TL;DR: Texas has 36 clubs on ClubScout with confirmed league affiliations, and 22 of them hold a place in a top national league. But the number that actually explains Texas is a different one: 25 of the 36 carry an ECNL Regional League place, and 21 run a Pre-ECNL program for U9–U12. No other state we've covered is built that way. In the Northeast, a family climbs from a town program into EDP or NECSL; in Texas the ladder is Pre-ECNL at U9, ECNL RL at U13, and ECNL proper if your kid keeps up — usually inside the same club. Five professional academies anchor the top: FC Dallas, Austin FC, Houston Dynamo, San Antonio FC, and Club América's new North Texas academy. The state is four separate markets, not one — DFW, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, with driving distances that make cross-metro tryouts a non-starter. Not one of the 36 clubs publishes a season fee, so every cost figure below is labeled as modeled rather than scraped.
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Texas Club Soccer at a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Total clubs on ClubScout | 36 |
| Clubs with confirmed league affiliations | 36 |
| Top-tier clubs | 22 (MLS NEXT, ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, and/or Girls Academy) |
| MLS NEXT clubs | 7 (one at Academy Division level) |
| ECNL Boys clubs | 10 |
| ECNL Girls clubs | 6 |
| Girls Academy clubs | 7 (one also in GA ASPIRE) |
| ECNL RL clubs | 25 — 23 boys, 23 girls |
| Pre-ECNL clubs (U9–U12) | 21 — 20 boys, 12 girls |
| NPL / NAL / DPL clubs | 5 / 3 / 3 |
| Pro-affiliated academies | 5 |
| Clubs publishing a season fee | 0 |
| Estimated annual cost range | ~$1,200 (Pre-ECNL) to $7,000+ (MLS NEXT) — modeled, see below |
| Tryout season | April through June for most clubs; ECNL and MLS NEXT programs start earliest |
| Primary markets | Dallas–Fort Worth, Greater Houston, Austin/Central Texas, San Antonio, plus Beaumont and the Rio Grande Valley |
| State associations | North Texas Soccer and South Texas Youth Soccer, both US Youth Soccer affiliates |
For what these numbers mean in dollars beyond registration, see our travel soccer cost guide and soccer on a budget guide.
What Makes Texas Different
Texas is four markets, and the driving decides everything. Dallas–Fort Worth to Houston is roughly 240 miles on I-45. DFW to Austin is about 195. Austin to San Antonio is 80, which is the one pair that genuinely overlaps — Lonestar SC runs training sites in both. Everything else is a separate world. A Houston family does not try out in Dallas. Pick your metro first, then compare inside it. That makes Texas more like North Carolina, where two metros sit 2.5 hours apart, than like Massachusetts, where most of the state can reach most of the state.
The ECNL Regional League is the spine of Texas club soccer, and that is unusual. 25 of our 36 Texas clubs — about two thirds — carry an ECNL RL place. For comparison: 5 of 27 clubs in North Carolina, 5 of 200 in Massachusetts, 8 of 289 in New Jersey. In the Northeast, the tier below the national leagues is EDP or NECSL. In Texas, it is ECNL RL, and it is where most of the good travel soccer actually happens. If you are trying to read a Texas club's website, ECNL RL is the level to understand first. Our ECNL RL vs EDP vs NECSL comparison covers what that tier costs and demands.
Pre-ECNL means the pathway starts at U9, not U13. 21 of 36 Texas clubs run a Pre-ECNL program. That is a formal feeder for 9- to 12-year-olds attached to the ECNL structure above it — 20 clubs on the boys side, 12 on the girls side. Practically, it means a Texas parent gets asked to commit to a pathway earlier than a New England parent does, and it means switching clubs at U13 is a bigger deal here, because the kid has been in a named pipeline for three years. Read our age-by-age guide before you treat a U10 Pre-ECNL invitation as a verdict on anything. It isn't one.
