at either Holmes or Royle for one hour. This includes 30 mins of skills taught by professional coaches and 30 minutes of 5 on 5 game play where those same coaches teach lots of skills as they go. Parent volunteer coaches are called upon to keep order on the bench and run substitutions. True team play with separate practices starts in third grade. Look for registration in late September, with the program running from December through March.
Soccer
Second graders will continue to play in Darien Soccer Association‘s K-2 house soccer program. DSA’s fall program (the biggest season for soccer) generally starts during the first or second week of the school year. You can expect a one hour practice during the week and a Saturday game. Practices are run by JA Elite Soccer Academy coaches, and your child’s team will be coached by parents who volunteer, with support from pro coaches. Look for registration starting in the summer. If your child has fun in the fall, spring soccer (April – early June) is also an option.
If your child turns 8 during the year that they are in first grade, they can try out for travel soccer during the spring of first grade. This will be for the team that will play the following fall and spring – your child’s second grade year.
Starting with the fall season of 2024, DSA will organize teams by birth year instead of grade. Boys and girls who are older for their grade will end up playing with mostly third graders (and other older second graders). This means they will play in the House Development Program and have two practices during the week and a game on Saturdays.
Baseball
Second graders play baseball in the AA-ball league through the Darien Little League. The season begins at the end of April with an Opening Day parade. Look for registration to start in December and run through March. Boys will be placed on parent-coached teams and for the first time, they will have a weekday practice. This Monday afternoon or evening clinic teaches fundamentals and will be run by professional coaches. Teams will also play games on Saturdays, usually in the morning. Coaches will pitch during the first half of the season. Later in the season, player-to-player pitching will be introduced and AA+ games will be played, which will use AAA rules.
If your second grader enjoys baseball, you can also play house summer ball from June to August with games on Saturday and no practices, and fall ball, a 7-week practice-free program of Saturday games (and possibly some Sundays). Look for travel baseball to start in third grade.
Softball
Darien Little League’s spring softball for second graders is the AA-league. This instructional league aims to teach girls fundamentals while having fun. Coaches pitch to batters throughout the season. Teams usually meet on Saturday mornings at the Town Hall diamonds starting in late April for 75-minute clinics and play games on Sunday. Look for registration beginning in December through March.
Ice Hockey
Second graders can play on Darien Youth Hockey Association‘s Mites teams for 7 and 8 year olds. If they have not played for DYHA in the past, it can be tough to secure a spot, but waitlist spots do open sometimes. According to DYHA, the Mites level is “Dedicated to promoting confidence and maximizing each players potential by actively, intently and intensely training the individual skills, tactics and competitive approach needed to compete at the next level.” Practices led by DYHA professional coaches are usually held on Friday evenings with games on Saturday mornings (6:30am or 7am) with the bench being run by parent coaches.
The youth hockey season runs from mid-October through early March. Registration usually starts in mid-March and April (depending on the age group) and programs usually fill up.
DYHA’s travel hockey program starts in second grade, though tryouts are held during March of the first grade year. Second graders can try out to play hockey in their third grade year in March. Girls can also try out for Ice Cats Travel Hockey which is a girls only program.
Cheerleading
Starting in second grade, girls can join the Darien Junior Cheerleading (DJCL) program. They will learn age appropriate cheerleading skills and cheer on Darien’s youth football teams. Practices are held on Friday evenings and DJCL squads with cheer at DJFL tackle home game per weekend at DHS Stadium on Saturdays or Sundays. Look for registration in April. The cheerleading season runs throughout the fall football season from early September through early- to mid-November depending on the playoff schedules. This program fills up fast, but be sure to join the waitlist if registration is full. More squads may be added, especially if the league has more volunteers who can help coach the girls.
Looking for more sports programs for second graders? Search our directory.