Connecticut Youth Soccer FAQ

CJSA (Connecticut Junior Soccer Association) is the state's governing/membership body, the framework most organized CT youth clubs register through for player registration, background-checked coaching, insurance, and State Cup play. EDP (Elite Development Program) and ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) are competitive league platforms a club's travel teams can play in. EDP is a regional Northeast league, and ECNL is a national platform for elite competitive soccer. MLS Next is MLS's own national development pathway for boys, tied to pro club academies (Girls Academy is the girls'-side equivalent, tied to NWSL academies). A club can be a CJSA member and compete in EDP, ECNL, or MLS Next at the same time. CJSA answers "who governs registration," and the others answer "who do we play against."

Most CT travel and competitive clubs run age groups from about U6/U7 through U18/U19, often with an even younger recreational entry point (some clubs start intro programs as early as 18 months to U5) before travel soccer typically begins around U8–U9.

Recreational soccer is entry-level and open to all skill levels, usually organized by town with no tryouts. Travel soccer is tryout-based and competitive, with teams playing other towns and clubs regionally. Premier/elite soccer (top EDP/State Cup tiers, ECNL, MLS Next, Girls Academy) is the highest competitive level, often involving regional or national travel, showcases, and more visibility for college recruiting.

Each club sets its own dates. Westport Soccer Association's 2026-27 travel plan, for example, had tryouts in April and May for rising U8 to U15 players, emailed results in May and June, and a June 15 deadline to accept an offer. Clubs in national leagues follow league rules too: FSA FC in Farmington, an ECNL club, says a player on another club's ECNL team needs written permission from that club to try out there for 2027-28 before May 1, 2027. Some clubs hold tryouts in the fall, such as Chelsea Piers Soccer Club in Stamford (November 8 to 19, 2026). Check the club's own tryout page; a club's profile on this site links to it where we have it.

CJSA (Connecticut Junior Soccer Association) is the state affiliate of US Youth Soccer. It's the sanctioning and membership organization most organized CT youth clubs register through. CJSA itself doesn't run teams or hold tryouts; an individual club is the organization that actually fields teams, runs tryouts, and delivers programs, typically operating as a CJSA member.

Browse the Clubs by Town directory, which lists every tracked club grouped by the town it's based in, or use the Full Directory on the dashboard to search and filter by tier.

Youth clubs are development-focused organizations for players roughly age 3 through 19, built around training and player development rather than paid competition. Semi-pro and pro clubs field adult or college-age rosters competing in a professional or semi-professional league. Hartford Athletic (USL Championship) and CT United FC (MLS Next Pro) are fully professional, while AC Connecticut and CT Rush (USL League Two) and New Haven United FC (NPSL) are semi-professional. Some, like CT United FC, also run their own youth academy underneath the first team as a separate pathway.

It depends on the program. Some town clubs take residents only: Fairfield United Soccer Association says "All players must be Fairfield residents to participate." CJSA's Connecticut Cup is for residency-based teams, whose players live in the town or district of the team's home field, with room for at most two others. Clubs not tied to one town draw from wider areas; Chelsea Piers Soccer Club in Stamford says its players come from across Fairfield and Westchester counties. Town recreation programs may take non-residents for a higher fee: Greenwich charged them $20 more for its fall 2026 soccer program. Ask the program before registering.

Hartford Athletic (USL Championship) plays at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford. CT United FC (MLS Next Pro) played its 2026 home games at UConn's Morrone Stadium in Storrs, Yale's Reese Stadium in New Haven and the University of Bridgeport's Knights Field, and Norwich has agreed to lease Dodd Stadium to the club from 2027. AC Connecticut, CT Rush (USL League Two), and New Haven United FC (NPSL) also play home matches in-state. Each club's page has its schedule, and the pro and semi-pro standings page has all four league tables.

The Connecticut State Soccer Association (CSSA) is the governing body for adult amateur soccer in the state, and its member leagues and clubs belong to U.S. Soccer and the United States Adult Soccer Association. Its Find a League page lists ten affiliated leagues and clubs, among them the Connecticut State Adult Soccer League (over-40), the Shoreline Adult Soccer League (over-30, over-40 and over-50), the Stamford Co-ed Soccer League and three women's clubs and leagues. Sports centers run leagues too: Star Hill in Tolland lists men's open, over-30 and over-40 leagues starting the week of November 16, 2026, and the Olé Training Center in Monroe ran 7v7 summer leagues in 2026, including over-30 and co-ed divisions. AC Connecticut and CT Rush play in USL League Two, a summer league (its 2026 regular season ran May 3 to July 12; see how Connecticut soccer is organized), not an open adult league.

Prices published for 2026, checked in October 2026: the Town of Greenwich's fall recreation soccer for ages 3 to 9 cost residents $149 to $164 and non-residents $169 to $184. Glastonbury Hartwell Soccer Club's 2026-27 travel fee is $550 for the fall and spring seasons, plus about $150 for a new player's uniform and up to $150 in team dues. Wilton Soccer Association's U9 and U10 travel development program is about $1,400 for fall 2026 and spring 2027, plus a uniform of about $150. FSA FC in Farmington, an ECNL club, doesn't publish its fee, but says it includes the uniform, adds no charges for tournaments, referees or league fees, and can be paid in five installments a season. Some clubs offer financial aid (Glastonbury Hartwell does for those who qualify), so ask before ruling a club out.