What I Don’t Understand About U.S. Youth Soccer

I’ve now lived in the United States for over five years total. And I think everyone who knows me would agree—I love America more than most Americans. But there’s one thing I just cannot wrap my head around in youth soccer:

Travel.

Soccer in the U.S. is exploding, with huge numbers of kids playing. In Colorado alone, over 100,000 kids and teenagers play organized soccer every year. There is no shortage of players in any age group or ability level. Yet, games are often organized in a way that families have to drive more than an hour each way just to play.

Where it makes sense

In every age group, maybe 50 kids are so incredibly advanced that there are barely any local teams to play. For those players—less than 1%—I totally understand the need to travel long distances (or even fly) to find strong competition, especially once they’re playing 11v11.

For everyone else

For everyone else? I don’t get it. Why are families driving hours just to play a 50-minute game where their child might get 25 minutes on the field? Instead, kids could play more locally, in smaller formats, on smaller fields, with triple the playing time.

Especially under the age of 14, soccer is about two things:

1. Making the right choices quickly.
2. Executing those choices correctly.

The main way to improve those skills is through repetition. Driving in the car doesn’t help. Sitting on the bench doesn’t help. Playing helps.

Let’s compare

Take two players:

Player 1: Dieter (age 10)

• Travels to Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Thornton, and Fort Collins.
• Plays 9v9 with 14 kids on the roster.
• In his 50-minute game, he plays 35 minutes total.
• As a left winger, he gets about 12 touches.
• Average drive: 45 minutes each way.
• Total time spent: 3.5 hours.

Player 2: Franz (age 10)

• Plays weekly 3v3 tournaments.
• 4 games, 30 minutes each.
• Team of 4 players.
• Plays 90 minutes total.
• Around 115 actions on the ball.
• Drive: 15 minutes each way.
• Total time spent: 3 hours.

Now, yes, Dieter plays in a “statewide league” that supposedly offers the pathway to college, while Franz just plays in local 3v3 tournaments that carry no prestige. But let’s be honest—what’s the actual point of playing in a league? To say “We’re in the league!” or to actually get better?

Franz gets more than 10 times the touches in the same amount of time. Not 20% more. Not 50% more. Ten times more.

And here’s what I see again and again: kids like Franz, whose parents prioritize development over brand-name leagues, keep outperforming kids like Dieter.

So,I cannot understand why families and clubs would choose a structure of long-distance travel for kids under 14 who aren’t in MLS Next, when youth soccer is big enough to provide strong competition locally.