Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We're new to the area and are looking for insight into strong competetive youth soccer leagues in or near Cary, Apex, Morrisville. My 11 year old has played rec for years, but she's ready to make a change. Also, any indoor soccer or futsal facilities we should check out?
there's ample high-skill youth soccer in the Triangle. My kids don't play, but start here, and maybe others will weigh in. IMO, unless you're really into it - and 11 may be too old to get involved - soccer is a full-time gig around here at the competitive level.
NCFC Youth is the largest area club and they have several levels of play for an 11 year old. Challenge is considered (probably not always true) the lower level for the competitive teams with Classic being the next step. There are levels above that requiring invitations. They do play at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary as one of their sites for the South Division. I've had kids in the North Division at WRAL, starting with recreational levels on up. The higher levels of play are extremely competitive and require a lot of commitment from player and parent.
Wake FC is a smaller competitive club, but I don't know exactly where they play. I've heard good things about them, too.
I would recommend checking the clubs' websites soon, as winter supplemental tryouts are probably happening soon. Regular tryouts here are in May and June.
NetSports in Morrisville has winter indoor soccer leagues and futsal that started this month.
My son plays with NCFC and they’re the biggest in the area. When you register you choose location and they pair you up with others nearby. It’s been a great experience to date, we started when they were still CASL. They also try to keep kids on the same team year to year which I appreciate.
With NCFC, they will try to keep kids together on the same team at the challenge level, but as they move into classic, the teams are formed according to performance/skill level.
As a family we've been involved with several soccer leagues and are currently associated with NCFC at the classic level. This is the most organized experience we've had with an area soccer league, including earlier years with CASL and TFC/TFCA (CASL merged with TFCA to become NCFC). The league is huge, but the level of play is high, and if your daughter is interested in pursuing high school and college soccer, NCFC provides a lot of visibility. As others have said, though, it's a heavy duty time commitment and can become very expensive.
For indoor, I would second the recommendation of Netsports. We also had good runs with XL Soccer and SportsHQ.
NCFC Challenge level is "tryout" based as well in order to initially make a team. Once on a team they do stay together as a unit for as long as they play. If a player doesn't like the team or coach, they have the option of going through the tryout process again to try for a new team. Challenge teams typically 2x/week, travel for tournaments 2x/season and play 10-12 games. The skill level varies by team with some having a higher more consistent skill level than others.
Classic is the next level, tryouts for these teams happen each year and everyone has to try out again each year. Our experience here was that for the most part a player will end up on the same team with mostly the same players each year along with some new players. On occasion players will be called up to higher level teams if their skills warrant it. The top 1 or 2 teams are quite skilled and very competitive. When my daughter played (then CASL) there were 4 Classic teams in her age group, the top 2 were very good, the 3rd was also quite good. The 4th was decent. They all usually did very well against non-CASL competition.
Jumping into this conversation a little late, but just saw it....So I have a few teenagers who play at a Classic Elite level for NCFC. Once kids get to this level, you don't get to choose the region...the elite levels (Elite, Premier, ECNL, DA) are required practices where ever they say. Some teams were practicing at a college in downtown Raleigh. We were initially told that the practices would be evenly split between Raleigh and Cary areas. Reality: 85% of our season has been commuting from Cary to North Raleigh. It's been frikkin awful for those of us who don't live in North Raleigh near WRAL. And parking at WRAL sucks. It's a mess getting in and out of that soccer park. It has literally taken us 25 minutes on some days to circle around the park to exit (it's one way).
We live in the Cary area, and had to travel to WRAL (North Raleigh) for practices the majority of this season, and all of our home games were there. Not one game was at local parks like Thomas Brooks or Mills Park. This involved a 20 mile commute one way (40 miles per practice/game days) in HORRIBLE traffic. Traffic you would never let your teenager drive in!!! Some practices were on the other side of Apex, still a 20-30 minute commute from Cary. Some days it has taken 1.5 hours ONE WAY in rush hour traffic from the Cary area just to get to practice at WRAL!!! If there is rain, or an accident: Forget about it!! And oh, don't get me started about our practice times mostly being at 4:45 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. this entire season. While the older players (with drivers licenses) got the later practice times. Like we don't have jobs LOL. Carpooling for this level is out of the question, since everyone is coming from different cities.