Five professional academies, which is more than any state we cover. Three MLS clubs run academies here — FC Dallas, Austin FC, and Houston Dynamo. San Antonio FC runs the Ricos SAFC Pro Academy out of the USL Championship side. And in 2026, Nido Dallas became the first U.S. partner academy of Club América's Nido Águila program, which puts a Liga MX pathway in North Texas. North Carolina has four pro pipelines and that was the most in our data until now.
Girls' top-tier coverage is unusually even here. Seven Girls Academy clubs, six ECNL Girls clubs, and 23 clubs with an ECNL RL Girls place. Seven Texas clubs hold a top-tier boys place and a top-tier girls place under one roof, which makes them genuine full-family options: DKSC, Dallas Texans, FC Westlake, RISE Soccer Club, San Antonio City SC, Solar SC, and Sting Soccer Club. In most states we've written up, the girls' side is thinner than the boys' side. In Texas it is close to level. See our girls club soccer guide for how to compare the two pathways.
Not one Texas club publishes a season fee. We read the fee text on all 36 records. The only dollar figures anywhere in the Texas corpus are a $35 late fee for fall rec at Boerne SC, a $200 raffle minimum at Sting Soccer Club (10 tickets, required each season), and $1M+ in financial aid awarded historically at Lonestar SC. That is it. So the cost table further down is modeled from our published guides, not scraped from Texas club sites, and it says so.
Leagues Active in Texas
Listed from most competitive to least.
Top-Tier National Leagues
MLS NEXT — Seven Texas clubs hold MLS NEXT membership: FC Dallas, Austin FC, Houston Dynamo, Dallas Hornets, Houston Rangers, Houston Futsal Club, and 956 United. Houston Rangers also holds a place at the MLS NEXT Academy Division level. Three of the seven are the MLS club academies, which changes the economics completely — see the cost section. For how MLS NEXT compares to the alternatives, read MLS NEXT vs ECNL.
ECNL Boys — Ten Texas clubs compete in ECNL Boys: Sting Soccer Club, Solar SC, Dallas Texans, DKSC, FC Dallas, FC Westlake, Lonestar SC, RISE Soccer Club, San Antonio FC, and San Antonio City SC. Six are in DFW or Austin, which is where the boys' top tier is concentrated.
ECNL Girls — Six Texas clubs compete in ECNL Girls: Sting Soccer Club, Solar SC, Dallas Texans, DKSC, Challenge SC, and FC Westlake. Five of the six are DFW clubs; FC Westlake is the Austin option and Challenge SC serves the Houston side.
Girls Academy — Seven Texas clubs compete in Girls Academy: Heir FC, Frisco Fusion, Atletico Dallas Youth, Cap City SC, RISE Soccer Club, Houston Surf Soccer Club, and San Antonio City SC. Heir FC also holds a Girls Academy ASPIRE place. Girls Academy is one of the two top pathways for girls; ECNL vs Girls Academy explains the difference, and Girls Academy vs DPL covers the tier below.
The Texas Middle: ECNL RL and Pre-ECNL
ECNL RL Boys and ECNL RL Girls — 25 clubs, 23 on each side. This is the largest single tier in Texas by a wide margin and the level most Texas travel families will actually live in. Regional conferences mean league play stays mostly in-state, with national events for the teams that qualify. Cost and travel sit well below the national tier.
Pre-ECNL Boys and Pre-ECNL Girls — 21 clubs, 20 boys and 12 girls. The U9–U12 feeder. Worth knowing that the girls' side of this tier is meaningfully thinner than the boys' side, so a family with a 10-year-old daughter has fewer local options than the headline count suggests.
Regional and Tier-2 Leagues
NPL (National Premier Leagues) — Five Texas clubs compete in NPL: FC Dallas, Dallas Texans, FC Westlake, Atletico Dallas Youth, and Challenge SC.
NAL (National Academy League) — Three Texas clubs hold NAL membership: FC Dallas, Dallas Texans, and Houston Dynamo.
DPL (Development Player League) — Three Texas clubs compete in DPL: Houston Rangers, Houston Surf Soccer Club, and 956 United. DPL is the developmental girls complement many top-tier clubs run alongside their headline teams. DPL vs ECNL has the comparison.
