Club Soccer in Georgia: A Parent's Complete Guide (2026)

TL;DR: Georgia has 23 club records on ClubScout representing roughly 14 distinct organizations, with 34 confirmed league affiliations across five leagues: DPL (9), MLS NEXT (8), Girls Academy (6), NAL (6), and ECNL Boys (5). Almost all of it is metro Atlanta. Southern Soccer Academy and Inter Atlanta FC are the only clubs holding all four of MLS NEXT, Girls Academy, NAL, and DPL — the widest coverage in the state and the practical starting point for a family with a son and a daughter. Roswell Soccer Club (founded 1976, 2,000+ participants, ages 2 through 19) is the deepest rec-through-top-tier pathway. AFC Lightning in Fayetteville is the strongest option south of the city and the only Georgia club in our data that explicitly advertises financial aid. Outside Atlanta there are three real outposts: Lanier in Gainesville, Augusta Arsenal in Augusta, and Tormenta FC in Statesboro. Budget roughly $1,200 to $6,000 a year depending on tier. Read the data note below before you rely on these counts — Georgia coverage is newer than our Northeast data and has known gaps.

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Georgia Club Soccer at a Glance

Category	Details
Club records on ClubScout	23
Distinct organizations	~14 (several clubs appear as more than one record)
Confirmed league affiliations	34
Leagues confirmed active	MLS NEXT, ECNL Boys, Girls Academy, NAL, DPL
MLS NEXT records	8
DPL records	9
Girls Academy records	6
NAL records	6
ECNL Boys records	5
Estimated annual cost	~$1,200 (state-league travel) to $6,000+ (MLS NEXT)
Tryout season	April through July; MLS NEXT and ECNL clubs can start as early as April
Primary regions	Metro Atlanta, north Georgia, Augusta, south Georgia / coast
State association	Georgia Soccer, a US Youth Soccer affiliate

For what these numbers actually cover once you add kits, tournaments, and gas, see our travel soccer cost guide and budget guide. If the league names mean nothing to you yet, start with the glossary and the full league comparison table.

A Note on Our Georgia Data

We would rather tell you where our data is thin than let you plan tryouts around a number that isn't solid.

What's reliable: league affiliations. All 34 are confirmed against league membership records, not inferred from club marketing copy. If this guide says a club competes in MLS NEXT or Girls Academy, that's verified.

What isn't:

Some clubs appear twice. Roswell Soccer Club and Roswell Santos are one organization — Roswell's own materials call the club Santos. The three Tophat records are one Marietta club. Tormenta FC and Tormenta FC Academy are one Statesboro organization. Lanier Soccer Academy and Lanier Soccer Association are almost certainly one Gainesville club. That's why the record count (23) and the organization count (~14) differ.
Four records pulled data from the wrong website. Records under the short names KSA, GSA, and Tophat picked up content from unrelated domains that happen to own those acronyms, and a record named "Atlanta United FC" contains information belonging to Atlanta Fire United in Duluth. We kept the confirmed league data and left the bad descriptions out of this guide. Four other records have no confirmed city.
We have zero confirmed fee data for Georgia. Every dollar figure below is an estimate from comparable clubs at the same league tier elsewhere, and it's labeled as such.
Coverage has gaps. Georgia's club scene is bigger than 14 organizations, and our data currently shows no ECNL Girls clubs. That's a gap in our coverage, not a verdict on Georgia soccer. Ask clubs directly rather than concluding from this page that the option doesn't exist.

Use this guide for the league landscape and the geography. Verify fees, tryout dates, and current team offerings with the club.

What Makes Georgia Different

It's one metro and three outposts. Nineteen of the 23 records with a confirmed city sit inside metro Atlanta — the city plus Marietta, Roswell, Duluth, and Lilburn. Outside that ring: Gainesville to the northeast, Augusta on the South Carolina line, Statesboro near the coast. If you live in Columbus, Macon, Albany, or Valdosta, the honest answer is that top-tier club soccer means a long drive. That's a sharper concentration than anything in our Northeast coverage, where Massachusetts and New Jersey spread competitive clubs across most of the state.

