Club Soccer on Long Island: A Complete Guide for Parents (2026)
TL;DR: Long Island has 100+ club soccer programs across Nassau and Suffolk counties, organized primarily through the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL). SUSA Academy (Central Islip) competes in ECNL Boys and Girls and operates the largest soccer complex on the island. Long Island SC (Uniondale/multi-site) competes in MLS NEXT and Girls Academy. East Meadow SC fields ECNL Boys and Girls teams. Long Island Slammers (Smithtown) competes in ECNL Regional League and NPL. EDP Soccer and The National League are the primary regional leagues. This guide covers clubs across both counties with factual information only — no rankings, no subjective claims.
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How This Guide Works
We're not ranking these clubs or making subjective judgments about quality. Every family's situation is different — what matters is finding the right fit based on your location, your child's age and competitive level, and your family's budget and schedule.
For each club, we list factual information: location, leagues, and gender. Use this as a starting point, then visit clubs, watch practices, and talk to other parents. Our guide on how to choose a club covers what to look for, and our coach evaluation guide has specific questions to ask.
For families new to club soccer, our recreational vs. travel soccer guide explains the differences, and our age-by-age guide covers what to expect at each stage. If cost is a factor, see our club soccer budget guide. For clubs in other parts of the New York metro area, see our NYC Metro guide and Northern NJ guide. For the full statewide overview, see Club Soccer in New York.
Long Island Clubs at a Glance
These are the clubs competing in top national and regional leagues. For the full list organized by county, scroll down.
| Club | Location | Top League(s) | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSA Academy | Central Islip | ECNL Boys + Girls, EDP | Coed |
| Long Island SC | Uniondale (multi-site) | MLS NEXT, Girls Academy | Coed |
| East Meadow SC | North Bellmore | ECNL Boys + Girls | Coed |
| Uniondale Soccer Club | Uniondale | ECNL Boys | Coed |
| East Coast FC | South Shore Nassau | ECNL Boys | Coed |
| Albertson SC | Albertson | ECNL-RL Boys | Coed |
| Long Island Slammers | Smithtown | ECNL-RL, NPL | Coed |
| Long Island Rough Riders | Garden City | USL Youth | Coed |
| NY Surf | Hauppauge | NPL | Girls |
For a primer on what these league names mean, see our guides to ECNL, MLS NEXT, EDP, Girls Academy, and NPL. For head-to-head league comparisons, see MLS NEXT vs ECNL, ECNL vs Girls Academy, and Girls Academy vs DPL.
National-Level Clubs
These clubs compete in MLS NEXT, ECNL, or Girls Academy — the top national league pathways available on Long Island.
SUSA Academy
Location: Central Islip, NY (Suffolk County) Leagues: ECNL Boys + Girls, EDP Gender: Coed
SUSA (Skills Unlimited Soccer Academy) is one of the largest club soccer organizations on Long Island with over 4,000 registered players. The club competes in ECNL for both boys and girls in the Northeast conference and fields teams across EDP divisions. SUSA operates the Orlin & Cohen Sports Complex in Central Islip — the largest soccer complex on Long Island, with five full-size outdoor turf fields and a 96,000-square-foot indoor dome. The club runs programs from ages 2 through 23 and has training locations across Suffolk and Nassau counties, including Hauppauge, Commack, Huntington, and Uniondale. SUSA became an NYCFC Academy affiliate. For how ECNL compares to other national leagues, see our ECNL vs Girls Academy comparison and DPL vs ECNL.
Long Island SC
Location: Uniondale, NY (Nassau County — multiple training sites across Nassau and Suffolk) Leagues: MLS NEXT, Girls Academy Gender: Coed
Long Island SC is the anchor club for national-level development on the island. The club fields MLS NEXT teams for boys and is a founding member of the Girls Academy, running the full GA pathway from U12 through U19. LISC operates from multiple sites across both counties, including Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale (Nassau), Hofstra University, Suffolk County Community College, and several county parks. The club draws players from across Long Island, Queens, and parts of Brooklyn. For how MLS NEXT compares to other pathways, see MLS NEXT vs ECNL. For how Girls Academy compares, see ECNL vs Girls Academy and Girls Academy vs DPL.
