It’s surprisingly hard to navigate sports league sign-ups if your child has never played before. But we’ve done the legwork for you! Read on to find kids’ leagues in your area and when to get registered.
Lincoln Cluster Youth Soccer
Comprising the Forest Heights Soccer Club, Hillside Soccer Club, Skyline Soccer Club and the Vista Soccer Club, this cluster serves a huge area of Portland’s westside. If your kid is headed for Lincoln High School, this club is for you!
Ages: Kindergarten to third grade.
When to sign up: Register for fall by September 16, for winter by January 13 and for spring by March 24.
Seasons: Fall, winter and spring.
Area served: Portland’s westside.
David Douglas Soccer Club
This light-hearted recreational soccer club is focused on soccer-for-the-fun-of-it. All practices take place on fields within the David Douglas School District.
Ages: Kindergarten to third grade.
When to sign up: Register for fall by September 16, for winter by January 13 and for spring by March 24.
Seasons: Fall, winter and spring.
Area served: SE Portland.
Foothills Soccer Club
The largest soccer club in Southwest Portland, Foothills offers both recreational soccer for 4- to 14-year-olds and academy soccer for older kids.
Ages: Preschool to eighth grade.
When to sign up: Registration for fall opens in May and for spring in January.
Seasons: Fall and spring.
Area served: SW Portland.
Hollywood Soccer Club
Offering a low-key “Kinderkicks” program for the littlest players, and more serious fun for older kids, this recreational soccer club emphasizes fair play and building a culture of encouragement, fun and teamwork. Scholarships and a cleat exchange program make it accessible, too.
Ages: Kindergarten to eighth grade.
When to sign up: Register for fall by September 16, for winter by January 13 and for spring by March 24.
Seasons: Fall, winter and spring.
Area served: Generally located in Northeast’s Hollywood neighborhood, though families outside of Hollywood can participate.
Holy Redeemer Soccer Club
Practicing on a home field located at the intersection of North Dekum and North Williams in Portland, this recreational league doesn’t require attendance at either Holy Redeemer Church or Holy Redeemer School — they invite all members of the community to join the fun.
Ages: Kindergarten to eighth grade.
When to sign up: Register by August 1 for the fall season.
Season: Fall.
Area served: North Portland and beyond.
Irvington Soccer Club
Practicing at Irving Park and Irvington Elementary School, this recreational soccer club is a neighborhood must-join!
Ages: First to eighth grade.
When to sign up: Register for fall by August 8 and for spring by March 1.
Season: Fall and spring.
Areas served: Primarily serving Irvington, King, Boise-Elliot, Humboldt and Harriet Tubman neighborhoods, but open to everyone regardless of location.
Mt. Tabor Soccer Club
This recreational soccer club serves kids from 13 schools around the Mt. Tabor area.
Ages: Kindergarten to eighth grade.
When to sign up: Registration opens around the end of the school year and closes in mid-July.
Season: Fall.
Area served: Most kids are from the Mount Tabor area, but no one is turned away.
United PDX
In 2018, the Bridlemile Soccer Club and Northeast United Soccer Club merged to form United PDX and become one of the largest soccer clubs in the city. They offer a wide variety of programs for kids, from competitive to recreational and everything in between.
Ages: 4 to 19.
When to sign up: Spring registration opens January 1; check website for fall registration.
Season: Fall and spring.
Area served: The entire Portland-metro area.
Southeast Soccer Club
One of the oldest soccer clubs in Portland, SESC was one of the founding clubs of the now-massive Portland Youth Soccer Association.
Ages: 5 to 14.
When to sign up: Recreational soccer registration for the fall is May 15 to July 15. Competitive program tryouts begin in early April and run through early May. Spring registration is February 15 to March 15.
Seasons: Fall and spring.
Area served: SE Portland.
i9 Sports
i9 is a national organization that supports tons of community leagues in and around Portland. It’s easy to use their site to search by zip code and see what’s available close to you.
Ages: 3 to 12.
When to sign up: Summer registration is open April to June, fall registration is open June to August; spring registration is open January to March.
Seasons: Spring, summer, fall.
Areas served: Clackamas, Gresham, Tigard, Beaverton, SW Portland, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Parkrose, N Portland and Vancouver.
YMCA Indoor Soccer
Low-key and friendly, three Portland-area YMCA locations offer an entirely indoor intro to soccer for the youngest players.
Ages: 3 years to second grade.
When to sign up: Rolling.
Seasons: Fall, winter and spring.
Areas served: Beaverton, Clark County and Sherwood YMCAs.
Lil’ Kickers
Focused on the joy of movement and the most basic of skills, Lil’ Kickers is a completely non-competitive soccer program offering things for the littlest players, like parent-and-child classes for toddlers.
Ages: 18 months to 9 years.
When to sign up: Rolling.
Season: Year-round.
Areas served: Portland Indoor Soccer Center (SE Portland) and The Plex (SW Portland/Beaverton).
Soccer Shots
This international organization, with franchises throughout the U.S. and Canada, is a good option for little kiddos. It’s easy to search their website by zip code to find camps and classes near you.
Ages: 2 to 8.
When to sign up: Rolling.
Season: Year-round.
Area served: Locations throughout the metro area.
Eastside & Westside Timbers/Thorns
Both clubs offer competitive teams that play all over the state and have produced college and professional athletes. Players must register for tryouts. (Developmental and recreational leagues also offered; see their websites for more details.)
Ages: 7 to 18 eastside; 6 to 18 westside.
When to sign up: Register in April for May tryouts.
Seasons: Competitive league is a year-long commitment with twice-a-week training starting in June. Eastside offers recreational spring and fall teams.
Area served: Portland’s eastside and westside.
Portland City United Soccer Club
This competitive club is for enthusiastic athletes who want to take their skills to the next level — and want to have fun while doing it!
Ages: 6 to 18.
When to sign up: Tryouts are in early May for U11 to U19 teams. Evaluations in early May for summer and fall U8 to U10 teams, and early February for spring U8 to U10 teams.
Seasons: Spring, summer and fall.
Areas served: Portland metro.
Readers also recommend:
North Portland Soccer Club
Bridge City Soccer Academy
Looking for a different sport? Check out our full youth sports guide.
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