By Auburndale Soccer Club
If you've been Googling "youth soccer near me" in Queens, you've probably already discovered the next problem: there are different kinds of youth soccer, and the labels are confusing. Travel. Intramural. Clinics. Academy. Recreational. What's the difference, which one is right for your child, and what should you actually expect to spend in time and money?
This is the guide we wish someone had handed us when we started. It's written by parents and coaches at Auburndale Soccer Club, a 501(c)(3) Queens nonprofit that's been running youth soccer since 1977.
Start with two questions, not the program list
Before you compare programs, answer these two:
- How much time do you actually have? Not how much time you'd like to commit — how much you can realistically give. Travel teams need three to four days a week year-round. Intramural is one practice and one game a week for eight weeks. Both are real options. Neither is better than the other if it doesn't fit your family's schedule.
- What is your child trying to get out of soccer? Have fun with their friends? Get serious about playing through high school and beyond? Just burn off Sunday-afternoon energy? All of these are valid and they map to different programs.
Recreational / Intramural — the right starting point for most kids
Intramural Development is what most clubs call "recreational" or "in-house" soccer. At Auburndale it runs in the Spring (April–June) and Fall (September–November), eight weeks each season, ages 5–13, no tryouts, no travel.
This is the right choice if your child is new to soccer, is under age 7 and just figuring out whether they like the sport, or is older but plays for fun and doesn't want a year-round commitment. Practices are once a week, games are on Sundays, and the cost is a small fraction of what Travel runs. Coaches are typically club volunteers — many of them parents who came up through the same program.
The honest sell: kids who do Intramural for a couple of seasons and want more move to Travel. Kids who never want more keep doing Intramural and have a great time. Both outcomes are good.
Travel / Premier — for families ready to commit
Travel teams (sometimes called "Premier" or "Select" or "Competitive") are a step up. At Auburndale, Premier Travel runs U-8 to U-16 — that's birth years roughly 2018 down to 2010. Players try out in May, are placed on a roster of usually 12–14 kids, and play a full year together: Spring season + Fall season + winter training + tournaments.
Travel is the right choice if your child has done a season or two of Intramural and is asking for more, plays soccer in their free time, and the family can commit to three to four sessions a week and games most weekends. Coaches are licensed (USSF Grassroots through C-license) and the level of play is genuinely competitive — Auburndale plays in Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association leagues against clubs from Long Island, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Cost is real. Travel involves league fees, uniforms, tournament entry, and field/insurance costs. Auburndale offers financial aid for any family that qualifies — no Queens kid is turned away from Travel for financial reasons. Reach out before you cross it off the list.
Summer Clinics — for skill-building between seasons
Summer Clinics aren't a season-long program. They're skill-development sessions in July and August, typically one or two weeks, run by club coaches. Travel families use them to keep their kids sharp through the summer. Intramural families use them to give their kids a focused soccer experience without committing to a year. Some kids who've never played use Clinics as a low-pressure introduction before signing up for Fall Intramural.
If you're not sure your child is ready for a full season, a one-week clinic in July is a great test.
First Kicks — for the youngest players (ages 2–5)
First Kicks is for the very youngest. It's run in partnership with Kick Start Soccer Academy — six weekly Sunday morning sessions in the Spring at Cunningham Park. The goal is to give kids age 2–5 their first positive experience with a ball. Parents are on the field with younger kids; the older end gets a taste of structured play.
Most kids who do First Kicks at age 4 or 5 move into Intramural at age 6 or 7. That's the natural pathway and it works.
TOPSoccer — inclusive soccer for athletes with disabilities
TOPSoccer is the program every other community in the country should have and most don't. It's designed by US Youth Soccer for young athletes with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities. Sessions are paced to the player. Coaching is volunteer-driven, fully trained in inclusive practices.
If you're a Queens family with a child with disabilities and you've struggled to find a sports program that fits, please reach out. There's no cost barrier — TOPSoccer is supported by club fundraising and donations.
The honest matrix
Here's the cheat sheet. Pick the row that matches where your family actually is, not where you think you should be:
- Toddler (2–5) trying soccer for the first time: First Kicks
- Age 6–13, casual interest, weekend hobby: Intramural — Spring or Fall
- Age 7–15, loves soccer, wants more: Travel tryouts in May
- Travel-level kid wanting to stay sharp in summer: Summer Clinics
- Child with a disability: TOPSoccer
- Not sure: One-week Summer Clinic in July, then decide
What to do next
If you want to see when registration opens for the program that fits, check the club calendar. If you'd rather just talk to someone, the contact page has direct numbers for the Travel and Intramural directors.
The biggest mistake we see parents make is overshooting — putting a 6-year-old in Travel because the parent has a vision, when the kid would have a much better year in Intramural. The second-biggest is undershooting — keeping a kid in Intramural at age 11 when they're ready for Travel and starting to lose interest because it's too easy. Match the program to where the child is, not where you want them to be in five years. The pathway between programs is open in both directions, every season.