Boys Youth Soccer in the USA

It’s safe to say that youth soccer in this country changes annually. With new leagues and competitions sprouting up on a regular basis, it can be confusing for parents to know where to place their kids and what opportunities to pursue. This article is meant to be a resource for those who have young boys who want to play at the highest level here in the USA. Every young players situation is subjective and should be looked at as such.?

Tier 0: Already a Professional Soccer Player

Referring to the Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, and Chance Cowell’s of the world. The .01% of kids who are fortunate enough to have signed a professional deal with a club. I’d argue that some deals are better than others and they shouldn’t be accepted blindly because you or your son wants to be a pro. I would advise to proceed with extreme caution if your child is being offered a contract. It is of my belief that the overall economic package must be greater than what a full ride collegiate scholarship can offer him. For example, if your son is being offered a 2–3-year deal worth $30,000 a year that’s $60,000 and $90,000 respectively in total compensation before tax. If your kid is good enough to receive a contract offer from a professional club, he is most likely good enough to receive a full ride scholarship offer from a great college. With college tuition skyrocketing and showing no signs of slowing down. A year of college can be worth anywhere from $25,000-$100,000 annually depending on the school. Therefore, a full ride scholarship over 4 years exceeds the total compensation package that the professional deal on offer, I’d argue that playing in college is a better deal. ??

Tier 1: MLS Academies

Not to be confused with MLSNext although that is the competition/league they play-in. These are the 29 (soon to be 30) teams who have first teams in the MLS (IE San Jose Earthquakes, Los Angeles Galaxy, Philadelphia Union, etc.). These programs are fully funded and do not cost the family anything to play. There is a professional pathway from the academy, to the first and second teams. Collegiate coaches are usually looking at the MLS Academy kids who don’t sign professional deals first to offer scholarships to.?

Tier 2: Semi-Professional Leagues (USL2, UPSL, NPSL, NISA Nations)

This may surprise some people. The competition in these leagues can be very high. As they consist mostly of young men looking for opportunity. But if you can find a team who is willing to bring your son in and have him play, I think these leagues can be an amazing resource. Depending on the club, they tend to be much cheaper than typical club soccer and some teams are free. There are some drawbacks to these clubs as the professionalism and practice time vary considerably throughout these leagues and clubs. Some clubs have a professional set up with training 3-5x a week (IE Project 510, Monterrey Bay 2) while others might train once or twice a week. Some of these leagues are year-round UPSL and NISA Nations while USL2 and NPSL are seasonal. I think college coaches would be smart to recruit from these leagues as it gives them an opportunity to recruit kids who are playing with and against men which will be who they play against in college. If I was to rank the overall quality of each league it would be as follows:

1.???? USL2 (Season is May-August)

2.???? NPSL (March-July)

3.???? UPSL (2 separate Seasons Spring and Fall)

4.???? NISA Nations (2 separate seasons Sping and fall)?

Tier 3: MLSNext (none MLS affiliated clubs)?

Youth clubs who have joined MLSNext provide their kids with an amazing opportunity. To play against MLS academies and occasionally beat them. This provides kids with tremendous exposure not only to MLS Academies but College Coaches as well. Plenty of kids who play well against their MLS counterparts get picked up and brought on trial if the opposing coaches like what they see. Some of the drawbacks in MLSNext is most of them do not have a first team owner to fund their teams so families must pay to play and it can be a sizable investment. But if you can afford it, it is a great option to get your son in front of college coaches and professional scouts.?

Tier 4: ECNL?

It’s safe to say that the top ECNL clubs are better than the lower end of MLSNext clubs. Players in ECNL are exposed to college coaches particularly at the big events (playoffs/national championships etc.). Professional scouts also poach from ECNL clubs although a lot less then MLSNext clubs. Depending on your geographical location and family situation ECNL can be a great option for young boys to apply their trade.?

Tier 5: High School

I think there are certain exceptions to this tier 5 ruling. For example, if a freshman and in some cases sophomore in high school is going to play on varsity for a competitive high school program with a good coach. I believe that a situation like this can be bumped up to tier 3. The reason for this is most of the competition he will be playing against is older and more developed (juniors and seniors). This is advantageous for a young player. High school soccer is also free, and most teams train/play 5 or 6 days a week. However, your son will receive minimal exposure as you will rarely see college coaches, or professional scouts at high school games. ??

Tier 6: National Premier League (NPL)

Let me start by saying that just because your child is playing for a club in NPL to freak out and leave. There are some great clubs, players and coaches at this level. There have been and will be plenty of professional and collegiate players who have come out from NPL clubs. However, there is a consensus among college coaches and professional scouts that this is the last place where they look for talent. They are quick to say that you do get the occasional diamond and it shouldn’t be completely ignored. Playing for these clubs can be just as costly as they are at ECNL and MLSNext clubs so you’re not getting the most bang for your buck as far as exposure is concerned.

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