Does Atlanta United hold academy tryouts?
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground · Marietta, Georgia · Checked September 6, 2026
No open tryouts for the academy, which is free and runs U-13 to U-19 at the first-team training ground. But Atlanta United has the most genuinely open first step of any MLS club: the Regional Development School, a tryout-based program for ages 7 to 14 at five or more locations around metro Atlanta, with a $25 hold to reserve a tryout spot. Every player tries out every season. From there, coaches can recommend players to the invite-only Futures program, and from Futures to the academy. The club has published the names of players who went RDS to academy.
Got a tryout? How to prepare your child, including MLS NEXT → How MLS NEXT tryouts work, in one guide →How recruitment works
RDS tryout each season, coach recommendation to Futures, academy invitation from scouting. Academy is free for selected players.
- 01Regional Development School tryout
Open tryouts each season, boys 7 to 14 and girls 7 to 16, small-sided games grouped by birth year. Reserve with a $25 card hold, balance charged on acceptance. Weekly 90-minute sessions in fall, two winter blocks and spring. Location specific, re-tryout every season.
Official page ↗ - 02Futures program, invite only
RDS coaches can recommend players at the end of each season. All invitations come from the academy scouting department. The club is clear that RDS written evaluations are not the recommendation.
Official page ↗ - 03Scouted at Georgia club and league games
Academy scouts cover metro Atlanta clubs and the wider Southeast. The club has said RDS exists partly to reach areas it does not see often.
Official page ↗ - 04Scouted at MLS NEXT and showcase events
For U15 and up, recruitment also comes from other MLS NEXT clubs and national events where academy staff attend.
- Metro Atlanta
- Georgia via RDS locations
- Southeast for older age groups
- MLS Homegrown territory rules apply to signing, not to academy entry
- Ask which program: RDS, Futures, or the academy. RDS is open, Futures is by recommendation, the academy is by scouting invitation.
- In RDS, attend at least half the sessions. That is the threshold for the written evaluation, which arrives within four weeks of the season ending.
- Ask the RDS coach directly whether they intend to recommend your child. Evaluations do not carry the recommendation.
- Homegrown territory covers Georgia and beyond. Ask how it affects your child if you live outside metro Atlanta.
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League and college numbers: Youth soccer in the US: the numbers.
- Atlanta United, Regional Development School ↗
- Atlanta United, Youth Programs FAQ ↗
- Atlanta United, Academy about ↗
- Atlanta United, first players selected from RDS ↗
Updated October 16, 2026. Last verified September 6, 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.
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