East Meadow SC
Location: North Bellmore, NY (Nassau County) Leagues: ECNL Boys + Girls Gender: Coed
East Meadow SC fields ECNL teams for both boys and girls in the Northeast conference, making it one of the few Long Island clubs with dual-gender ECNL programs alongside SUSA. The club is based in Nassau County's South Shore area near Eisenhower Park, one of the region's largest athletic facilities.
Uniondale Soccer Club
Location: Uniondale, NY (Nassau County) Leagues: ECNL Boys Gender: Coed
Uniondale Soccer Club competes in ECNL Boys in the Northeast conference. Based in central Nassau County, the club provides a national-level boys pathway in the Uniondale area.
View Uniondale Soccer Club on ClubScout →
East Coast FC
Location: South Shore Nassau County Leagues: ECNL Boys Gender: Coed
East Coast FC was promoted to full ECNL Boys membership for the 2025-26 season after competing in the ECNL Regional League. The club provides a national-level boys pathway on Nassau County's South Shore.
Development-Level National Pathway Clubs
These clubs compete in development tiers of national structures or emerging national leagues, providing pathways between regional and full national-level competition.
Albertson SC
Location: Albertson, NY (Nassau County) Leagues: ECNL-RL Boys Gender: Coed
Albertson SC competes in the ECNL Regional League Boys program in the Northeast North Division. The ECNL-RL serves as a development pathway toward full ECNL membership. For how the ECNL tiers connect, see our ECNL guide.
Long Island Slammers
Location: Smithtown, NY (Suffolk County — multiple training sites) Leagues: ECNL-RL Boys + Girls, NPL Gender: Coed
Long Island Slammers compete in the ECNL Regional League and the National Premier Leagues (NPL) through the Mid-Atlantic Premier League. The club operates from three facilities in the Smithtown/Brookhaven area, including fields at St. Joseph's College and Sachem Soccer Park. LI Slammers is affiliated with the national Slammers FC organization, founded in 1994. The club fields boys and girls teams from U10 through U19.
View Long Island Slammers on ClubScout →
Long Island Rough Riders
Location: Garden City, NY (Nassau County) Leagues: USL Youth Gender: Coed
The Long Island Rough Riders are one of the longest-running soccer organizations in the region, with a semi-professional team competing in USL League Two. The Rough Riders run youth development programs under the USL Academy structure, connecting to the USL professional pyramid.
View Long Island Rough Riders on ClubScout →
NY Surf
Location: Hauppauge, NY (Suffolk County) Leagues: NPL Gender: Girls
NY Surf competes in the National Premier Leagues (NPL) through the Mid-Atlantic Premier League. The club focuses on girls development in the Hauppauge area of Suffolk County.
NYCFC Long Island Regional Hub
Location: Massapequa / multiple Nassau County locations Leagues: Girls Academy ASPIRE Gender: Girls
NYCFC operates a Long Island Regional Hub that fields girls teams in the Girls Academy ASPIRE development tier. This provides Long Island girls a pathway into the Girls Academy structure connected to New York City FC.
LIJSL, EDP, and Regional League Clubs by County
The Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) is the backbone of competitive club soccer on Long Island, with 100+ member clubs and 50,000+ registered players. Most travel clubs on the island compete through LIJSL. EDP Soccer and The National League serve as the primary competitive regional leagues for clubs pursuing higher-level play beyond local LIJSL divisions.
