Does Real Salt Lake hold academy tryouts?
Zions Bank Training Center, Herriman, Utah · Herriman, Utah · Checked September 7, 2026
Below U15, RSL runs the Elite Development Program with paid open tryouts for U11 to U14 players from Utah, Nevada and Arizona, feeding into an 8 week training program at the Zions Bank Training Center. From U15, players join the RSL Academy itself, which is a residency program in Herriman built around an onsite public charter school, Salt Lake Academy, so a family typically needs to relocate. RSL leads MLS in homegrown signings, with 48 Academy products having signed professional contracts.
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EDP tryouts for younger age groups, then scouting or direct progression into the full-time Herriman residency Academy from U15.
- 01Elite Development Program tryouts, U11 to U14
Open tryouts held over multiple dates each August for players in Utah, Nevada and Arizona. A 100 dollar tryout fee applies, and selected players pay 600 dollars for an 8 week training program led by RSL Academy and former MLS coaches.
Official page ↗ - 02RSL Academy residency, U15 to U19
The full-time Academy, based at Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman. Players compete in MLS NEXT and, for U17s, the United Premier Soccer League. The club says players may move between U15 and U17 rosters based on ability.
Official page ↗ - 03Salt Lake Academy, the charter school
A tuition-free Utah public charter school on the Zions Bank campus that many RSL Academy players attend. Utah residency is required, and non-Academy students can also enroll through the school's own lottery.
Official page ↗ - 04Scouted through Real Monarchs and regional clubs
RSL scouts watch regional clubs, showcases and Real Monarchs, the MLS NEXT Pro side, as a pipeline into the Academy and onward to Homegrown contracts.
- Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front
- Nevada and Arizona, through the Elite Development Program
- Sacramento and Northern California, a known recruiting area for recent Academy signings
- The club recruits nationally for the Academy residency, since it is a boarding style program built around Herriman
- Ask early whether an Academy invitation means relocating to Herriman, since the program is built around residency and the onsite school.
- For EDP, check the tryout fee and the further 600 dollar program fee before committing, and ask what selection actually leads to.
- Ask about Salt Lake Academy enrollment separately from the soccer decision, since it is a Utah public charter school with its own residency and lottery rules.
- RSL has the most Homegrown signings in MLS, so ask for recent examples of the path from Academy to Real Monarchs to First Team.
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- Real Salt Lake, Academy ↗
- Real Salt Lake, Academy Pathway ↗
- Real Salt Lake, Elite Development Program ↗
- Salt Lake Academy, Enrollment ↗
- Real Salt Lake, Trio of RSL Academy Homegrowns join roster ↗
Updated October 16, 2026. Last verified September 7, 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.
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