TL;DR: Seattle and the Puget Sound corridor around it have 10 clubs on ClubScout with confirmed league affiliations and a published profile, plus a Seattle Sounders FC academy record that is still in review. Only two of those clubs are inside the Seattle city limits. Seattle United runs the ECNL ladder. Seattle Celtic holds MLS NEXT and Girls Academy places. Everyone else is 15 to 35 miles out, on the Eastside, up I-5 toward Everett, or down toward Tacoma. That makes Seattle a commute question before it is a league question. Five clubs here hold an ECNL Boys place, four hold ECNL Girls, three hold MLS NEXT, and three hold Girls Academy. No club in the region publishes a season fee. This guide lists facts, not rankings.
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How This Guide Works
We are not ranking these clubs. In Seattle, the deciding factors are the drive, the specific coach your kid would get, and which tier of a club's ladder they are offered. League logos on a homepage decide very little. For each club we list what we can confirm and flag where our data runs thin. Use it as a starting point, then visit, ask to join a session, and talk to current parents.
Our guide on how to choose a club covers the framework, and the coach evaluation guide has the questions worth asking at every tryout. New to this? Start with recreational vs. travel soccer, the age-by-age guide, and the youth soccer glossary. For the statewide picture, including Spokane and the Tri-Cities, see Club Soccer in Washington.
Seattle-Area Clubs at a Glance
Listed from most to least competitive by the leagues each club holds a place in.
| Club | Leagues | Area | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Celtic | MLS NEXT, Girls Academy | Seattle (Eastlake, Magnuson Park) | Top tier on both sides, inside the city |
| Washington Rush | MLS NEXT, Girls Academy | Everett | Ages 4 through 19; part of the national Rush network |
| Sound FC | MLS NEXT | Woodinville (per the club) | Premier arm of Northshore Youth Soccer Association |
| Seattle United | ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | Seattle and Shoreline | Three regional branches across the city |
| Crossfire Premier | ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, NPL, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | Redmond | Seven league places; thin program data |
| PacNW SC | ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | Redmond | Same ladder as Crossfire, same city |
| Washington Premier FC | ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, NPL, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | Puyallup | Owns its complex; recorded as Seattle in our data |
| Snohomish United | ECNL Boys, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls | Snohomish and Monroe | Rec through pre-professional |
| Seattle Reign Academy | Girls Academy | Tacoma | Girls only, women-led |
| Eastside FC | NPL | Issaquah | 100+ teams; founded in 1970 |
In review: Seattle Sounders FC (MLS NEXT, National Academy League). The league places are confirmed. The profile is not published yet, so we have not linked it.
For what these league names mean, see MLS NEXT, ECNL, Girls Academy, and NPL. For head-to-head comparisons, see ECNL vs Girls Academy and MLS NEXT vs ECNL.
Two ladders run through this list, and they rarely cross. The MLS NEXT clubs here pair it with Girls Academy. The ECNL clubs run the full ECNL ladder. Not one club in this guide holds both MLS NEXT and ECNL. So the first real decision for a Seattle family is which ladder, and the league names on the two sides mean different things for your son and your daughter. Inside the ECNL clubs, national ECNL, ECNL Regional League, and Pre-ECNL are three separate leagues with three separate budgets. When a club offers your player "our ECNL team," ask which of the three they mean. ECNL RL vs EDP vs NECSL covers where the regional tier sits.
The Clubs Inside Seattle
Seattle United
Location: Seattle, WA (office on NE 100th St; Shoreline, Northwest, and South regions) Leagues: ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls Gender: Coed
Six confirmed league places covering all three ECNL tiers on both the boys and girls sides, from U8 through U19. The feature that matters most in this city is structural. The club runs three geographic regions, Shoreline, Northwest, and South, each with its own director. Regional teams sit beneath the ECNL program. That is the club's answer to Seattle traffic: a player can start close to home and only take on the longer drive if they move up.