Girls' top-tier play runs through Girls Academy and DPL, not ECNL. DPL is the largest league in our Georgia data (9 records) and Girls Academy accounts for 6. In the Northeast the girls' conversation usually starts with ECNL; in Georgia, based on what we can verify, it starts with Girls Academy and steps down to DPL. If you're moving in from another state, that's the biggest adjustment. Read Girls Academy vs DPL before your first tryout and ECNL vs Girls Academy if you're weighing what you left behind.

Two clubs cover almost everything. Southern Soccer Academy and Inter Atlanta FC each hold confirmed membership in MLS NEXT, Girls Academy, NAL, and DPL. Four leagues, both genders, multiple tiers, one organization — one set of fields, one calendar, one office. Our guide to multiple kids in club soccer explains why that matters more than parents expect.

A pro club runs one of the pathways. Tormenta FC in Statesboro competes in USL League One and the USL W League and runs a full youth academy underneath, from recreation at U4 through DPL. Academy evaluations are free and open to all players. Nothing in our Northeast data looks like this.

Leagues Active in Georgia

Ordered from most to least competitive, which is how you should think about them.

MLS NEXT — 8 records. Top tier for boys. Confirmed: AFC Lightning (Fayetteville), Inter Atlanta FC, Southern Soccer Academy, Roswell Soccer Club, Lanier Soccer Association (Gainesville), Tormenta FC Academy (Statesboro), plus two records pending identity verification. That's genuine geographic spread: south metro, city, north metro, northeast Georgia, coast. See MLS NEXT vs ECNL and the MLS NEXT league page.

ECNL Boys — 5 records. Confirmed: Atlanta Fire United (Duluth), Concorde Fire Premier and Concorde Fire Platinum (Atlanta), Gwinnett Soccer Academy (Lilburn), plus one pending verification. Note the shape — ECNL Boys clusters on the north and northeast side of the metro. Concorde Fire's two records are separate competitive tiers in one club family, so treat them as one organization with two entry points. Current list on the ECNL Boys page.

Girls Academy — 6 records. AFC Lightning, Inter Atlanta FC, Southern Soccer Academy, Georgia Impact SC, Tophat Gold and Tophat Navy (Marietta). The two Tophat records are one club, so the real count is five organizations across the south metro, the city, and Cobb County. Workable coverage, not deep — from the far north metro or outside Atlanta, Girls Academy means a commute. See what Girls Academy is and the league page.

NAL (National Academy League) — 6 records. Inter Atlanta FC, Southern Soccer Academy, Southern Soccer Academy Swarm, Roswell Soccer Club, Lanier Soccer Association, and Augusta Arsenal — the only confirmed NAL club outside the Atlanta orbit, which makes it the anchor for the entire Augusta area. For most families NAL is the more realistic target than MLS NEXT: strong competition, less travel, lower cost. Browse the NAL page.

DPL — 9 records. The largest league in our Georgia data and the primary girls' second tier: Albion SC Atlanta, Inter Atlanta FC, Southern Soccer Academy, Georgia Impact SC, Roswell Soccer Club, Roswell Santos Soccer Club, Lanier Soccer Academy, Tormenta FC, and a Marietta Tophat record. Netting out the Roswell duplicate, that's eight organizations. This is where a lot of Georgia girls actually play and the level most parents should look at first. Read DPL vs ECNL; full list on the DPL page.

State and regional leagues. Below the national leagues, competitive travel runs through Georgia Soccer's sanctioned play, including the Georgia Premier League. Several club records also reference SCCL, the regional classic league, in their own program descriptions — AFC Lightning runs an SCCL summer league and the Duluth-area programs list an SCCL division. We haven't confirmed SCCL membership club-by-club, so treat it as context rather than a count. This tier does roughly what EDP does in the Northeast: real competition, regional travel, sane cost.

Geographic Regions

Metro Atlanta — City

Six records: Southern Soccer Academy, Southern Soccer Academy Swarm, Inter Atlanta FC, Concorde Fire Premier, Concorde Fire Platinum, and Albion SC Atlanta. See the Atlanta city page.

This is the only part of the state where a family can realistically compare three or four organizations at the same level. Southern Soccer Academy and Inter Atlanta both cover all four leagues — start there if you have kids of different genders or levels. Concorde Fire's two ECNL Boys records give a boys player two entry points inside one club family, useful if your son isn't ready for the top side yet. Albion SC Atlanta is DPL only, which makes it narrower but potentially cheaper.