State leagues — Below all of the above, North Texas Soccer and South Texas Youth Soccer sanction the classic and select leagues where the bulk of Texas travel soccer is played. Our data doesn't yet carry those affiliations club by club, so if a club's website mentions a state or city league we haven't listed, that isn't a contradiction — ask the club directly. For the full landscape, see Compare All Youth Soccer Leagues and the youth soccer glossary.
Two leagues you will not find here: EDP and NECSL, the two that dominate the Northeast, have no Texas presence in our data at all. If you have moved from New Jersey or New England, the league names on Texas club sites will be unfamiliar. The tiers map roughly, but the names don't.
The Four Markets
Dallas–Fort Worth
Thirteen clubs with a confirmed DFW-area city, and the deepest top tier in the state. Dallas proper, plus Frisco, Colleyville, Corinth, Richardson, Farmers Branch, The Colony, Valley Ranch, and Waxahachie.
Key characteristics:
- The historic clubs are here, and several are among the oldest and largest in the country
- Both ECNL Girls and Girls Academy have real depth, which is not true in every metro
- Sprawl is the constraint: a Waxahachie-to-Frisco commute at 5:30 PM on a Tuesday can run well over an hour. Map the actual drive before you commit to a club on the other side of the metroplex.
Sting Soccer Club (Dallas) — ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. Over 45 years old, founded by Bill Kinder alongside Lamar Hunt, and now operating across Texas, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. Training runs across a dozen North Texas sites including complexes in Dallas/Richardson, Plano, Frisco, Flower Mound, and Fort Worth. One thing worth knowing before you sign: financial aid is available by formal application each season, but the club also requires raffle ticket sales — a minimum of 10 tickets, $200 — which is a real cost line most clubs don't have.
Dallas Texans (Dallas) — ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, NPL, NAL, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. Eight confirmed league places, the most of any club in the state. Thirty-plus years old, split into Dallas and Fort Worth divisions, with Clint Dempsey, Lee Nguyen, and Omar Gonzalez among its alumni. Home sites include the Ross Stewart Soccer Complex and DTSC Lewisville. Its 2026–27 tryout schedule is out: Dallas Division tryouts are complete and Fort Worth Division tryouts are still running.
FC Dallas (Dallas) — MLS NEXT, ECNL Boys, NPL, NAL. The MLS academy, training at the Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco: 145 acres and 17 tournament-sized fields. Running an ECNL Boys program alongside an MLS NEXT academy is unusual and it matters for families — it means there is a level to land on if the academy team doesn't work out, inside the same building.
Solar SC — ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. Six confirmed places across both genders and all three ECNL levels. Its city is not recorded in our data yet, so we're not going to guess which part of the metroplex to send you to; check the club's own site for training locations.
DKSC (Farmers Branch) — ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. Same full-ladder structure for boys and girls. Note that the domain on this record is currently for sale and we could not retrieve program detail, so verify everything directly with the club.
Heir FC (Valley Ranch) — Girls Academy, Girls Academy ASPIRE. Founded by sisters, woman-owned, and exclusively focused on female players. Executive/Technical Director Audrey Gutierrez holds a USSF A License with 25+ years in top-tier girls soccer. Worth a look if you specifically want a girls-only environment rather than a girls program inside a large mixed club.
Frisco Fusion (Frisco) — Girls Academy, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Girls. A girls-side Girls Academy option in Frisco with a full ladder beneath it, training across nine Frisco- and Prosper-area parks, high schools, and complexes.
Atletico Dallas Youth (Richardson) — Girls Academy, NPL, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. Six confirmed places. Our record on this club is thin on program detail — the league data is solid, the rest needs a call.
Dallas Hornets (The Colony) — MLS NEXT. Programs run from a U9–U12 youth academy through U13–U19. Executive Director Brent Erwin played at TCU and coached at SMU and UCF. The club holds June open practices and runs ID sessions for boys U9–U12.
NTX Celtic FC (Corinth) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. Formally partnered with Celtic FC of Glasgow since 2015, serving 650+ players across 65+ teams from eight hubs: Corinth, Denton, Flower Mound, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Lewisville, and more. Competitive tryouts run through June 30 for the 2026–27 season. If you are in the northern or western suburbs, the multi-hub structure is the practical draw — a shorter drive to training is worth more over four years than most things on a club website.
