Youth soccer clubs in Mississippi
Mississippi is a small youth soccer state with a few strong pockets, and the Gulf Coast and Hattiesburg area have recently become the most active.
Club soccer in Mississippi
The Mississippi Soccer Association is the US Youth Soccer member, and it runs the USYS Mississippi State Cup and the Olympic Development Program. The state has no pro club, but the national leagues now have a presence. In 2024-25, Southern States Soccer Club in Hattiesburg became the first Mississippi club in MLS NEXT, starting with U13, U14 and U15 boys teams, and it trains at the Oakes Training Facility.
In 2025-26, two Mississippi clubs, Gulf Coast United in Gulfport and Hattiesburg FC, were founding members of the ECNL Regional League Gulf Coast, a six club league that also includes three Louisiana clubs and Union 10 FC from Daphne, Alabama. Gulf Coast United dates to 2003 and says its alumni play at more than 25 colleges. Hattiesburg FC dates to 1980, regularly plays in the Gulf States Premier League, and says more than 30 of its players move on to college soccer each year.
In Jackson, Jackson Futbol Club has been around since 1980, when it started as the Northeast Jackson Soccer Organization, and it runs a ten field complex on Westbrook Road with recreational teams for ages four to nineteen. Its competitive teams play under the Mississippi Rush name.
The practical takeaway is that families in south Mississippi now have a path from recreational soccer to MLS NEXT or the regional ECNL level without leaving the state, while families farther north still look to Memphis, Birmingham or Jackson for the next step up. It's a state where the club you choose often depends on which highway you can reach after work.
Popular clubs in Mississippi
These are the clubs Mississippi 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.
Southern States Soccer Club
Southern States Soccer Club, also branded 3S Soccer, became the first Mississippi club in MLS NEXT when it joined for 2024-25 with U13, U14 and U15 boys teams. It trains at the Oakes Training Facility in Hattiesburg. Younger players can start in a Pre-MLS NEXT program for ages seven to eleven or in Little Kickers for ages three to seven. The club also fields men's teams in the GCPL and NPSL, and it lists girls youth programs.
Hattiesburg FC
Hattiesburg Futbol Club began in 1980 and is the largest grassroots soccer club in the Pine Belt. It was one of six founding clubs of the ECNL Regional League Gulf Coast in 2025-26, and its teams regularly play in the Gulf States Premier League. The club says more than 30 players graduate each season to play college soccer. Its recreational program is large, with boys and girls teams from U8 up, and it also runs a men's side in USL League Two.
Gulf Coast United FC
Gulf Coast United is a Gulfport club founded in 2003 and a founding member of the ECNL Regional League Gulf Coast for 2025-26. Its site also lists National League 1, an academy, ID camps, youth camps and tryouts, along with men's and women's adult teams in the GCPL and WPSL. The club says its alumni have gone on to play at more than 25 colleges, and its stated aim is to build a pipeline for strong players across the lower half of Mississippi.
Jackson Futbol Club
Jackson Futbol Club started in 1980 as the Northeast Jackson Soccer Organization and was the first full soccer club in the state, according to its community listing. Its complex on Westbrook Road has ten fields, six of them lighted Bermuda turf. Recreational teams run from age four to nineteen, and the competitive Mississippi Rush teams cover ages nine to nineteen. The club also offers summer camps, private coaching and an adult league.
From Mississippi clubs to college soccer
For a lot of Mississippi 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 Mississippi
Every college soccer program in Mississippi, 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 Mississippi
Start with where you live, because Mississippi's top options are far apart. Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast have the national league connections, Jackson has the largest recreational operation, and north Mississippi families often travel toward Memphis or Tupelo. Ask each club which league its team plays in, since the ECNL Regional League Gulf Coast, MLS NEXT and the state's own competitive leagues involve very different travel and costs.
Gulf Coast league opponents come from Louisiana and Alabama, so expect weekend trips along the coast. Summers are hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms, so ask about lights and where teams train when it rains. Tryout dates vary, and most clubs post them in spring, so check early. For younger players, a recreational program close to home is a sensible start, and Jackson Futbol Club and Hattiesburg FC both run big ones.
New to all this? Start with how the youth leagues fit together, then read our tryouts guide before Mississippi clubs start holding evaluations.
Mississippi club soccer FAQ
Is there MLS NEXT in Mississippi?
Yes. Southern States Soccer Club in Hattiesburg became the first Mississippi club in MLS NEXT, joining for 2024-25 with U13, U14 and U15 boys teams. Its site lists MLS NEXT for ages 12 to 14, plus a Pre-MLS NEXT program for younger players.
Which Mississippi clubs play in the ECNL Regional League?
Gulf Coast United in Gulfport and Hattiesburg FC were founding members of the ECNL Regional League Gulf Coast in 2025-26. The six club league also includes Louisiana Fire, Mandeville SC and LA Krewe Rush from Louisiana, and Union 10 FC from Daphne, Alabama.
Who runs State Cup in Mississippi?
The Mississippi Soccer Association, the state's US Youth Soccer member, runs the USYS Mississippi State Cup and the Olympic Development Program. The State Cup has separate U9 to U12 and U13 to U19 divisions, and a spring championship weekend has been held in Vicksburg.