Youth soccer clubs in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has three soccer centers that don't overlap much.
Club soccer in Wisconsin
Milwaukee and its suburbs hold the most clubs, Madison has a small but growing elite scene, and the Fox Valley around Appleton and De Pere anchors the northeast. Between them it's a lot of highway, and a family's first question is usually which of the three they're closest to.
The Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association is the state body. It runs the Wisconsin State League, the top competition for 11U to 19U member clubs, and the State Cup, which holds its fall group play in Appleton. National leagues are present but spread thin. On the boys side, MLS NEXT's North region includes Elmbrook United, Forward Madison FC and Wisconsin United FC, and Bavarian United in Glendale lists MLS NEXT tryouts for 2026-27. Girls have the Girls Academy at Elmbrook United, Madison 56ers and Wisconsin United, while FC Wisconsin is the long-time ECNL name and plays in the ECNL Regional League's Heartland division as well.
Forward Madison FC is the state's pro tie-in. The USL League One club started an academy in 2025 and added girls teams after that, and the club says the goal is to cut the travel burden on Madison families who want elite boys soccer.
Winter is the other thing to plan for. Madison 56ers own an indoor training facility in Oregon, and several Milwaukee-area clubs rent domes or gyms from November to March. Check where indoor sessions happen before you pick a club, because a forty-minute drive in January is a different thing from a forty-minute drive in June.
The clubs below are the ones Wisconsin parents most often compare, and each links to its own site so you can verify teams, fees and tryout dates.
Popular clubs in Wisconsin
These are the clubs Wisconsin 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.
Elmbrook United Soccer Club
Elmbrook United formed in 2017 when Brookfield Soccer Association, which dates to 1975, merged with Elm Grove Soccer Club. Its competitive teams play in MLS NEXT and Girls Academy, and it also runs recreational, academy, select and adult programs. The club plays at Voigt Soccer Park, hosts the Bob Buss Tournament, offers free recreational clinics and accessibility grants, and has brought home Presidents Cup titles in recent seasons.
Wisconsin United FC
Wisconsin United covers the Fox Valley and Green Bay area with sites at the USA Soccer Complex in Appleton, Southwest Park and Quarry Park in De Pere, and Nouryon Sports Complex in Howard. It lists MLS NEXT Academy Division, Girls Academy Aspire and USYS National League affiliations along with the Wisconsin State League. Younger players can start in recreational, juniors or pre-academy programs, and the club lists a partnership with Minnesota United FC.
Forward Madison FC Academy
The academy of the USL League One club joined the North Division of MLS NEXT's new competition tier in September 2025, giving boys in the Madison area a local top-level option. Training and games are centered on Breese Stevens Field downtown. Aaron Hohlbein, a former UW-Madison assistant who played four MLS seasons, directs the program. Girls teams from U13 to U19 have since been added and compete in the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association State League.
Madison 56ers Soccer Club
The 56ers are a nonprofit competitive club that dates to 1956, with an office and indoor training building in Oregon, Wisconsin. The girls pathway plays in Girls Academy, while the boys pathway is in the N1 League and also lists National Academy League and Wisconsin Youth Soccer play. An Alliance Development Program covers ages 8 to 10, and the club says its Girls Academy showcases players to more than 400 college coaches each season.
FC Wisconsin
FC Wisconsin is the state's longest-running ECNL name for girls, operating under the FC Wisconsin Eclipse brand for its top teams. The pathway starts with an academy for ages 7 to 10, then Pre-ECNL at U11 and U12, and ECNL Club Competition for U14 to U18 with games against the Midwest Conference. Regional teams play in the ECNL Regional League Heartland division. A separate FC Wisconsin Boys program also exists.
Bavarian United Soccer Club
Bavarian United is a north Milwaukee suburb club with programs from age four through adult. It runs recreation for U6 to U15, an academy for U8 to U10, a premier tier from U11 to U19 and a national tier for U12 to U19 that connects to MLS NEXT, with 2026-27 tryouts listed. The club also posts college commitments, runs camps and offers two named scholarship funds for families who need financial help.
Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club
Founded in 1968, the Kickers are a nonprofit that serves southeastern Wisconsin with more than 300 teams and roughly 5,000 kids each season, organized by neighborhood regions. Programs include Mikro for the youngest players, recreational, select and competitive teams, adult soccer and a soccer school. The club has also announced an alliance with SC Wave to build teams at higher levels such as MLS NEXT and Girls Academy.
From Wisconsin clubs to college soccer
For a lot of Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
Every college soccer program in Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin
Look at the map before the league. Wisconsin clubs are far enough apart that the drive to practice matters more than a name on the crest. Milwaukee area families can reach Elmbrook United, Bavarian United, the Milwaukee Kickers and FC Wisconsin; Madison families have Forward Madison and the 56ers; and the Fox Valley has Wisconsin United's three sites in Appleton, De Pere and Howard.
Then think about travel. MLS NEXT, Girls Academy and ECNL teams play road weekends in Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan, and some events are farther. The Wisconsin State League and community leagues keep most games in-state. If you aren't sure, ask the club for the actual game calendar for your birth year.
Finally, ask about indoor space and tryout timing. Many clubs run tryouts in late spring, and some post dates on their sites months ahead. Clubs with their own indoor building tend to keep winter training steadier.
Our guide to choosing a club has the questions worth asking at a tryout, and the costs page explains what a season in Wisconsin might add up to.
Wisconsin club soccer FAQ
Which Wisconsin clubs are in MLS NEXT?
MLS NEXT's 2025-26 North region list includes Elmbrook United, Forward Madison FC and Wisconsin United FC from Wisconsin. Bavarian United in Glendale also lists MLS NEXT tryouts for 2026-27 on its site, so families in the north Milwaukee suburbs have a local option too.
Where can Wisconsin girls play ECNL or Girls Academy?
FC Wisconsin is the main ECNL club, with ECNL Club Competition for U14 to U18 and Regional League teams in the Heartland division. Girls Academy teams are at Elmbrook United, Madison 56ers and Wisconsin United, which lists the Aspire level.
Does Wisconsin have a pro-affiliated youth academy?
Yes. Forward Madison FC, a charter member of USL League One since 2019, started an academy in September 2025 in MLS NEXT's North Division. It trains at Breese Stevens Field in downtown Madison and has added girls teams for ages U13 to U19.