Fever United (Colleyville) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. A faith-driven club serving ages 5 through 19, with an academy for 5–9 year olds and a select program above it.
Kernow Storm FC (Waxahachie) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. Operating as Storm Futbol Club, with programs from age 2 through 23 and reach into West Texas — Midland, Odessa, and Lubbock. CEO and Technical Director Antony Penna trained under LaLiga Level 3 methodology. Tryouts open in April; current ECNL RL players may sign from May 1, and players coming from other ECNL clubs from May 11.
Nido Dallas (Dallas) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. Formerly Avanti Soccer Academy, now the first U.S. partner of Club América's Nido Águila program. Trains across eight-plus DFW sites from Farmers Branch to Arlington and Saginaw. Tryouts for 2026–27 run May 11 through June 18 at multiple locations; bring shin guards and water, and non-club players should wear a plain white shirt and dark shorts. (Our directory still lists this club under its Club América name — the record needs updating to Nido Dallas.)
Dallas Cosmos Soccer Club (Dallas) — ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. League data confirmed; program detail is still being verified.
Greater Houston
Ten clubs across Houston, Cypress, Sugar Land, and Pearland — plus Challenge SC, whose city is not recorded but whose own record describes a Tomball base and locations across Spring, Klein, Magnolia, The Woodlands, Cypress, Humble, Kingwood, and Bryan/College Station.
Key characteristics:
- The strongest MLS NEXT cluster in the state: three of the seven Texas clubs are here
- Deep on the girls' developmental side through DPL and Girls Academy
- Houston's geography is the real cost. Katy to Kingwood is an hour without traffic, and there is always traffic.
RISE Soccer Club (Houston) — ECNL Boys, Girls Academy, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys. A 501(c)(3) formed in 2017 from the merger of Houston Express (1978) and Eclipse (1986), with Texans SC joining in 2019. Full ladder from U4 rec through college-bound. Technical Director Vedad Hadzajlic holds a USSF A/Academy Director license and Assistant ECNL Director Earl Barrett holds a USSF B and UEFA A. The club has announced that players in several age groups can play in its highest leagues at no cost — an unusual enough claim that it's worth confirming in writing for your kid's specific birth year. Evaluations for 2026–27 run U7 through U19.
Houston Dynamo (Houston) — MLS NEXT, NAL. The MLS academy, fielding U-14 through U-18 and training at Houston Sports Park. Small rosters, invitation-driven.
Houston Rangers (Houston) — MLS NEXT, MLS NEXT Academy Division, DPL. The only Texas club in our data holding an Academy Division place. Technical Director Josh Gardner played 11 years in MLS, went 13th overall in the 2004 SuperDraft, and won two MLS Cups. Tryouts are held at Tanglewood Middle School, with ID nights at Paul D Rushing Park.
Houston Surf Soccer Club (Houston) — Girls Academy, DPL. A girls-side top-tier option paired with the developmental league beneath it. Program detail on this record is thin.
Houston Futsal Club (Houston) — MLS NEXT. Operating as Houston Futsal Association, founded 2017, U5 through U19, on a "2-in-1" model that pairs indoor futsal training with outdoor club soccer. Free trial sessions are offered, which is the single most useful thing a club can offer a family that isn't sure yet. Training runs out of Dobie High School, Pasadena Memorial High School, Lutheran South Academy, and Challenge Elite Sports.
SG1 Soccer (Houston) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls. 900+ players and 65+ teams across three campuses in Katy and west Houston.
Houstonians FC (Houston) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls. Founded 1996, ages 5 to 19, with grassroots, advanced, and elite tiers across five Houston-area campuses including Woodlands/Conroe and Spring/Tomball.
Imperial Soccer Club (Sugar Land) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys. A 501(c)(3) serving ages 3 to 19 with a college placement coordinator on staff. Evaluations are held at Lost Creek Park.