The sacrifices have been real.
All in, at Classic Elite, Premier, and above levels, you will easily be dropping $5,000 (or more) a season (club fees, expensive soccer kits with required items, coaching fees, hotels, travel, team dinners, commuting to practice, because sitting in traffic for at least an hour each way burns gas, etc.) if your kid plays at this level. There are scholarships available and for lower income families, they are a generous club. But the scholarships just offset the club fees themselves, not any of the other expenses. I know parents whose kids play on DA who have buried themselves in debt, claiming that they are trying to help their kids get a college soccer scholarship. So you are paying at least $5,000 a season for 6 or 7 or 8 seasons (if your kid is good and plays at a higher level) so your kid can get a scholarship, but does the "scholarship" match all the money you put into this higher level of soccer for all of these years? In most cases, No. Soccer scholarship money is minimal at best unless your kid is a star at UNC Chapel Hill. Academic scholarships are where the $$$ is. Let's be real.
There are many other expenses to consider beyond the base almost $2K Classic club fee. The total expense has been staggering, and we have questioned at times how this sport has gotten this expensive, and why we are doing this to ourselves. There have been moments when we have realized that it's not fun to sit in traffic for 2-3 hours a day just to get to: A soccer practice. Where kids practice 6 and 8 teams to a field. No, they don't even get to practice on half fields, or full fields unless they are DA (Developmental Academy, highest level of play). So they train on little quadrants of a full soccer field, which means my kids have had to condition themselves at other parks since they never get half field or full field play during practice. It's weird, because there are many fields at WRAL that are vacant during my kids' practice times. Not sure what that is all about...maybe they don't want to pay to rent them??? I heard they owned those fields, so who is to say? And they don't keep the kids on the same teams two years in a row at this level (it's invite only tryouts), so the teams never really form a lasting bond or have true chemistry like other clubs, who tend to keep their core group of skilled kids on the same teams and they all grow up playing together.
There is supposed to be a competition center being built for the elite kids to practice at (was supposed to already be done, but of course, won't be done until next summer), but it's smack in the middle of Morrisville, where guess what? Yep, more HORRIBLE traffic!! Little two lane roads right up by the competition center, too. Traffic will be a nightmare going into that place, which is also supposed to house other sports besides soccer.
Some coaches at NCFC are better than others (as with all clubs). When the two clubs merged, some kids got overlooked, misplaced, etc. Some of it may have been political, but some kids also got some good opportunities, too. It was a rough start. Hopefully they will iron out the wrinkles. Some kids have left the club because of it, some kids have joined....kids and parents trying to find the best fit. NCFC does get their feelings hurt when people leave, though, and if the players go somewhere else and try to come back, sometimes it doesn't work so well for those players and families.
I'm missing the smaller club feel (we were with TFC before the merger), and also missing the feel of real competition. The rivalry between TFC and NCFC used to be fun, but it's not so fun to play different teams from your own club most of the season. We ended up earning a berth to a regional pool (step up in play), which has us traveling to GA, SC, etc. for games this season (mo' money) LOL but at least the level of play has improved and the games are back to being exciting because we are not playing kids from our own club anymore.
Wake FC plays in Holly Springs. In my opinion, they have the best upper level older boys teams around (sorry NCFC LOL), but they are weaker on the girl's side. My understanding is they are trying to make their girls league stronger. Their base fee is slightly lower than NCFC, and their kit cost is lower as well. Our Elite team barely beat theirs this year in a playoff game for a regional play spot. I know a few people who left NCFC and migrated over there, but I haven't had a chance to connect with them since they left last season to get their opinion about the club. I believe TUSA is based out in Chapel Hill, but NCFC also has a Durham/Chapel Hill division.