The real variable is traffic. A 14-mile drive at 5:30 PM on a Tuesday is not a 20-minute drive. Map it at practice time, in traffic, before committing to four years of it.

North Metro — Roswell, Marietta, Duluth, Lilburn

Roswell (city page) is Roswell Soccer Club, also known as Santos, listed twice. It's the deepest full pathway in our Georgia data: founded 1976 as a partnership with the City of Roswell Recreation and Parks Department, 2,000+ youth participants, programs from age 2 to 19. The ladder runs Kiddie Kickers (3U-4U) and World Cup Soccer (5U-6U) into Jr. Academy (7U-8U), Santos Academy (9U-12U), and Santos Select (13U-19U), with rec soccer 8U-19U alongside. Confirmed in MLS NEXT, NAL, and DPL. Director of Coaching Kevin Kratz is a former Atlanta United Academy coach and player. Offices at 150 Frank Lewis Dr.

If you want one club where a 5-year-old and a 16-year-old can both play and moving up doesn't mean changing organizations, Roswell is the clearest example in the state.

Marietta (city page) shows four records, but that count misleads: three are Tophat (Gold, Navy, and a third) and the fourth is a mislabeled duplicate of the Duluth club. Realistically Marietta means Tophat, a Girls Academy and DPL club in Cobb County.

Duluth and Lilburn cover the Gwinnett County side: Atlanta Fire United (ECNL Boys) and Gwinnett Soccer Academy (ECNL Boys). Two ECNL Boys clubs a short drive apart gives northeast metro boys real choice at the top tier. Atlanta Fire United's program listing spans ECNL, an SCCL division, academy, rec, futsal, TopSoccer for players with disabilities, and a goalkeeper academy, training across Scott Hudgens Park, Bunten Road Park, George Pierce Park, and fields at Notre Dame and Pinecrest Academy. City pages: Duluth, Lilburn.

South Metro — Fayetteville and Peachtree City

AFC Lightning (Fayetteville city page) anchors the area south of Atlanta and is one of the best-documented clubs in our Georgia data. Nonprofit, founded 1984, serving Peachtree City and Fayetteville, 800+ players a year, U6 through U19, with additional locations in Griffin and Middle Georgia. Confirmed in both MLS NEXT and Girls Academy. The ladder runs Pre-Academy (U6-U8), Academy (U9-U12), and Select (U13-U19), plus winter futsal, an SCCL summer league, and a college ID camp.

Two things stand out. First, separate directors by gender and age band — Adriano Moraes and Jonny Evans as Directors of Coaching, Brian Schwartz and Dave Murtaugh on the academy sides, Fabian Patterson on Pre-Academy, under Executive Director Steve Muccillo. That usually means the U10 girls aren't an afterthought to the U17 boys. Second, financial aid is available for qualifying families across all program areas — the only Georgia club in our data that states this explicitly. See how to evaluate a coach for what to ask when you meet them.

North Georgia — Gainesville

Lanier Soccer Association (MLS NEXT, NAL) and Lanier Soccer Academy (DPL) on the Gainesville city page are very likely one organization recorded twice. Combined that's MLS NEXT, NAL, and DPL about an hour northeast of Atlanta. For Hall County and Lake Lanier families, that's the difference between a local club and a daily metro commute. Confirm with the club which programs run under which name.

Augusta

Augusta Arsenal (city page) is the only confirmed club in the Augusta area, competing in NAL. Augusta is about 2.5 hours from Atlanta, so metro clubs aren't realistic for a normal training week. In the CSRA, Augusta Arsenal is your local option and NAL is a legitimately competitive level. Chasing MLS NEXT or Girls Academy from Augusta is a relocation-scale commitment, not a drive.

South Georgia and the Coast — Statesboro

Tormenta FC (Statesboro city page) is the only club in our data serving south Georgia and the Savannah region. Professional side in USL League One and the USL W League; youth academy running Recreation U4-U14, Pre-Academy U6-U12, Junior Academy U8-U12, Boys and Girls Select U13-U19, USL Academy, MLS NEXT, and DPL, plus futsal, TOPSoccer, and camps. Angelo Kelly is Statesboro Academy Director and Martyn Blankley directs the DPL girls side. Academy evaluations are free and open to all players.

A pro club with a youth pyramid under it offers a real ceiling for a committed player. It also means the top teams are chasing a professional pathway, which is not what every 11-year-old needs. If you're still deciding how far up this ladder your family wants to go, read rec vs travel soccer.