Dynamos Soccer Club (Cypress) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls. Full ECNL RL and Pre-ECNL ladder on both sides; program detail still being verified.
Pearland Soccer Club (Pearland) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls. The south-side option; league data confirmed, detail pending.
Challenge SC — ECNL Girls, NPL, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys. Rec for U5–U10 through ECNL for U13–U19, run across six named training locations. Tryouts are required for the select program, U11–U19.
Austin and Central Texas
Six clubs: five in Austin proper and one in Lakeway.
Key characteristics:
- Small but genuinely top-tier: ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, Girls Academy, and MLS NEXT are all represented
- The San Antonio overlap is real — Lonestar SC runs sites in both cities, so an Austin-to-San Antonio move doesn't necessarily mean a club change
- Fewer clubs means less choice if the fit is wrong. That's the tradeoff against DFW.
FC Westlake (Austin) — ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, NPL, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys. The deepest club in Central Texas and one of only seven statewide with top-tier places on both the boys' and girls' sides. Rec and junior academy programs sit underneath. 2026–27 tryouts have already been held; families who missed them are directed to contact the program directors.
Lonestar SC (Austin) — ECNL Boys. A U4-through-U19 ladder — rec, Jr Academy, select, national, college prep — across SoccerZone sites in Austin and Starcrest, Alamo Sportsplex, and Blossom in San Antonio. Financial aid is a real program here: over $1M awarded historically. 2026–27 tryouts are open with separate Austin/Central Texas and San Antonio locations.
Austin FC (Austin) — MLS NEXT. The MLS academy at Q2 Stadium, alongside the club's Verde Leaders and Verde Youth Leadership Academy community programs. Verde Leaders is free for participating students.
Cap City SC (Austin) — Girls Academy. Based out of Manchaca, fielding boys and girls programs across several levels. The club's own site describes a wider set of programs than our league data currently confirms, so ask which specific league each age group plays in for 2026–27 rather than assuming. Supplemental tryouts and Elite iD clinics are the way in outside the main window.
Town & Country Optimist Club (Austin) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys.
LTFC (Lakeway) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys. The western-suburbs option; detail still being verified.
San Antonio, Beaumont, and the Valley
San Antonio FC (San Antonio) — ECNL Boys, ECNL RL Boys, Pre-ECNL Boys. The USL Championship club's Ricos SAFC Pro Academy, at Toyota Field and the Ricos S.T.A.R. Soccer Complex. Note that the confirmed places here are all boys — a San Antonio family with a daughter should start with San Antonio City SC instead.
San Antonio City SC (San Antonio) — ECNL Boys, Girls Academy, ECNL RL Boys, Pre-ECNL Boys. Top-tier on both sides in one club, which in a two-club metro matters a lot. Program detail on the record is limited.
Boerne SC (Boerne) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys. Roots back to 1979, and the most complete town-to-travel ladder in the Hill Country: Tots at U3–U4, micro academy, youth academy, rec, a house league, and competitive/travel above it. Director of Coaching Phil Anderson and Youth Academy Director Bevan Gatefield both hold USSF C licenses. If your kid is 6 and you're just starting, this is the shape of club to look for — a real bottom rung, not just a select team with a rec program bolted on.
Coastal Premier Alliance FC (Beaumont) — ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls. The only club in our data serving Southeast Texas — Beaumont, Lumberton, Mid-County, Baytown, and Mont Belvieu — with premier programs U11–U19 and development programs for U5–U10. Director of Coaching Roy Lassiter holds a USSF A License. Recent tryouts have run mid-to-late May at Lamar University Field in Beaumont and Goose Creek Memorial Stadium in Baytown. Houston is about 85 miles west, which is the nearest alternative market.
956 United — MLS NEXT, DPL. Launched in May 2022 as a partnership between the McAllen Youth Soccer Association and Ontiveros Performance Academy, and the only Rio Grande Valley club in our data. Its city field is empty, but its own record places it in McAllen, training at the DeLeon Soccer Complex. It has produced a BU16 national championship team. For a Valley family, this is the local top-tier option, and the nearest alternative is roughly four hours north — which makes the club's existence a genuinely big deal for that region.