Oh, the sacrifices we make for our kids!!!! Are my kids going to play in college? Probably not. They just happen to love the game now and they are decent enough to have made a higher competitive level. But we are seriously rethinking this one for next season, though.
Jumping into this conversation a little late, but just saw it....So I have a few teenagers who play at a Classic Elite level for NCFC. Once kids get to this level, you don't get to choose the region...the elite levels (Elite, Premier, ECNL, DA) are required practices where ever they say. Some teams were practicing at a college in downtown Raleigh. We were initially told that the practices would be evenly split between Raleigh and Cary areas. Reality: 85% of our season has been commuting from Cary to North Raleigh. It's been frikkin awful for those of us who don't live in North Raleigh near WRAL. And parking at WRAL sucks. It's a mess getting in and out of that soccer park. It has literally taken us 25 minutes on some days to circle around the park to exit (it's one way).
We live in the Cary area, and had to travel to WRAL (North Raleigh) for practices the majority of this season, and all of our home games were there. Not one game was at local parks like Thomas Brooks or Mills Park. This involved a 20 mile commute one way (40 miles per practice/game days) in HORRIBLE traffic. Traffic you would never let your teenager drive in!!! Some practices were on the other side of Apex, still a 20-30 minute commute from Cary. Some days it has taken 1.5 hours ONE WAY in rush hour traffic from the Cary area just to get to practice at WRAL!!! If there is rain, or an accident: Forget about it!! And oh, don't get me started about our practice times mostly being at 4:45 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. this entire season. While the older players (with drivers licenses) got the later practice times. Like we don't have jobs LOL. Carpooling for this level is out of the question, since everyone is coming from different cities.
The sacrifices have been real.
All in, at Classic Elite, Premier, and above levels, you will easily be dropping $5,000 (or more) a season (club fees, expensive soccer kits with required items, coaching fees, hotels, travel, team dinners, commuting to practice, because sitting in traffic for at least an hour each way burns gas, etc.) if your kid plays at this level. There are scholarships available and for lower income families, they are a generous club. But the scholarships just offset the club fees themselves, not any of the other expenses. I know parents whose kids play on DA who have buried themselves in debt, claiming that they are trying to help their kids get a college soccer scholarship. So you are paying at least $5,000 a season for 6 or 7 or 8 seasons (if your kid is good and plays at a higher level) so your kid can get a scholarship, but does the "scholarship" match all the money you put into this higher level of soccer for all of these years? In most cases, No. Soccer scholarship money is minimal at best unless your kid is a star at UNC Chapel Hill. Academic scholarships are where the $$$ is. Let's be real.
There are many other expenses to consider beyond the base almost $2K Classic club fee. The total expense has been staggering, and we have questioned at times how this sport has gotten this expensive, and why we are doing this to ourselves. There have been moments when we have realized that it's not fun to sit in traffic for 2-3 hours a day just to get to: A soccer practice. Where kids practice 6 and 8 teams to a field. No, they don't even get to practice on half fields, or full fields unless they are DA (Developmental Academy, highest level of play). So they train on little quadrants of a full soccer field, which means my kids have had to condition themselves at other parks since they never get half field or full field play during practice. It's weird, because there are many fields at WRAL that are vacant during my kids' practice times. Not sure what that is all about...maybe they don't want to pay to rent them??? I heard they owned those fields, so who is to say? And they don't keep the kids on the same teams two years in a row at this level (it's invite only tryouts), so the teams never really form a lasting bond or have true chemistry like other clubs, who tend to keep their core group of skilled kids on the same teams and they all grow up playing together.
