The academy model
Two ways in. One costs money, the other costs commitment.
We can take the price of youth soccer down to zero. What we ask for in return is that you stay.
Youth soccer in this country is pay to play, and the price is what keeps good players out of it. We remove that price. In exchange, the family commits to the club and to the development model for more than a single season. If you are not ready to make that commitment, you can still play with us. You pay, and you owe us nothing beyond the season you signed up for. Both doors are open. They just ask for different things.
The trade
We absorb the cost. You commit to the model.
Free to play
- What it costs
- Nothing to play. You cover uniforms and one-off items only.
- What you commit to
- The club and the development model, beyond a single season.
- What you sign
- A club membership agreement, signed by a parent or guardian.
- If you leave early
- Fees become due. Leaving early is what the agreement covers.
- Who it is for
- Families who are certain, and players who want the pathway.
Pay to play
- What it costs
- A program fee, published per session before you register.
- What you commit to
- One season. It is short and it does not renew on its own.
- What you sign
- Standard registration. No multi-year agreement.
- If you leave early
- Nothing is owed. You finish the season or you do not.
- Who it is for
- Families who are not sure yet, and want to try us first.
Free means the cost of playing is zero. It does not mean nothing is asked of you.
What zero actually covers
Coaching, training, and competing with the club costs you nothing. Uniforms and one-off items are still yours to buy. We are not going to pretend otherwise, because a surprise later is worse than a clear line now.
What we ask in return
- 01A signed club membership agreement, executed by a parent or guardian.
- 02A commitment to the development model, not just to a season of fixtures.
- 03If the player leaves early, fees become due under that agreement.
Why it works this way
Development takes longer than one season. When a club invests years of coaching into a player for free, that only holds together if families are in it for the same length of time. The agreement is what makes zero possible. Without it we would be back to charging everybody.
If you are not ready to sign a multi-year commitment, do not sign one. Pay instead.
The youth programs are paid, open to register, and the only thing you are committing to is the season in front of you. It is short. It does not roll over. When it ends you decide again, with no agreement and nothing owed.
What it costs
Fees, session times and age groups are published per program and change each term. They are listed on the Soccer Schools page, which reads the current list live, so what you see there is what you pay.
- You are certain about the club
- Go free. Come to tryouts, sign the agreement, and the cost of playing goes to zero.
- You are not sure yet
- Go paid. One season, no agreement, nothing owed at the end. Decide again later.
- You are new to the game entirely
- Go paid, and start with a program. There is no tryout and nothing riding on it.
This is not a brochure line. It has happened.
Kevin Garcia debuted for Fuego FC at 16, developed inside the U23 program competing in The League for Clubs, and transferred to Club Deportivo Guadalajara at 18 for a club-record fee. It was the first transfer of its kind from the Central Valley.
Read how that worked- Is the free track really free?
- Playing costs nothing. Uniforms and one-off items are on you. There is no monthly fee, no club dues, and no pay-to-play cost for a place on the team.
- What exactly am I signing?
- A club membership agreement, executed by a parent or guardian. It sets out the commitment to the club and the development model, and it sets out the fees that become due if the player leaves early.
- What happens if we leave early?
- Fees become due under the agreement you signed. That clause is the reason the rest of it can be free, and we would rather you know it now than read it later.
- Can I just pay and skip the commitment?
- Yes. That is exactly what the paid youth programs are for. You pay the program fee and you are committed to that season only.
- How long is the commitment on the free track?
- Longer than one season. It is a multi-year commitment to the club and the model, which is what makes removing the cost possible in the first place. The specific term is in the agreement.
- Do I have to try out?
- For the free pathway teams, yes. Places are earned. For the paid youth programs, no. If there is space in the session, your player can take it.
Pick a door
Commit and pay nothing, or pay and commit to nothing beyond the season. Both are real options here.