Top-Tier Organizations at a Glance

Confirmed membership in at least one of MLS NEXT, ECNL Boys, or Girls Academy, ordered by breadth of coverage.

Organization	City	Confirmed Leagues	Profile
Southern Soccer Academy	Atlanta	MLS NEXT, Girls Academy, NAL, DPL	View profile
Inter Atlanta FC	Atlanta	MLS NEXT, Girls Academy, NAL, DPL	View profile
AFC Lightning	Fayetteville	MLS NEXT, Girls Academy	View profile
Roswell Soccer Club (Santos)	Roswell	MLS NEXT, NAL, DPL	View profile
Lanier Soccer Association	Gainesville	MLS NEXT, NAL	View profile
Tormenta FC	Statesboro	DPL	View profile
Atlanta Fire United	Duluth	ECNL Boys	View profile
Concorde Fire (Premier / Platinum)	Atlanta	ECNL Boys	Premier / Platinum
Gwinnett Soccer Academy	Lilburn	ECNL Boys	View profile
Tophat	Marietta	Girls Academy, DPL	Gold / Navy
Georgia Impact SC	Pending	Girls Academy, DPL	View profile

Two more records hold confirmed MLS NEXT membership and one holds confirmed ECNL Boys, but their club identities and cities are still being verified. They're left out rather than listed under names we can't stand behind.

What this level actually demands: out-of-state league play and showcases, year-round training, selective rosters, and 8 to 12 hours a week between training, games, and driving. Tryouts can start as early as April. Before aiming here, read our age-by-age guide — what's appropriate at U9 and at U15 are different conversations — and the tryout preparation guide.

Competitive-Tier Clubs

Below the top national tier, which for most families is the right target rather than a consolation prize:

Organization	City	Confirmed Leagues	Profile
Augusta Arsenal	Augusta	NAL	View profile
Southern Soccer Academy Swarm	Atlanta	NAL	View profile
Albion SC Atlanta	Atlanta	DPL	View profile
Lanier Soccer Academy	Gainesville	DPL	View profile
Roswell Santos Soccer Club	Roswell	DPL	View profile

Most Georgia top-tier clubs also field teams at these levels — Roswell's Santos Academy, AFC Lightning's Academy and Select sides, Tormenta's Junior Academy. In Georgia the competitive tier is usually a different team inside a top-tier club rather than a different club, which means your kid can move up without you restarting the whole search. Worth asking directly how many players actually move between tiers each year: some clubs run the ladder, others just own it.

What This Means If You're Searching

In metro Atlanta: you have real choices and your binding constraint is traffic, not quality. Pick three organizations within a commute you can sustain on a Tuesday in October, then compare coaching, cost, and how the club treats the tier below its top team. Start with how to choose a club.

With a son and a daughter: look hard at Southern Soccer Academy and Inter Atlanta FC first. Four confirmed leagues each, both genders, two tiers. One club for both kids saves more than money.

For a girls player: the confirmed Girls Academy options are AFC Lightning, Inter Atlanta FC, Southern Soccer Academy, Tophat, and Georgia Impact SC, stepping down to DPL at eight organizations statewide. Read Girls Academy vs DPL, and ask about ECNL Girls directly — our data doesn't show it yet, and that's our gap.

For a boys player: eight MLS NEXT records and five ECNL Boys is genuine depth for one state, and geography decides most of it. MLS NEXT spreads across south metro, city, north metro, Gainesville, and Statesboro; ECNL Boys concentrates in Atlanta and the northeast metro. Read MLS NEXT vs ECNL before assuming the more famous name is the better fit.

Outside metro Atlanta: be honest about the drive. Augusta Arsenal, Lanier, and Tormenta FC are legitimate local options. Commuting to a metro club from Augusta, Macon, or Savannah means four-plus hours several times a week, and parents tell us they quit over the commute more often than over the soccer. A strong regional club your kid can get to beats a famous one they can't.

Moving in from the Northeast: the vocabulary changes. EDP and NECSL don't operate here; DPL, NAL, and Georgia Soccer's state leagues do. The league comparison table maps tiers across regions, and our Virginia guide is the closest comparison if you're relocating down the coast.

