Youth soccer clubs in Florida
Florida is one of the deepest youth soccer states in the country, and it feels that way the moment you start looking for a club.
Club soccer in Florida
Kids play outdoors almost all year, the Latin American and Caribbean communities in South Florida have kept the sport central to local life for decades, and two MLS clubs now sit inside the state. Inter Miami CF and Orlando City both run their own academies in MLS NEXT, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies keep a strong pro presence on the Gulf side.
The map splits into regions that rarely overlap. South Florida, from Miami through Weston, Sunrise and Boca Raton, is packed with academies and big independent clubs like FC Prime, Weston FC and Team Boca. Central Florida revolves around Orlando, where Orlando City's academy, Nona Soccer Academy in Lake Nona and Florida Kraze Krush in Winter Springs draw families from several counties. The Tampa Bay area has Chargers in Clearwater and Florida Premier FC, which spreads across Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough. Up north, Jacksonville FC and Sporting Jax carry the load for the First Coast.
You'll find nearly every league a parent has heard of. MLS NEXT covers the top boys' academies, ECNL and ECNL Regional League run on both the girls' and boys' sides, and Girls Academy has a real foothold in South Florida. The state association, FYSA, runs its own regional and girls' leagues, plus the Florida Cups, so a team that isn't in a national league still has a serious schedule.
Competition for roster spots is stiff, especially in the Miami to Fort Lauderdale corridor, where several MLS NEXT clubs sit within a short drive of each other. That can work in your favor. If one program doesn't fit your player, another is usually close. Pay attention to how each club handles the step down from the top team, because many of them also run strong second teams and recreational leagues. The clubs below are ones local parents mention most, from community programs with thousands of players to single-city academies built around a pro pathway.
Popular clubs in Florida
These are the clubs Florida families ask about most. League badges show what we could confirm for the 2025-26 season, so check each club's own site for current teams, tryout dates and fees. For 2026-27, the NPL and the US Youth Soccer National League combined into the National 1 League, which teams enter one at a time, so ask a club which of its teams play in N1.
Inter Miami CF Academy
The youth pathway of Inter Miami CF competes in MLS NEXT and feeds the pro club directly. It scouts across South Florida and runs a Partner Club Program with local clubs. Its younger teams travel to events like the Tampa Bay Super Cup, and the academy hosts its own Dreams Cup tournament. Families should expect a selective process built around scouting and tryouts rather than open sign ups, so it suits players already competing at a high level in the Miami area.
Orlando City Academy
Orlando City SC's academy plays in MLS NEXT at the older age groups and has sent graduates to Division I programs and to the pro roster. The club names Gary Lewis as Academy Director and keeps a separate head of methodology and coaching, which shows how much structure sits behind it. Its training base is the club's Lake Nona complex. Entry is by invitation and tryout, and the academy also works with partner clubs around Central Florida.
Weston FC
Weston FC is a South Florida club with both a boys' and a girls' program, anchored by its MLS NEXT teams. The boys play in the Academy Division from U13 up and field Homegrown Division sides in the older groups. It also runs a UPSL first team and has hosted international friendlies, including a visit from a Welsh club. Home games are played around Vista Park, and the club offers a college advisory program for older players.
Miami Futbol Academy Rush
Miami Futbol Academy Rush plays MLS NEXT at both the Academy and Homegrown levels and also fields a National Academy League team at U17. The club has seen players called into US youth national team camps and talent ID events. Younger kids can join its MLS GO Rising Stars program for ages 4 to 12, which gives the club a clear ladder from recreational play to the academy. Matches have been played at parks around Miami, including Patton Park.
Athletum FC Academy
Athletum runs an academy network with sites in downtown Miami, Doral, Hialeah, Cutler Bay and Davie, which makes it easy for families scattered across the metro area to find a close location. The site lists MLS NEXT ID camps and tryouts for U13 to U19, along with UPSL teams for older players. The club describes itself as the largest soccer academy in South Florida with more than 1,500 kids, and it has a Juventus Academy partnership tied to its youth program.
FC Prime
FC Prime operates in two regions, Broward and Miami, with Broward fields in Davie, Coral Springs, Sunrise and Plantation. Both boys and girls compete in ECNL and the ECNL Regional League, and the club runs a Future Stars program for ages 4 to 8. It has also merged with Inter-Florida FC, which widened its footprint. The club publicizes its college commitment numbers heavily and offers a College ID Camp, so it appeals to families thinking about the recruiting process early.
Team Boca (Soccer Association of Boca Raton)
Team Boca is the travel arm of the Soccer Association of Boca Raton, a community organization that has served local players since 1977. Its teams play in the ECNL Regional League, NPL and the USYS National League, and the club lists three USYS national championships and 34 state titles. Boys and girls have separate coaching staffs. It's a good fit for Palm Beach County families who want a long established club tied closely to its hometown.
Pinecrest Premier
Pinecrest Premier is a Miami-Dade club that has a Girls Academy program for its top girls' teams, alongside competitive teams for boys and girls from U9 to U19. Training sites include Flagler Grove Park, Evelyn Greer Park and Killian Green Park, plus a few school fields in Palmetto Bay and Miami. The club has a village recreational program and Future Stars for the youngest players, and it hosts the SFL Cup and Showcase tournament each year.