Top-Tier Clubs at a Glance
These 22 clubs hold membership in at least one of the four top national leagues — MLS NEXT, ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, or Girls Academy. Every league place listed here is confirmed in ClubScout's database.
| Club | City | Leagues | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 956 United | Not recorded | MLS NEXT, Development Player League | View profile |
| Atletico Dallas Youth | Richardson | Girls Academy, National Premier Leagues, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| Austin FC | Austin | MLS NEXT | View profile |
| Cap City SC | Austin | Girls Academy | View profile |
| Challenge SC | Not recorded | ECNL Girls, National Premier Leagues, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys | View profile |
| DKSC | Farmers Branch | ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| Dallas Hornets | The Colony | MLS NEXT | View profile |
| Dallas Texans | Dallas | ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, National Premier Leagues, National Academy League, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| FC Dallas | Dallas | MLS NEXT, ECNL Boys, National Premier Leagues, National Academy League | View profile |
| FC Westlake | Austin | ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, National Premier Leagues, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys | View profile |
| Frisco Fusion | Frisco | Girls Academy, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| Heir FC | Valley Ranch | Girls Academy, Girls Academy ASPIRE | View profile |
| Houston Dynamo | Houston | MLS NEXT, National Academy League | View profile |
| Houston Futsal Club | Houston | MLS NEXT | View profile |
| Houston Rangers | Houston | MLS NEXT, MLS NEXT Academy Division, Development Player League | View profile |
| Houston Surf Soccer Club | Houston | Girls Academy, Development Player League | View profile |
| Lonestar SC | Austin | ECNL Boys | View profile |
| RISE Soccer Club | Houston | ECNL Boys, Girls Academy, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys | View profile |
| San Antonio City SC | San Antonio | ECNL Boys, Girls Academy, ECNL RL Boys, Pre-ECNL Boys | View profile |
| San Antonio FC | San Antonio | ECNL Boys, ECNL RL Boys, Pre-ECNL Boys | View profile |
| Solar SC | Not recorded | ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| Sting Soccer Club | Dallas | ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
What to expect at this level: national showcases, travel beyond the region, and year-round programs. Modeled annual cost runs $3,500 to $7,000+ before tournament fees, kit, and family travel. Tryouts start earliest at this tier — April is normal for ECNL and MLS NEXT clubs, not May. See our tryout preparation guide.
ECNL RL and Pre-ECNL Clubs
These 14 clubs compete in the ECNL Regional League and Pre-ECNL tiers without a top-tier national place. In Texas this is not a consolation bracket — it is the largest and most competitive middle in any state we've covered, and for most families it is the right level.
| Club | City | Leagues | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boerne SC | Boerne | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys | View profile |
| Club America | Dallas | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| Coastal Premier Alliance FC | Beaumont | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls | View profile |
| Dallas Cosmos Soccer Club | Dallas | ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| Dynamos Soccer Club | Cypress | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| Fever United | Colleyville | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| Houstonians FC | Houston | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls | View profile |
| Imperial Soccer Club | Sugar Land | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys | View profile |
| Kernow Storm FC | Waxahachie | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| LTFC | Lakeway | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys | View profile |
| NTX Celtic FC | Corinth | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys, Pre-ECNL Girls | View profile |
| Pearland Soccer Club | Pearland | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls | View profile |
| SG1 Soccer | Houston | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls | View profile |
| Town & Country Optimist Club | Austin | ECNL RL Boys, ECNL RL Girls, Pre-ECNL Boys | View profile |
What This Means If You're Searching for a Club
If you're in DFW: you have the most options and the hardest narrowing job. Start with commute, not league name — thirteen clubs across a metroplex this size means the difference between a 15-minute drive and a 55-minute drive four nights a week. Then compare. Our guide to choosing a club is built for exactly this.
If you're in Houston: three MLS NEXT clubs and a strong girls' developmental tier, spread across a metro where traffic is the deciding variable. RISE Soccer Club and Challenge SC are the two with the widest ladders, from rec through the top tier, which matters if you have more than one kid at different levels.