Nassau County
Nassau County — from Great Neck and Manhasset in the north to Long Beach and the Five Towns in the south — has a dense concentration of clubs packed into 287 square miles. Major training facilities include Mitchel Athletic Complex (Uniondale), Eisenhower Park (East Meadow), and Hofstra University.
| Club | City | Leagues | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Island Rough Riders | Garden City | USL Youth | Coed |
| Hempstead EOC | Hempstead | EDP, TNL | Coed |
| Long Island Premier FC | Melville | TNL | Coed |
| Glen Cove | Glen Cove | TNL | Coed |
| Rockville Centre SC | Rockville Centre | TNL | Coed |
| Westbury Youth Soccer Club | Westbury | EDP | Coed |
| FC La Isla | Freeport | — | Coed |
| Busby Soccer Academy | Lynbrook | — | Coed |
| Oceanside United SC | Oceanside | — | Coed |
| Syosset Soccer Club | Syosset | — | Coed |
| Little Feet Soccer | Bethpage | — | Coed |
Browse all Garden City clubs, Hempstead clubs, Freeport clubs, and Westbury clubs on ClubScout.
Suffolk County
Suffolk County — from Huntington and Smithtown in the west to the Hamptons and North Fork in the east — is geographically larger than Nassau with clubs more spread out. The SUSA Orlin & Cohen Sports Complex in Central Islip is the island's largest soccer facility. Most competitive activity is concentrated in the western half of the county.
| Club | City | Leagues | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Island Slammers | Setauket | NPL | Coed |
| NY Surf | Hauppauge | NPL | Girls |
| Connetquot United SC | Bohemia | EDP | Coed |
| Middle Country SC | Centereach | TNL | Coed |
| Commack Soccer | Commack | TNL | Coed |
| Copiague Youth League | Copiague | TNL | Coed |
| Dix Hills SC | Dix Hills | TNL | Coed |
| Harborfields SC | Greenlawn | TNL | Coed |
| Hauppauge | Hauppauge | TNL | Coed |
| Huntington Inter FC | Huntington | TNL | Coed |
| Long Island SC | Oakdale | Girls Academy, TNL | Girls |
| Northport Cow Harbor United SC | Northport | TNL | Coed |
| Smithtown Kickers SC | Smithtown | TNL | Coed |
| South Shore Soccer Club | West Babylon | — | Coed |
| Kings Park Soccer Club | Kings Park | — | Coed |
| Russell Carroll East Islip SC | Great River | — | Coed |
Browse all Smithtown clubs, Huntington clubs, Hauppauge clubs, and Commack clubs on ClubScout.
Understanding the Long Island Soccer Landscape
League Structure
Long Island's competitive soccer landscape has several tiers:
- MLS NEXT: Long Island SC is the primary MLS NEXT club for the island, fielding boys teams across Tier 1 and Tier 2 divisions. MLS NEXT connects to the professional pathway through Major League Soccer. For how MLS NEXT compares to ECNL, see MLS NEXT vs ECNL.
- ECNL: SUSA Academy (Central Islip), East Meadow SC (North Bellmore), Uniondale SC, and East Coast FC all field ECNL Boys teams. SUSA and East Meadow also field ECNL Girls teams. The ECNL Regional League includes Albertson SC and Long Island Slammers.
- Girls Academy: Long Island SC is a founding member and the primary Girls Academy club on the island, running the full pathway from U12 through U19. NYCFC's Long Island Regional Hub fields Girls Academy ASPIRE teams. For how Girls Academy compares, see ECNL vs Girls Academy.
- NPL: Long Island Slammers and NY Surf compete in the National Premier Leagues through the Mid-Atlantic Premier League.
- EDP Soccer and The National League: Multiple clubs compete in EDP and its qualifying tier, The National League. These serve as the primary competitive regional leagues for clubs beyond LIJSL travel divisions.
- LIJSL: The Long Island Junior Soccer League is the foundation of the island's competitive structure, with 100+ member clubs and 50,000+ registered players. LIJSL operates travel and recreational divisions under the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and US Youth Soccer.
Geographic Considerations
Long Island is roughly 118 miles long, and the competitive club landscape differs significantly by location:
Western Nassau County (Great Neck to Garden City to Rockville Centre): The densest concentration of clubs. Proximity to Queens and Brooklyn means some families also consider NYC-based options. See our NYC Metro guide for cross-borough clubs.