There is supposed to be a competition center being built for the elite kids to practice at (was supposed to already be done, but of course, won't be done until next summer), but it's smack in the middle of Morrisville, where guess what? Yep, more HORRIBLE traffic!! Little two lane roads right up by the competition center, too. Traffic will be a nightmare going into that place, which is also supposed to house other sports besides soccer.
Some coaches at NCFC are better than others (as with all clubs). When the two clubs merged, some kids got overlooked, misplaced, etc. Some of it may have been political, but some kids also got some good opportunities, too. It was a rough start. Hopefully they will iron out the wrinkles. Some kids have left the club because of it, some kids have joined....kids and parents trying to find the best fit. NCFC does get their feelings hurt when people leave, though, and if the players go somewhere else and try to come back, sometimes it doesn't work so well for those players and families.
I'm missing the smaller club feel (we were with TFC before the merger), and also missing the feel of real competition. The rivalry between TFC and NCFC used to be fun, but it's not so fun to play different teams from your own club most of the season. We ended up earning a berth to a regional pool (step up in play), which has us traveling to GA, SC, etc. for games this season (mo' money) LOL but at least the level of play has improved and the games are back to being exciting because we are not playing kids from our own club anymore.
Wake FC plays in Holly Springs. In my opinion, they have the best upper level older boys teams around (sorry NCFC LOL), but they are weaker on the girl's side. My understanding is they are trying to make their girls league stronger. Their base fee is slightly lower than NCFC, and their kit cost is lower as well. Our Elite team barely beat theirs this year in a playoff game for a regional play spot. I know a few people who left NCFC and migrated over there, but I haven't had a chance to connect with them since they left last season to get their opinion about the club. I believe TUSA is based out in Chapel Hill, but NCFC also has a Durham/Chapel Hill division.
Oh, the sacrifices we make for our kids!!!! Are my kids going to play in college? Probably not. They just happen to love the game now and they are decent enough to have made a higher competitive level. But we are seriously rethinking this one for next season, though.
No games at WakeMed Soccer Park? It is the home of the area's semi-pro teams NCFC (M) and NC Courage (W). NCFC youth website has it as a field site and it looks like their second largest facility, in terms of number of fields, after WRAL; 8 fields. Isn't there a relation between NCFC and NCFC youth? Nice facilities (including pro stadium), good parking, and central convenient location. After all, besides the semi-pro teams, it hosts/handles the ACC soccer tourney and the NCAA DI soccer championships (College Cups), M & W -alternating years. I go running there, around the NCAA sanctioned cross country course, and see youth games being played all the time -on various fields. Maybe it is only certain levels (skill)?
Problem isn't going to be finding soccer club options, it's going to be whether games actually happen this time of year. This weekends NCFC games was rained out on the grass fields because of Friday's storm.
If it doesn't rain again this week, we might be okay for next weekend. Really, it's a crap shoot for the grass fields. Turf fields are fine.
Problem isn't going to be finding soccer club options, it's going to be whether games actually happen this time of year. This weekends NCFC games was rained out on the grass fields because of Friday's storm.
If it doesn't rain again this week, we might be okay for next weekend. Really, it's a crap shoot for the grass fields. Turf fields are fine.
Turf IS living grass. Turf (n) "grass and the surface layer of earth held together by its roots". This applies to any kind of sporting field/pitch. The proper way... IMHO. Can you imaging Old Trafford, home of Manchester U, being synthetic/fake grass? Of course, if Notre Dame Stadium converted to plastic/fake grass then anything is possible. Still not over it; but I digress. Plastic grass is plastic grass.... what they call "field turf". Used to be called "Astro Turf"... which I guess has been drastically improved upon. Don't know why NCFC youth league refers to their synthetic grass fields as "turf". NCSU agronomy should be all over that. "Turf" IS living grass.... NOT fake plastic/fake grass. Call a spade a spade.
Modern synthetic turf, or "Field Turf" does have its place. Extremely durable, low maintenance, and holds up well in the Pacific North West type weather (wet, wet, and more wet) we've been having lately.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
