Does Seattle Sounders FC hold academy tryouts?
Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila · Tukwila, Washington · Checked September 7, 2026
No open tryouts for the Sounders Academy. The club says it finds players through scout identification, a personal player application, and its youth programs. The academy is free for selected players, full time from U15, with a U13 to U14 Futures Program that trains prospects twice a week alongside their own club team. Most Academy players still come through Washington clubs the Sounders have partnered with, such as Seattle United, Eastside FC and PacNW, rather than through the online form.
Got a tryout? How to prepare your child, including MLS NEXT → How MLS NEXT tryouts work, in one guide →How recruitment works
Identification by scout, application or youth program, then an in-person trial with the age group. Full-time Academy from U15 is free for selected players.
- 01Academy player interest form
The self-nomination route. Submit your information and the club says it will only contact players who receive an invite to trial, due to the volume of interest.
Official page ↗ - 02Futures Program, U13 to U14
Formerly the Discovery Program. Selected players train twice weekly with Sounders Academy coaches while staying with their own club team. Selection is by scouting, application or youth programs identification, with an open training day for registration.
Official page ↗ - 03Scouted at partner and affiliate clubs
The Sounders have official youth partners including Seattle United, Eastside FC, PacNW, Central Washington Sounders and Northwest United, plus affiliates further afield. Playing there puts a child in front of Academy scouts at league games and joint training.
Official page ↗ - 04Scout identification at matches and events
Academy scouts watch matches weekly, following league rules on contacting players through their current club first. This is the main route into the full-time Academy from U15.
Official page ↗
- Seattle, Tacoma and the Puget Sound
- Washington State clubs, including official partner and affiliate clubs
- North Carolina and Central California, through Sounders affiliate clubs
- The club recruits nationally for standout talent, but 85 to 90 percent of Academy players come from its Washington homegrown territory
- Ask whether the invitation is to the Futures Program or the full-time Academy. One is supplemental training alongside your own club, the other is a bigger commitment.
- If you submit the player interest form, expect no reply unless invited to trial. The club says this is the normal outcome.
- Ask which partner or affiliate club feeds the Academy in your area. Playing there increases exposure to Sounders scouts.
- Homegrown signing rights depend on Washington and Hawaii territory rules. Ask the club how this affects your child before relocating.
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.
- Sounders FC, Academy Recruitment ↗
- Sounders FC, Player Interest Form ↗
- Sounders FC, Academy Pathway ↗
- Sounders FC, Futures Program ↗
- Seattle Sounders, Academy Futures Program news ↗
Updated October 16, 2026. Last verified September 7, 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.
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