If you're in Austin or San Antonio: fewer clubs, but the top tier is present in both. FC Westlake and Lonestar SC anchor Austin; San Antonio City SC and San Antonio FC anchor San Antonio. The 80 miles between the two cities is the shortest gap between any two Texas markets, so cross-city options are worth a look in a way they aren't anywhere else in the state.
If you have a daughter: Texas is one of the better states we've covered for girls' top-tier access. Seven Girls Academy clubs, six ECNL Girls clubs, and seven clubs running top-tier boys and girls under one roof. The thin spot is younger ages — 12 Pre-ECNL Girls clubs against 20 on the boys' side — so if your daughter is 10, expect a shorter list. Read ECNL vs Girls Academy before you decide the pathway matters more than the coach.
If you're outside the four metros: Coastal Premier Alliance FC in Beaumont and 956 United in the Valley are the local answers, and both are real programs. Beyond them, expect a long drive. West Texas has no club in our data at all, though Kernow Storm FC reaches into Midland, Odessa, and Lubbock.
If you just moved here: the tier names are different, not the tiers. ECNL RL is roughly where EDP or NECSL sat in your old state, and Pre-ECNL is a level that doesn't have a Northeast equivalent. Also worth knowing: high school soccer in Texas runs in winter, not fall, which changes the calendar conflict entirely. See Can My Kid Play Club AND High School Soccer? — and ask each club directly, because no club in our directory publishes a policy on it.
What Club Soccer in Texas Actually Costs
Zero of 36 Texas clubs publish a season fee. Not one. So this table is modeled from our published cost guides and comparable clubs elsewhere in the database — it is not scraped from Texas club sites, and you should treat it as a planning range, not a quote.
| Level | Estimated Annual Range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-ECNL / academy (U9–U12) | $1,200–$2,500 | Modeled |
| Select / state league | $1,500–$3,000 | Modeled |
| ECNL RL | $2,500–$4,500 | Modeled |
| NPL / NAL / DPL | $2,500–$4,500 | Modeled |
| Girls Academy | $3,500–$6,000 | Modeled |
| ECNL Boys / ECNL Girls | $3,500–$6,500 | Modeled |
| MLS NEXT (non-MLS club) | $4,000–$7,000+ | Modeled |
| MLS club academy teams | Typically no player fee | League homegrown rules |
Add uniform kit ($150–$400 in year one), tournament fees ($500–$1,500), and family travel ($300–$1,200+, and more in a state this large). Plan for the high end your first year.
Three things we did verify, and they are worth knowing:
- Sting Soccer Club requires raffle ticket sales — a minimum of 10 tickets, $200 — on top of dues, with a survey-based fundraising option to offset them. Ask any Texas club whether fundraising is optional or mandatory. It is a real line item and it rarely appears next to the fee.
- Lonestar SC has awarded over $1M in financial aid historically. Most clubs won't mention aid unless you ask. Ask.
- RISE Soccer Club has announced no-cost play in its highest leagues for several age groups. Confirm it applies to your kid's birth year, in writing, before you plan around it.
On uniforms: most clubs run a two-year kit cycle. Ask whether 2026–27 is year one or year two before you order — in year one, buy what fits now rather than sizing up, and in year two you can replace single pieces your kid has outgrown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ECNL RL, and why does every Texas club mention it?
ECNL Regional League is the tier directly below ECNL, organized into regional conferences so most league play stays in-state. In Texas it is the dominant level: 25 of our 36 clubs hold a place in it, 23 on each of the boys' and girls' sides. If you're comparing Texas clubs, this is the level most of them are actually selling you. ECNL RL vs EDP vs NECSL explains how it compares to the Northeast equivalents.
Which Texas club is best for a boys player?
There isn't one answer, and geography narrows it fast. In DFW: MLS NEXT through FC Dallas and Dallas Hornets, and ECNL Boys through Sting Soccer Club, Solar SC, Dallas Texans, and DKSC. In Houston: Houston Dynamo, Houston Rangers, and Houston Futsal Club in MLS NEXT, and RISE Soccer Club in ECNL Boys. In Austin: FC Westlake and Lonestar SC. In San Antonio: San Antonio FC and San Antonio City SC. Start with the drive, then the coach.
