Youth soccer clubs in Washington
Washington is one of the deepest youth soccer states in the West, and most of that depth sits along the I-5 corridor from Bellingham down to Tacoma.
Club soccer in Washington
The Seattle Sounders have a huge influence here. Their Academy trains at Starfire Sports in Tukwila, and the area around it is full of clubs that send kids up the pathway or compete against it every weekend. Families on the Eastside, in Snohomish County and in South King County can usually find a high-level team within a 30 minute drive.
The state's own top tier is the Regional Club League, which Washington Youth Soccer started in 2010 for the best clubs in the state. Most of the clubs on this page play in it, and many of them layer national leagues on top. ECNL is strong here, with Seattle United, Eastside FC, Washington Premier and XF Academy all in the mix, and the ECNL has just announced a Pre-ECNL Northwest tier for the 2026-27 season that gives younger teams a direct line into the league. MLS NEXT 2 arrived with Sound FC and Washington Rush, and Girls Academy has a footprint in both the Seattle area and Spokane.
Travel is the thing to plan around. Seattle-area teams get plenty of local games, but Spokane sits about 280 miles east over the mountains, so Eastern Washington clubs fly or drive long distances for conference play. Bellingham is its own little pocket near the Canadian border, and Whatcom County clubs make a lot of trips south.
Rain is a fact of life from October to March, so turf fields and indoor training are a big part of the winter schedule. Competitive tryouts usually run in the late spring and early summer for the following fall, and the top clubs fill their rosters quickly. This page covers the clubs a Washington parent will most likely hear about first, from the national-league names to the large community programs that feed them.
Popular clubs in Washington
These are the clubs Washington 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.
Seattle United
Seattle United is a city-based competitive club with separate boys and girls programs and an office in the north end of Seattle. Its older teams play in ECNL and the ECNL Regional League, and the club also fields teams in Washington's Regional Club League. Younger players can start in a Junior Academy for U8 and U9, and the club runs a college program, goalkeeper training and camps. It is one of the seven clubs in the new Pre-ECNL Northwest tier announced for 2026-27.
Eastside FC
Eastside FC grew out of the Eastside Youth Soccer Association and has a 1970 start date. Its office sits in Issaquah and the main training complex is Preston Athletic Fields, with other sessions at Central Park in Issaquah, Bellevue College and Mercer Island. The club lists more than 100 teams from U8 through U19, plus Juniors, futsal, goalkeeper training and camps. Older teams play ECNL, ECNL Regional League and the state's Regional Club League, and the Sounders have a youth partnership with the club.
Washington Premier FC
Washington Premier came from the merger of FC Royals and FC United, and it advertises a Center of Excellence with eleven fields. The girls program joined ECNL in 2010, and the club says 92 percent of its ECNL players since the class of 2013 went on to play college soccer. Boys also play ECNL. Recreational players can join through its Washington United program, and the club runs goalkeeper and college programs plus an adult side.
XF Academy
XF Academy is the Eastside club many Washington families still know as Crossfire, and its website still lives at the crossfiresoccer.org address. It runs boys and girls teams in ECNL and has been one of the best-known names in the Northwest conference for years. The program also offers XF Futures for younger players, a goalkeeper program, a college prep program and day camps. It is part of the Pre-ECNL Northwest group that begins in 2026-27.
Spokane Sounders
The Spokane Sounders, also seen as SSC Shadow, are the main competitive option in Eastern Washington. Girls from U13 to U19 play in Girls Academy and its Aspire level, while boys play in the ECNL Regional League. The club also runs teams in the state's Regional Club League, the Washington Premier League and the EW Select League for developing players. It is the club most Inland Northwest families look at first for top-level play.
Sound FC
Sound FC is a Woodinville club that moved into MLS NEXT 2 and joined the Pacific Northwest Conference for the 2025-26 season. Its U13 to U19 boys first teams play there, and the club says it wants an equal pathway for its girls. In 2026 its GU14 premier team won the US Youth Soccer National Championship, the first national title in club history. It also runs a goalkeeping academy and holds tryouts each season.
Washington Rush
Washington Rush is part of the national Rush Soccer network and serves the north Puget Sound area. Boys first teams from U13 to U19 play MLS NEXT, and girls U13 to U19 teams play in Girls Academy. Below that, the club enters teams in the Regional Club League from U8 up and in the North Puget Sound League for U9 to U19. It also offers a Junior RCL step for ages 7 and 8, so younger kids get a path in.
Snohomish United
Snohomish United is a nonprofit that covers everything from fall recreational soccer to premier teams, all based in Snohomish. Premier boys and girls teams play in the Regional Club League and the North Puget Sound League, and the club has ECNL and ECNL Regional League teams at older ages. It also owns a USL League Two men's team and a women's side, which gives local players a pre-professional team to watch and aim for. It joins Pre-ECNL Northwest in 2026-27.
Valor Soccer
Valor formed on April 1, 2019, when Kent Covington Youth Soccer and Maple Valley Soccer Association merged. It serves southeast King County, from Kent and Covington out to Enumclaw and Buckley. Competitive teams are split into Elite, Premier and Select tiers, and recreational players can start with FirstKick in kindergarten. For 2026-27 the club joins the ECNL Regional League in the Northwest for boys and girls, plus the new Pre-ECNL platform. It also runs TOPSoccer for players with disabilities.
Seattle Sounders FC Academy
The Sounders Academy is the MLS club's own youth pathway, and its teams train out of Starfire Sports in Tukwila. Academy age groups travel for national events such as the Generation adidas Cup and the GA Cup in Florida. Players who move up can join Tacoma Defiance, the club's second team, and then the first team. The Sounders also keep youth development partnerships with Eastside FC and PacNW, so many local kids have a connection even if they play elsewhere.
From Washington clubs to college soccer
For a lot of Washington 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 Washington
Every college soccer program in Washington, 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 Washington
Start with geography, because Washington traffic is real. A club that looks close on a map can mean an hour on I-5 or I-405 at practice time, so check where each age group actually trains before you fall for a program. Next, look at which leagues a club runs at your child's age. Many clubs run the Regional Club League as their main level and add ECNL, ECNL Regional League, MLS NEXT 2 or Girls Academy only at certain age groups, so ask for the team list, rather than the logo on the website.
Tryouts for the fall generally happen in late spring and early summer, but some clubs run winter windows too, so watch their sites early. Families in Eastern Washington have fewer club choices and longer trips for league games, so ask about travel budgets. Finally, ask what a season really costs once you add tournaments and travel.
Before you sign anything, read up on what club soccer costs and how tryouts and offers usually work. Most Washington families find the second season easier than the first.
Washington club soccer FAQ
What is the Regional Club League in Washington?
The Regional Club League, or RCL, is Washington Youth Soccer's top competitive league. It began in 2010 and is made up of the state's highest-ranked clubs. Most clubs on this page enter RCL teams, and several also run ECNL, MLS NEXT 2 or Girls Academy teams above or alongside it.
What is Pre-ECNL Northwest?
Pre-ECNL Northwest is a new pathway the ECNL announced in April 2026 for the 2026-27 season. The first seven clubs are Eastside FC, Northwest United, PACNW, Seattle United, Snohomish United, Washington Premier and XF Academy. Valor Soccer and WFC Rangers also join it and the ECNL Regional League.
Where can a Spokane player find top-level soccer?
The Spokane Sounders are the main option in Eastern Washington. Their girls play Girls Academy from U13 to U19 and their boys play in the ECNL Regional League. The club also fields teams in the Regional Club League and the Washington Premier League, so there are steps below the top level.