Soccer is king in Loudoun County and Northern Virginia. Every weekend, it seems local parks and fields fill up with children of every age taking to the pitch and playing their hearts out. Now, one local soccer organization is pioneering major changes to youth soccer and taking two of the biggest challenges soccer families face head on.
FC Virginia Soccer understands that two of the most important factors to parents putting their kids in a soccer program are time and money. Many travel soccer programs involve hours upon hours in the car, multiple times a week, to get to training opportunities and matches. And the cost of elite programs — the “pay to play” mindset — is part of the DNA of most youth sports programs.
So, FC Virginia Soccer set out to find solutions. FC Virginia has spearheaded a new “Site” based programming structure. The idea is to offer Recreational, Pre-Travel and local Travel team programming close to home. This means making schedules and travel more predictable, so families spend less time on the road and in the car. FC Virginia currently offers program locations in Ashburn, Brambleton, Lovettsville, Aldie, Sterling, Chantilly, Fairfax, and Springfield. They are planning on expanding to Reston in 2024.
The goal: to offer recreational programming for 2-12 year olds, Pre-Travel and U9-U10 Travel Soccer options at each location. Currently Ashburn, Brambleton, Lovettsville, Chantilly, and Springfield offer all programs. Aldie and Sterling currently offer 2-8 year old Recreational programs.
“FC Virginia is also a firm believer that the game of soccer should be for all players, and that money shouldn’t be a deterrent for anyone to play,” said Adam Baumgardner, the director for FC Virginia’s soccer program. “Our goal is to provide opportunities for everyone to enjoy the beautiful game.”
Starting with the free Recreational Soccer program they offered in Spring 2023 and now with its 2-3 year old programming being free, and the 4-12 year old Recreational programming being available at some of the lowest costs in the DMV, FC Virginia continues to walk the walk of providing these kinds of opportunities. Plus, FC Virginia has a number of initiatives for families with multiple children to help lower the total expenses.
FC Virginia is changing the way that families can approach youth sports. To find out more about their unique programs, head over to the FC Virginia website here.
(This is a sponsored post on behalf of FC Virginia Soccer.)