Which Texas club is best for a girls player?
Seven Girls Academy clubs and six ECNL Girls clubs, concentrated in DFW. DFW has Heir FC, Frisco Fusion, and Atletico Dallas Youth in Girls Academy, plus Sting Soccer Club, Solar SC, Dallas Texans, and DKSC in ECNL Girls. Houston has RISE Soccer Club and Houston Surf Soccer Club in Girls Academy and Challenge SC in ECNL Girls. Austin has Cap City SC and FC Westlake; San Antonio has San Antonio City SC.
When do Texas clubs hold tryouts?
April through June for most clubs, with the top tier starting earliest. Confirmed windows from club sites: Nido Dallas runs May 11 to June 18, NTX Celtic FC runs through June 30, Kernow Storm FC opens in April, and Coastal Premier Alliance FC has recently run mid-to-late May. Dallas Texans and FC Westlake have already completed part or all of their 2026–27 process. Windows are short. Check each club's site rather than assuming a statewide date.
How much does club soccer cost in Texas?
Nobody publishes it, which is the honest answer. Plan on roughly $1,500–$3,000 for select and state-league play, $2,500–$4,500 for ECNL RL, and $3,500–$7,000+ for the national tier, plus kit, tournaments, and travel. Those are modeled figures. The MLS club academy teams are the exception — under league homegrown rules those rosters typically carry no player fee, but they are small and invitation-driven. Ask every club three questions: what is the full-season total, what is not included, and is fundraising mandatory.
Does a coach's license tell me the club is good?
Not by itself. Several Texas clubs list strong credentials — USSF A licenses at Coastal Premier Alliance FC, Heir FC, and RISE Soccer Club, a UEFA A alongside it at RISE, LaLiga methodology training at Kernow Storm FC. That's a useful signal and no more. A C-licensed coach who connects with 12-year-olds and runs an organized session beats a higher-licensed coach who can't. Go watch a training session, and ask whether your kid can join one or two on a trial basis. Then count how long the kids stand in line. See how to evaluate a coach.
What Our Texas Data Doesn't Tell You Yet
We'd rather name the gaps than write around them:
- Three clubs have no city recorded — Solar SC, Challenge SC, and 956 United. Their league data is confirmed; their locations come from their own descriptions, and we've said so where we used them.
- Six records carry confirmed leagues and little else. Dallas Cosmos Soccer Club, Dynamos Soccer Club, LTFC, Pearland Soccer Club, San Antonio City SC, and Houston Surf Soccer Club have no facility, staff, or program detail yet.
- DKSC's domain is listed for sale, so nothing beyond its league places could be verified.
- Our Club América record should read Nido Dallas. The club rebranded in 2026.
- Some clubs describe leagues our data doesn't carry. Cap City SC is the clearest case: its site describes a wider program set than the Girls Academy place we have confirmed. We only publish what
club_leaguesconfirms, so ask the club which league each age group actually plays in for 2026–27. - No state-league affiliations are recorded for Texas — North Texas Soccer and South Texas Youth Soccer sanction a large share of real Texas travel soccer, and none of it is in our league data yet.
If you run one of these clubs, claiming your profile is the fastest way to fix it.
Next Steps
Texas has 36 clubs listed on ClubScout — search by zip code to find clubs near you, filter by league and age group, and compare profiles side by side.
Related guides:
- How to Choose a Youth Soccer Club
- What Is ECNL?
- ECNL RL vs EDP vs NECSL: The Tier-2 Comparison
- MLS NEXT vs ECNL: What Parents Need to Know
- ECNL vs Girls Academy: Which Path Is Right for Your Daughter?
- Girls Club Soccer: A Parent's Complete Guide
- How Much Does Travel Soccer Cost?
- Club Soccer Age-by-Age Guide: U8 Through U18
- Can My Kid Play Club AND High School Soccer?
- Club Soccer in North Carolina: A Parent's Complete Guide