What Club Soccer in Georgia Actually Costs

We have no confirmed fee data from Georgia clubs yet. Almost none of these clubs have been claimed, and Georgia sites tend to keep fees behind registration. The table below is built from clubs at the same league tier in states where we do have confirmed data. Treat it as a planning range, not a quote.

Level	Estimated Annual Range	What Drives It
Rec / municipal programs	$150–$500	Roswell's city partnership sits at the low end
State league / SCCL travel	$1,200–$2,500	Local competition, minimal overnight travel
DPL	$1,800–$3,500	Regional travel, some showcases
NAL	$2,000–$3,800	Regional plus national events
Girls Academy	$3,000–$5,500	National showcases, dedicated coaching staff
ECNL Boys	$3,000–$5,500	National showcases, year-round training
MLS NEXT	$3,500–$6,000+	Full national schedule, travel-heavy

None of these include uniform kits ($150–$400 in the first year of a cycle), tournament fees ($500–$1,500), or your own travel. Plan for the top of the range in year one.

Two practical notes from the data we do have. AFC Lightning states financial aid is available for qualifying families across all program areas. Tormenta FC makes academy evaluations free and open to all players, so a tryout there costs a tank of gas and an afternoon. Most clubs have payment plans and some form of aid, and most won't mention either unless you ask.

On kits specifically: most clubs run a two-year cycle. Find out whether you're joining in year one or year two before ordering. In year one buy what fits now instead of sizing up wildly; in year two you can usually replace individual pieces your kid outgrew. That one question saves families a few hundred dollars.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many club soccer clubs are there in Georgia?

ClubScout lists 23 Georgia club records representing roughly 14 distinct organizations, with 34 confirmed league affiliations. Georgia's real total is higher — our coverage started in 2026 and is still filling in. Browse the current list on the Georgia state page.

Which Georgia club is best for a girls player?

There's no single best club, only the best fit for your kid and your commute. For top-tier girls play the confirmed Girls Academy options are AFC Lightning in Fayetteville, Inter Atlanta FC and Southern Soccer Academy in Atlanta, Tophat in Marietta, and Georgia Impact SC. Below that, DPL runs through eight organizations statewide and is where most competitive Georgia girls actually play. Start with geography, then compare coaching and cost. Girls Academy vs DPL covers the difference in travel and commitment.

Which Georgia club is best for a boys player?

Depends where you live. Metro Atlanta has both pathways: MLS NEXT at Southern Soccer Academy, Inter Atlanta FC, and Roswell Soccer Club; ECNL Boys at Atlanta Fire United, Concorde Fire, and Gwinnett Soccer Academy. South of the city, AFC Lightning. Northeast, Lanier. On the coast, Tormenta FC. Read MLS NEXT vs ECNL — the right answer is usually the good club you can actually drive to.

When do Georgia clubs hold tryouts?

Most run April through July, with MLS NEXT and ECNL clubs starting as early as April. Several Georgia clubs also run pre-tryout camps and ID clinics that function as informal evaluations, so the real calendar starts before the posted date. AFC Lightning has 2026/2027 tryout registration open, Atlanta Fire United runs academy and select tryouts plus mid-season tryouts and ECNL ID camps, and Tormenta FC has free 2026/2027 academy evaluations. Confirm dates with each club — windows are short. Our tryout guide covers preparation.

Is there ECNL Girls in Georgia?

Our data doesn't currently show any confirmed ECNL Girls clubs in Georgia, but that reflects a gap in our coverage rather than a definitive answer about the state. If ECNL Girls matters to your family, ask Georgia clubs directly — several organizations in this guide field girls teams across multiple leagues. Don't rule the option out based on this page.

Do I have to live in metro Atlanta to play competitive club soccer in Georgia?

No, but it shapes your ceiling. Augusta Arsenal (NAL), Lanier (MLS NEXT, NAL, DPL), and Tormenta FC (MLS NEXT, DPL) all offer real competitive soccer outside the metro, and two of them reach the top tier. If you're in Columbus, Macon, Albany, or Valdosta, our data doesn't yet show a confirmed local club and the nearest options are a long drive. Before committing to that, read when to switch clubs — commute burnout is one of the most common reasons families leave, and it usually shows up in year two.

Next Steps

Browse all Georgia clubs, filter by league and age group, and compare profiles side by side. If your club's information is wrong or missing — and in Georgia some of it is — claim the profile and fix it.

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