The staff list is the most complete of any Seattle-area club in our data. It names separate directors for the ECNL program, the U10 to U12 premier teams, the U13 to U19 premier teams, and the U8 to U9 Juniors. There is also a female programming coordinator, a college coordinator, and a certified athletic trainer. A published financial aid program and a College ID Camp round it out. The club's own materials also describe RCL play, which is Washington's state competitive league and which our league data does not carry yet.
Seattle Celtic
Location: Seattle, WA (office on Eastlake Ave E; training at Magnuson Park) Leagues: MLS NEXT, Girls Academy Gender: Coed
The only club inside the city limits on the MLS NEXT and Girls Academy ladder. Programs listed include core and supplemental training, camps, a College Recruitment Program, player wellness resources, and a soccer parenting association. For families in north and central Seattle, Magnuson Park is the location to check against your commute.
Our record is thin beyond that. The club site has a team fees page, but no amounts were readable, and we could not capture tryout dates. Treat the league places as verified. Everything else is a question for the club. Two top-tier places and nothing recorded beneath them also raise a question worth asking: where does a player go if they are not ready for MLS NEXT or Girls Academy this year?
The Eastside
Crossfire Premier
Location: Redmond, WA Leagues: ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, NPL, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls Gender: Coed
Seven confirmed league places, tied for the deepest profile in the region: all three ECNL tiers on both sides, plus NPL. Our program data is thin. We have no confirmed staff, training sites, or fees. The league data is solid; the rest needs a phone call.
PacNW SC
Location: Redmond, WA Leagues: ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls Gender: Coed
The same full ECNL ladder as Crossfire, in the same city, with thin program data of its own. Two clubs with near-identical league profiles a few minutes apart is useful for a parent. The leagues cancel out, so compare the coach, the training site, and the drive.
Eastside FC
Location: Issaquah, WA (Preston Athletic Fields, Central Park in Issaquah, and Bellevue College) Leagues: NPL Gender: Coed
A 501(c)(3) founded in 1970 as part of the Eastside Youth Soccer Association. It is one of the largest clubs in the state, with 100+ teams, 50+ licensed staff, and programs from U8 through U19. Its own record cites 500+ college commitments since 1998 and 56 players recruited to MLS academies since 2015. Financial aid and scholarships are available. Tryout contacts are split by age group: Troy Letherman for boys U13 to U19, Tim Reynolds for girls U13 to U19, and Xinho Prestes for U12 and younger.
Read one thing carefully. The club's own site describes more league play than the single NPL place we can confirm. Our data only publishes what we have verified. Ask which league your player's specific age group will play in for 2026-27 before you compare it with anything else on this list.
Sound FC
Location: Woodinville, WA (per the club; no city recorded in our data) Leagues: MLS NEXT Gender: Coed
The premier program of the nonprofit Northshore Youth Soccer Association, with a goalkeeping academy and free college recruitment preparation. The club describes a three-pillar approach it calls Sound Minds, Sound Bodies, and Sound Skills. It has also announced a new second-tier MLS NEXT division and a girls program expansion. Neither is confirmed in our league data yet, so treat both as club statements. For Bothell, Kenmore, and Woodinville families, this is the closest MLS NEXT option.
North: Everett and Snohomish
Washington Rush
Location: Everett, WA Leagues: MLS NEXT, Girls Academy Gender: Coed
The regional club for North County Youth Soccer Association and part of the national Rush network. The ladder here has more rungs than any club in this guide: Mighty Mites at ages 4 to 6, Junior RCL at 7 to 8, Junior Academy, Premier and Select teams, and MLS NEXT and Girls Academy at the top. There is a college advisory program and a scholarship fund named for the club president. Supplemental tryouts are available for players who want to join mid-season, which is less common than it should be.
Fees are published separately for Jr RCL, Premier, Select, and the Girls Academy and MLS NEXT programs. We could not read the amounts. Separate fee pages are a good sign. Ask for the one that matches your kid's actual program, in writing.
