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How to choose a soccer club:
what to look for

By Gabe Ramos · U.S. Soccer Coach Educator · Updated November 2026

Every club says it develops players. It is hard to know what that means when you are standing in a parking lot on a Saturday. Here is what to look at, and what to ignore.

What matters most

• The coach your child will really have, not just the director.
• Whether every player gets to play.
• Whether practices are active and well planned.
• How coaches talk to children.
• How the club treats parents.

What matters less

• Trophies and team records at young ages.
• Fancy uniforms or a big name.
• How many teams the club has.
• What other parents say about which club is best.

Questions to ask

• Who will coach my child, and what training do they have?
• How is playing time decided?
• How are players placed on teams, and can they move?
• How many practices and games are there, and where?
• What is the full cost for the year?
• What is your policy on player safety?

Go and watch a practice

This tells you more than any website. Are players moving, or waiting in lines? Is there a ball at most feet? Does the coach speak to children with respect? Do the players look like they want to be there? Ten minutes on the sideline is the best research you can do.

Red flags

• Coaches who yell at children.
• Pressure to commit before you have any answers.
• Promises about college or professional soccer for young children.
• A rule that a young child can only play soccer.
• No clear answer about playing time or cost.

Ask your child

Let them try a session if you can. Where do they feel welcome? Where did they have fun? A good club for your neighbor’s child may not be a good club for yours.

Questions parents ask

Should we switch clubs? ›Surviving tryouts ›Rec or travel? ›