Eastern Nassau / Western Suffolk (Melville to Huntington to Smithtown): The heart of Long Island's competitive scene. SUSA's complex in Central Islip and multiple training facilities in the Huntington-Smithtown corridor make this area a hub.
Central Suffolk (Hauppauge to Patchogue): Several established clubs compete at the National League and EDP level. NY Surf and clubs in the Centereach-Bohemia area serve this region.
Eastern Suffolk (Riverhead to Montauk): Fewer competitive options. Families in this area typically travel west to access higher-level programs.
Cross-water considerations: Unlike mainland areas, getting off Long Island requires traveling through Queens and Brooklyn (via the LIE or Northern State Parkway) or taking the Cross Sound Ferry to Connecticut. For higher-level league play (ECNL, MLS NEXT), away matches regularly take teams to New Jersey, Connecticut, and Westchester — trips that can mean 1.5 to 2+ hours each way through NYC traffic. This is a real factor for families choosing between national and regional league programs.
Governing Bodies
Most Long Island travel clubs operate under LIJSL, which is part of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and US Youth Soccer. ENYYSA is headquartered in Garden City South on Long Island itself. Clubs competing in ECNL and NPL register through US Club Soccer, while MLS NEXT clubs register through US Soccer directly. Some clubs hold dual registrations across these governing bodies. Player transfer and release rules can differ depending on which organization a club falls under — ask about this when considering a move between clubs. For guidance on switching clubs, see our when to switch clubs guide.
Tryout Season
Most Long Island clubs hold tryouts in late April through June for the following fall season. Some clubs, particularly at the ECNL and MLS NEXT level, hold additional identification sessions in the winter. LIJSL has specific tryout windows that member clubs must follow. Check individual club websites or the ClubScout tryout calendar for specific dates. For tips on preparing, see our tryout guide.
Cost Considerations
Club soccer costs on Long Island vary significantly by level:
- LIJSL travel (entry-level): $1,500-$3,000 per year — this is where most families start
- EDP / National League: $3,000-$5,000 per year — includes league fees, coaching, and some tournament entry
- ECNL-RL / NPL: $4,000-$6,000 per year
- ECNL / Girls Academy / MLS NEXT: $5,000-$8,000+ per year — top-tier programs with the most travel
Most Long Island clubs do not publish fees publicly — pricing is typically shared during the tryout process or upon invitation. Additional costs to budget for: uniforms ($300-$500 per kit cycle, typically every two years), tournament travel (especially for away weekends off-island), and optional private training ($40-$80 per session).
For a detailed breakdown, see our travel soccer cost guide and budget guide. Families managing multiple players should check our multiple kids in club soccer guide.
What to Do Next
- Narrow by county and level. Use the tables above to find clubs near you that match your child's competitive level.
- Check ClubScout profiles. Each linked club name takes you to their full profile with parent reviews, contact info, and more detail.
- Attend tryouts. Most clubs hold tryouts in May-June for the following fall season. See our tryout guide for what to expect.
- Talk to current families. Ask about practice schedules, travel expectations (especially off-island travel for league games), and the actual costs beyond published fees.
- Read reviews. Parent reviews on ClubScout give you an unfiltered look at what it's actually like to be part of a club.
If you're new to club soccer entirely, start with our guide on recreational vs. travel soccer and our age-by-age breakdown to understand when and whether to make the move. If your child is already playing and considering a switch, that guide covers what to watch for.
More Resources
- How to Choose a Club Soccer Club
- How to Evaluate a Youth Soccer Coach
- Your First Travel Soccer Tournament
- College Soccer Recruiting Guide
- Club Soccer in the NYC Metro Area
- Club Soccer in Westchester and the Hudson Valley
- Club Soccer in Northern NJ
- Club Soccer in Central NJ
- Browse All New York Clubs on ClubScout