Snohomish United
Location: Snohomish, WA (Stocker Fields, plus seven school and park sites in Snohomish and Monroe) Leagues: ECNL Boys, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls Gender: Coed
A 501(c)(3) with the widest range of any club here: recreational soccer, TOPSoccer for players with disabilities, premier teams, ECNL and ECNL RL teams, and pre-professional men's and women's sides. Note the shape of the girls' side. Our confirmed girls place is ECNL RL, not national ECNL Girls.
The tryout process is described more clearly than anywhere else in the region. Premier youth tryouts are held once a year over two to three days. Players wear a number for anonymous evaluation. Parents get a call if their kid is selected and an email if not. Pre-registration costs $25 per child, and walk-up registration is available with a parent present. That $25 is the only youth fee figure published by any club in this guide. Boys U17 and U19 tryouts ran in late February, so do not assume a spring-only window.
South: Puyallup and Tacoma
Washington Premier FC
Location: Puyallup, WA (recorded as Seattle in our data) Leagues: ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, NPL, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls Gender: Coed
Seven confirmed league places, tying Crossfire. A 501(c)(3) formed from the merger of FC Royals and FC United, with roots in some of the first girls teams in Pierce County in 1971. The club owns its complex in Puyallup: 8 grass fields on 25 acres plus 3 lighted turf fields. A club that owns its fields usually means fewer surprise venue changes and less crowding at training. It is still worth asking how many teams share a field on a weeknight.
Programs run from recreational soccer and a Jr. RCL U8 program up to the national teams, with college planning webinars and ID camps. The 2026-27 tryout schedule, open training sessions, and results are published on the club site. Puyallup is roughly 35 miles from downtown Seattle. For South Sound families this is a local club. For north Seattle families it is not.
Seattle Reign Academy
Location: Tacoma, WA Leagues: Girls Academy Gender: Girls
A year-round girls-only club led by Executive Director Amy Griffin, a 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup winner who holds USSF A and Director's licenses and was an associate head coach at the University of Washington. Director of Coaching Nicci Wright also holds a USSF A license, with goalkeeper coaching experience at the professional and Canadian national team levels. The staff list includes current and former professional players. The club describes links to the NWSL side, including first-team training invitations.
A Pre-Academy program sits beneath the Girls Academy teams, and the route in is an ID session or a new-player inquiry form. The usual caveat applies: an impressive staff list is a signal, not a verdict. Watch the session your daughter would actually be in.
What Club Soccer Costs in Seattle
No Seattle-area club on ClubScout publishes a season fee. We checked every record in the region. The only dollar figure is Snohomish United's $25 tryout pre-registration. The ranges below are modeled from our published cost guides and comparable clubs elsewhere in the database, and they match our Washington state guide. Treat them as a planning range, not a quote.
| Level | Estimated Annual Range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| MLS NEXT | $3,500–$6,500+ | Modeled |
| ECNL Boys / ECNL Girls | $3,500–$6,000 | Modeled |
| Girls Academy | $3,000–$6,000 | Modeled |
| National Premier Leagues | $2,500–$4,500 | Modeled |
| ECNL RL | $2,500–$4,500 | Modeled |
| RCL / premier | $1,500–$3,000 | Modeled |
| Pre-ECNL / select (U9–U12) | $1,200–$2,500 | Modeled |
| Junior academy / Jr RCL (U7–U10) | $600–$1,500 | Modeled |
Add uniform kit ($150–$400 in year one), tournament fees ($500–$1,500), and family travel. Northwest conference play can reach Oregon and Idaho, and the national leagues fly. Ask whether this is year 1 or year 2 of the club's uniform cycle before you order kit.
The larger Seattle cost is often not on the invoice. It is three weeknight practices across I-5, I-405, or SR 520 at rush hour. A club 15 miles away can mean 45 minutes each way, and you will drive it for years. If you have more than one player, read multiple kids in club soccer first. For the full budget breakdown, see our budget guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Seattle club is best for boys players?