Nona Soccer Academy
Founded in 2016 by Fabio Silva, Nona Soccer Academy serves Lake Nona, Kissimmee and nearby communities with recreational leagues, after school soccer, camps and tryout based competitive teams. Its top teams reach MLS NEXT. The club also runs Nona FC in USL League Two and an Elite Institute, a soccer centered school program with Faith Christian Academy. That mix of rec and pro-style tracks suits families who want everything under one roof in Central Florida.
Florida Kraze Krush
Based in Winter Springs, Florida Kraze Krush is a not for profit club of roughly 1,650 players and 68 competitive teams. It fields boys and girls in ECNL and the ECNL Regional League, with pre-ECNL teams below them, and also plays in the Florida Club League. Players have earned youth national team call ups, and the club reports more than 400 college commitments. Recreational, goalkeeper and adult programs round out what it offers Central Florida families.
Chargers Soccer Club
Chargers has three campuses, in Clearwater, Lakewood Ranch and Tampa, and says it serves more than 3,800 players with over 100 coaches. It runs competitive and recreational teams at each site, plus a Pre-MLS pathway into its MLS NEXT teams. Former MLS goalkeeper Zac MacMath came back to the club in late 2025, and the club named Eddie Loewen its Sporting Director for MLS NEXT in 2026. A UPSL team plays out of Clearwater.
Florida Premier FC
Florida Premier FC is one of the biggest clubs in the Tampa Bay area, with more than 18 campuses across Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. The club says it has over 20,000 players and 500 teams, from HappyFeet toddlers to ECNL teams at U13 through U19. It also runs a TOPSoccer program and hosts the Tampa Bay Super Cup and the Adidas Champions Cup. Families can pick a nearby campus for recreational play and still have an ECNL pathway.
Jacksonville FC
Jacksonville FC is a nonprofit club for boys and girls ages 4 to 19. Its girls compete in ECNL, with ID clinics each spring, and its boys play in MLS NEXT. A Junior Academy handles the youngest competitive players, and the club hosts the JFC Girls Invitational, which draws ECNL, Girls Academy and regional league teams from around the Southeast. For North Florida families it's the main route to national level girls' soccer, with recreational teams available too.
Sporting Jax Soccer Academy
Sporting Jax Soccer Academy trains at several sites in the Jacksonville area, including St. Johns, Oakleaf and Palm Coast. The program covers early learning classes for ages 2 and a half to 6, recreational leagues, a Rec Academy Prep step and competitive teams. It also has USL pre-professional teams and a goalkeeper academy. The club runs both a Girls Invitational and a Boys Invitational tournament and holds a college ID camp with coaches from NCAA, NAIA and junior college programs.
From Florida clubs to college soccer
For a lot of Florida families, club soccer is also the road to playing in college. These pages cover the next step, from ID camps close to home to emailing college coaches.
College ID camps in Florida
Every college soccer program in Florida, with a link to its official camp page.
See the camps ›Recruiting guideHow college recruiting works
Timelines, divisions, scholarships, coach emails and showcases, explained for players and parents.
Read the guide ›RecruitlyEmail college coaches from your own inbox
Find programs by division and conference, reach every coach, and see who opens your email and watches your film.
Meet Recruitly ›Choosing a club in Florida
Start with geography, because Florida traffic punishes clubs that look close on a map. A club in Weston and one in Miami can mean an hour each way at rush hour, and Tampa Bay families regularly cross bridges to reach a practice field. Ask how many training sites a club uses and which one your age group gets. Then look at the league. MLS NEXT is mostly boys, ECNL and Girls Academy have girls' programs, and a team in the FYSA regional or girls' leagues can still be an excellent fit. Tryout timing matters too.
Many clubs hold spring evaluations for the next season, and Florida's heat pushes some practices to evenings and weekends in summer. Check whether the club offers a recreational or lower-level team so a younger sibling or a late bloomer has somewhere to land. Finally, ask about college guidance. Several clubs here keep a staff member whose only job is placement, and that's worth knowing before you sign.
New to all this? Start with how the youth leagues fit together, then read our tryouts guide before Florida clubs start holding evaluations.
Florida club soccer FAQ
Which Florida clubs have MLS NEXT teams?
MLS NEXT is mostly boys' soccer, and Florida has a lot of it. Inter Miami CF and Orlando City run their own academies, and independent clubs like Weston FC, Miami Futbol Academy Rush, Nona Soccer Academy, Chargers and Jacksonville FC also field MLS NEXT sides. Check each club's age groups, since the league is split into divisions.
Where can a Florida girl play ECNL?
ECNL for girls is available at several clubs, including FC Prime in Broward, Florida Kraze Krush near Orlando, Florida Premier FC in the Tampa Bay area and Jacksonville FC on the First Coast. Team Boca in Boca Raton plays in the ECNL Regional League. Girls Academy teams include Pinecrest Premier in Miami-Dade.
Does Florida youth soccer run on a different calendar?
Many Florida clubs hold tryouts in spring for the following season, and some post notices for 2026-27 evaluations well in advance. At least one Tampa area club has said it will move to a school-grade calendar, running August through July, starting in 2026-27. Always confirm the age group rules with the club you choose.