Youth soccer clubs in South Carolina
South Carolina is a smaller youth soccer state than its neighbors, and it divides cleanly into three pockets.
Club soccer in South Carolina
The Upstate around Greenville, the Midlands around Columbia and the Lowcountry around Charleston each have one or two dominant clubs, and families tend to pick the one closest to home instead of shopping across the state. That makes the decision simpler than in Georgia or North Carolina, but it also means you have fewer alternatives if a club doesn't fit.
The Upstate belongs to Carolina Elite Soccer Academy, known as CESA, in Greenville. It plays in ECNL and has a partnership with the Greenville Triumph, the USL League One pro team, which has signed several of its players. In the Midlands, South Carolina United FC in Columbia also plays in ECNL and its Regional League, and the two clubs jointly operate the South Carolina Premier Alliance, a state-level league.
On the coast, James Island Youth Soccer Club, founded in 1976 and billing itself as the state's longest running youth club, handles MLS NEXT through its Lowcountry United academy, while SC Surf covers Mount Pleasant and the Lowcountry with select and academy teams.
The state association, SCYSA, offers the National 1 League, the Palmetto Development League and the Carolinas Premier League, so teams that aren't in a national program still have organized competition. Because the state has no MLS team, the Charleston Battery and Greenville Triumph are the pro anchors, and both have youth links.
Expect to travel. Charleston to Greenville is about three hours by car, and a lot of ECNL and MLS NEXT games happen in North Carolina or Georgia. Weather is mild, but summer afternoons are hot and humid, so clubs schedule training late in the day. The five clubs below are the ones parents mention most, and they represent every major region of the state.
Popular clubs in South Carolina
These are the clubs South Carolina 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.
Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA)
CESA is a full service club for ages U6 to U19, with recreation, a center of excellence, junior academy, travel teams and ECNL. It hosts Southern Regionals and ECNL National Showcase events at its Upstate facilities. In 2022 the club announced a multiyear partnership with the Greenville Triumph; the pro club signed two CESA ECNL players to academy contracts and the Greenville Liberty has signed 18 current or former CESA players. It's the main Upstate route to the pro pathway.
South Carolina United FC
South Carolina United FC is a Columbia club with ECNL and ECNL Regional teams for both boys and girls from U13 to U19. Younger players can use its Junior Academy for ages 8 to 12, plus select teams and a recreational program. The club also fields USL W League and USL League Two teams under its Bantams banner. It runs the Carolina Cup tournament each year and a St. Patrick's Day Cup, and co-runs the South Carolina Premier Alliance with CESA.
James Island Youth Soccer Club
Founded in 1976, James Island Youth Soccer Club calls itself the longest standing youth soccer club in South Carolina. Its boys' Academy Select teams play in MLS NEXT and the National Academy League, and the girls' teams play in Girls Academy Aspire and the Development Player League. Lowcountry United Soccer Academy runs the academy teams under the club. It also has the Islands Soccer League, a Junior Academy and a Foundations program for the youngest players.
SC Surf Soccer Club
SC Surf serves the Lowcountry with boys' and girls' select teams from U13 to U19, an Academy for U10 to U12 and a Pre-Academy for U8 and U9. Younger kids start in Junior Surfers and Little Surfers, and the club also has a UPSL team. It describes itself as grassroots, with a player development focus. If you live in Mount Pleasant or Daniel Island and want a closer club than the downtown options, it's a practical choice.
Charleston Soccer Club
Charleston Soccer Club was created in 2020 when the youth academy of the Charleston Battery merged with the Summerville Soccer Club. It covers the Charleston and Summerville areas with recreational, development and competitive teams for boys and girls. Local reports describe it as one of the area's larger programs, and it keeps ties to the city's pro soccer history. Families north of the Charleston peninsula often choose it for its closer fields in Summerville.
From South Carolina clubs to college soccer
For a lot of South Carolina 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 South Carolina
Every college soccer program in South Carolina, 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 South Carolina
Start with the region, because South Carolina clubs rarely overlap. In the Upstate, CESA is the main name. In the Midlands, South Carolina United FC is the one to look at. In the Lowcountry, you'll mostly choose between James Island Youth Soccer Club and SC Surf, and between those two the question is league. James Island lists MLS NEXT for boys and Girls Academy Aspire for girls, while the Surf has select and academy teams at a smaller scale.
Ask each club what its schedule looks like, since top-level teams often travel to North Carolina and Georgia and a few overnight weekends are normal. Tryouts usually happen in spring. If your child is younger, check whether the club has a junior academy or recreational program, because that's where most clubs find their older players. Finally, look at the state league the club uses, since SCYSA's National 1 League and Palmetto Development League determine how many games stay close to home.
Our guide to choosing a club has the questions worth asking at a tryout, and the costs page explains what a season in South Carolina might add up to.
South Carolina club soccer FAQ
Where can a South Carolina boy play MLS NEXT?
James Island Youth Soccer Club in Charleston lists MLS NEXT for its boys' Academy Select teams, run through the Lowcountry United Soccer Academy. South Carolina has fewer MLS NEXT clubs than its neighbors, so some families in the Upstate and Midlands look to clubs in North Carolina and Georgia.
Which clubs offer ECNL in South Carolina?
Carolina Elite Soccer Academy in Greenville and South Carolina United FC in Columbia both list ECNL, and South Carolina United also lists the ECNL Regional League. Both are in the Mid-Atlantic conference system, so teams travel to North Carolina and Virginia for league games.
What state leagues does South Carolina offer?
SCYSA runs the National 1 League, the Palmetto Development League with boys' and girls' divisions, and the Carolinas Premier League. It also lists the South Carolina Premier Alliance, which CESA and South Carolina United operate. Teams that aren't in ECNL or MLS NEXT usually play here.