We cannot rank them, and any guide that claims to is overstating what the data supports. Here is what it says. Three linked clubs hold an MLS NEXT place: Seattle Celtic, Sound FC, and Washington Rush. The Seattle Sounders FC academy record, still in review, holds another. Five clubs hold a national ECNL Boys place: Seattle United, Crossfire Premier, PacNW SC, Washington Premier FC, and Snohomish United. Pick the ladder, then the drive, then watch a training session.
Which Seattle club is best for girls players?
Four clubs hold an ECNL Girls place: Seattle United, Crossfire Premier, PacNW SC, and Washington Premier FC. Three hold a Girls Academy place: Seattle Celtic, Washington Rush, and Seattle Reign Academy, the only girls-only club here. Five clubs hold ECNL RL Girls places underneath. See ECNL vs Girls Academy and our girls club soccer guide.
I have a son and a daughter. Which clubs cover both?
Seven of the ten. Seattle United, Crossfire Premier, PacNW SC, and Washington Premier FC hold both ECNL Boys and ECNL Girls. Seattle Celtic and Washington Rush pair MLS NEXT with Girls Academy. Snohomish United pairs ECNL Boys with ECNL RL Girls. One club for two kids usually means one training site and one Tuesday drive instead of two.
When do Seattle clubs hold tryouts?
Earlier and less uniformly than most families expect. Snohomish United ran boys U17 and U19 tryouts in late February. Washington Premier FC publishes a 2026-27 schedule with open training sessions. Washington Rush runs supplemental tryouts for mid-season joiners. Seattle Reign Academy uses ID sessions and an inquiry form. Eastside FC routes tryout questions to a different contact for each age band. Top-tier clubs nationally can start as early as April. Check each club's site rather than waiting for a regional date.
My kid isn't ready for a national-league team. What are the options?
More than the headline leagues suggest. Five clubs here hold ECNL RL places on both sides, and four run Pre-ECNL for younger players. Seattle United has regional teams beneath its ECNL program. Washington Rush and Washington Premier FC both run Jr. RCL for the youngest players. Snohomish United runs recreational soccer alongside its competitive teams. Starting a tier lower at a club with a ladder beats starting a tier too high somewhere without one. See recreational vs. travel soccer.
What about clubs not listed here?
Two more top-tier clubs sit at the edges of this map. Western Washington Surf SC holds MLS NEXT and Girls Academy places and trains at nine sites from Snohomish to Yelm, with its academy based at the E90 facility in Tukwila. Ask which site your player's team would use. Mt. Rainier Futbol Club, also MLS NEXT and Girls Academy, is based in Buckley in eastern Pierce County and serves Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, Lake Tapps and Sumner. The Seattle Sounders FC academy is in review, as noted above. MLS club academies generally scout rather than hold open tryouts, so ask how identification works. If you are weighing a move from your current club, see when to switch clubs.
What to Do Next
- Pick the ladder first. MLS NEXT with Girls Academy, or the ECNL ladder. No club here offers both, so this decision narrows the list by half.
- Match the club to your side of the water. In the city: Seattle United and Seattle Celtic. Eastside: Crossfire Premier, PacNW SC, Eastside FC, and Sound FC. North: Washington Rush and Snohomish United. South: Washington Premier FC and Seattle Reign Academy.
- Drive the route at practice time. Do it on a Tuesday at 5:30 PM, across the bridge you would actually use.
- Ask to join a session, not just watch one. Many clubs will allow a trial session or two if you ask.
- Ask for the all-in annual number in writing. No club here publishes one. Ask what is excluded: kit, tournaments, travel, winter training, and state registration.
More Resources
- Club Soccer in Washington: A Parent's Complete Guide
- How to Choose a Club Soccer Club
- How to Evaluate a Youth Soccer Coach
- Compare All Youth Soccer Leagues Side by Side
- ECNL RL vs EDP vs NECSL: The Tier Below the National Leagues
- ECNL vs Girls Academy: Which Path Is Right for Your Daughter?
- Club Soccer on a Budget
- Club Soccer and High School Soccer: Can Your Kid Do Both?
- College Soccer Recruiting: A Parent's Guide
- Youth Soccer Glossary