Does Philadelphia Union hold academy tryouts?
WSFS Bank Sportsplex and YSC Academy · Chester and Wayne, Pennsylvania · Checked September 6, 2026
No open tryouts for the academy, but the Union has built the most structured pathway in MLS and publishes it. Union Juniors takes U9 to U12 on a club-and-country model: your child trains with the Union and keeps playing for their own club. The Player Pathway Program is an invite-only, club-neutral training program for U7 to U16, fed by Open ID events. The academy proper runs U13 to U18 with its own school, YSC Academy, which only admits students through the academy's recruitment. There is a recruitment form for players entering 7th to 12th grade. Twenty-nine homegrown players have come through.
Got a tryout? How to prepare your child, including MLS NEXT → How MLS NEXT tryouts work, in one guide →How recruitment works
Identification at an Open ID event or by scouting, then a training pool, then academy invitation. School admission runs through the academy.
- 01Academy recruitment form, grades 7 to 12
The official self-nomination route for older players. The form asks for athletic and academic information. If the Director of Talent Identification confirms an opportunity, YSC Academy contacts the family to begin the school application.
Official page ↗ - 02Open ID events into the Player Pathway Program
The club says every PPP player must be identified through Union Youth programs or its Open ID events. Selected players join an age-group training pool for supplemental sessions under the Union methodology, U7 to U16, while staying at their club.
Official page ↗ - 03Union Juniors, U9 to U12
From fall 2025, a club-and-country model: high-level club-neutral training with the Union while competing for your own club. Expanded training pools rather than fixed teams below U12.
Official page ↗ - 04Scouted at affiliate clubs and tournaments
The Union runs an affiliate club network across the region. Scouting is year-round at matches, tournaments, identification events and through recommendations from trusted coaches.
- Philadelphia and the Main Line
- South Jersey and Delaware
- Affiliate clubs across Pennsylvania
- MLS Homegrown territory rules apply to signing, not to academy entry
- Ask which tier: Player Pathway Program, Union Juniors, or the academy. Only the academy involves YSC Academy and a school decision.
- For the academy, understand that it is a school move. Ask about the shadow day, tuition and financial aid before the soccer conversation.
- For younger players, the club-and-country model means your child keeps their club. Ask how match schedules are managed.
- The academy has a strong college placement record. Ask for the last three years of destinations, not just the homegrown list.
What to check before you agree
Practice reading the game while you wait
Soccer IQ is how a player decides what to do before the ball arrives. Our Soccer IQ game shows short match moments and asks your child to choose. It is a free early version. It is for practice and talking together. It does not predict whether a child will be picked.
League and college numbers: Youth soccer in the US: the numbers.
- YSC Academy, Union Academy and Recruitment ↗
- Philadelphia Union, Academy about and Union Juniors ↗
- Philadelphia Union, Player Pathway Program ↗
Updated October 16, 2026. Last verified September 6, 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.
Compare every club: MLS academy tryouts 2026-27, club by club, or read how MLS NEXT tryouts work.
Looking for a local youth club? Find a youth soccer club in New York or New Jersey or see the tryouts calendar.