Competitive Program Overview (U9-U19)

1. Competitive Program Overview

Our club believes in giving the most meaningful training environment to our players. Our training philosophy is to emphasize vision, technique, dynamic play, nutrition, mental toughness, sportsmanship & the methodology of proper running & cutting. Competitive teams have licensed head coaches (or their licenses are in progress. By their second season, all our competitive coaches should have at least the Grassroots License equivalent to the former USSF “E” License).

Our competitive teams compete locally in the IYSA District 3 Competitive League.

2. What are the differences between our competitive and recreational programs. 

See this document for all details!

Note: On rare occasions, we place some of our most developmental competitive teams in the IYSA League America (labeled “REC” by IYSA), where they still compete against other clubs. This league is different from our internal recreational program (see information about our 5v5 Rec Royals program here).

We may place a very developmental competitive team in League America for several reasons, including:

  • A very short roster,

  • A team not yet ready to compete at the District 3 level (for example, after merging two teams and needing time to build confidence),

  • Or poor performance in a previous season, where our team ended in demotion positions in the bottom competitive division.

These teams remain fully part of our competitive program and continue to receive all the benefits that come with competitive-level participation.

3. What is a typical season timeline including the practice schedule?

Our competitive teams generally practice twice a week. Some teams, upon discussion between coaches, club and parents, may add a third weekly session.

  • For the Fall season, practices start the first week or second week of August with games starting at the end of August or the beginning of September. Games end the first week of November.
    • The latest part of Fall is Season 1: 6 weeks,
      November to mid-December, one game weekly, training optional and
    • Before the Spring outdoor season is Season 2: 6 weeks, mid-January to 3rd week of February, one game weekly, training optional.
    • See more about Futsal in section 6 below.
  • For the Spring season, practices start the first week of March with games starting after Spring break (typically at the beginning of April.  Games end the first week of June. just before tryouts.

4. Traveling. Team Exposure vs Player Exposure

We believe our most ambitious players will have direct opportunities to reach the next level without requiring their entire team to travel. Instead, we will provide numerous opportunities for interested players to participate individually or in small groups in training, evaluations, and international experiences through the Villarreal CF player development pathway (also see PLAYER EXPOSURE+VISIBILITY here).

Our sister team in Easter Idaho (Villarreal Idaho Academy) participates in lots of tournaments and our players get invitations to guest play with them.

This philosophy allows us to maximize player development while minimizing unnecessary travel costs for families, reserving team travel only when the developmental value clearly outweighs the expense.

In other words, we want to keep team travel purposeful while keeping player opportunities plentiful.

Our teams, however, compete in tournaments locally, and as they get older, they occasionally may also travel out of the Treasure Valley area and out of the State, but it is rare (due to the opportunities our players have and that were explained above).

Tournaments are agreed upon by parents/guardians and coaches at the
team level with the guidance of the Technical Director. 

But if any team does want to travel, teams do not start traveling until they are U13 and older, generally and when they do is minimal.

5. Coaches Development

Our coaches are fully supported in a variety of ways to enhance their coaching education.

Our Coaches Development Program is unparalleled in the area and includes funding for licensing, local clinics, regional courses and symposiums. Through our partnership with La Liga pro club in Spain Villarreal CF, our coaches have plenty of opportunities to learn locally and in Spain  from one of the most prestigious European club’s coaches and methodology. Shadowing top Villarreal coaches on our Professional European camps is also a great opportunity for growth for our coaches.

The knowledge the coaches bring to their own teams from their own coaching and/or playing experience and from the developmental opportunities they are exposed to and from the access to the Villarreal CF curriculum are the most important benefit our players receive. These opportunities will impact the way coaches train and how their players and teams develop.

Coaches’ meetings – our competitive team coaches are required to attend the periodic coaches’ meetings where coaches will have an opportunity to socialize, to learn about coaching methodologies that can be incorporated into their practices right away, and to discuss important topics that affect their teams and our competitive program.

In addition to the technical, tactical, physical and mental components, which coaches incorporate in their training, coaches may choose to add other important elements described below.

6. Special Programs

• Futsal 

In late Autumn and Winter most of our competitive teams enter the Idaho Futsal league, the only USYF sanctioned in Idaho. What is Futsal.

The league entry is shared by all players and it is very economical.

Also, our club may offer futsal camps (not included in the club fees). In the own words of the US Futsal Federation, “Futsal quickly develop skills required for soccer: balance, motor ability, agility and co-ordination, ball mastery, accurate and quick passing and receiving, perception insight and awareness.” In the futsal sessions, players enjoy a lot of touches on the ball due in part to the constrains of the limited play space since, futsal is played on a basketball size court and also because of the heavier ball used, which tends to stay in play longer. 

Some coaches may also do their own futsal training with their teams during winter at no cost.

• Vision and Awareness Development— During training, coaches implement activities that develop vision, awareness, faster processing of information and higher speed of execution. When players are trained to see and understand what is happening around them before receiving the ball, their speed of play will increase. This is something that can be trained with fun activities and will change the way your child plays soccer or any other sport.

• Speed & Agility and Explosiveness — The ability to run faster and make quicker cuts can be improved. In fact, a player’s straight ahead speed and agility can be improved with minimal work by targeting the muscles and joints specifically involved in these actions. Parents and players receive an orientation session about the program. Then, interested players guided by their head coaches work individually on a variety of specialized strength and flexibility exercises that are specific to running and cutting. As a positive side effect, the jumping and kicking ability is also be improved since many of the muscles and joints involved are the same. More information at: http://realsoccerclub.org/programs/speed-agility/

• International Partnership and Identification Camps

• Sports Nutrition  

Sports Nutrition

• Goal Keeping — The club provides specific periodic Goal Keeping training for our teams in addition the the team specific goal keeping training. Topics include the 10 guiding principles of Goalkeeping: Hand work, Body shape, ever-ready consideration, staying on your feet, secondary cover, set consideration, reaction factor, recovery, decision/communication and organization, and first attacker. Also, other concepts will be trained: Near Post considerations, Penalties, Cross Ball situations, Defending at set plays and Back pass rule. More info at: http://realsoccerclub.org/programs/goal-keeping/

• Video Analysis of Games/Watching Professional Soccer — Our head coaches are encouraged to meet with players periodically to watch soccer and analyze relevant play. According to Yessis, Emeritus professor at CSU, “ Upon viewing a clear demonstration, physiological changes occur in the body, especially if you have been concentrating on the presentation. As the action is viewed, impulses are automatically sent from the brain to the muscles involved in executing the movement. These are very subtle signals that do not result in movement. But the activation of the proper brain centers together with the signals going to the muscles begin. This is how you can learn the rudiments of a skill simply form watching an athlete play.”

In addition, our club records games with professional equipment and send to coaches and players for analysis.

• College Prep. Program 

 http://realsoccerclub.org/programs/college-prep/

• Adult Soccer — Agreeing with “US Club Soccer” philosophy and objective of promoting Adult Soccer and Leagues, the Real Soccer Club wants to give our members opportunities for playing soccer in our own Adult teams, at all levels of play, formats, and gender (coed, men, and women). Some objectives include: to provide a vehicle through which our club can offer life-long soccer to our members; to allow our club to connect youth and adult soccer seamlessly, and develop members for life; to complete the Real Soccer Club structure, by providing an amateur and competitive adult program which competes in the local outdoor and indoor leagues as well as adding involvement in futsal and beach soccer in the future; to follow the successful world model of full integration at all age.

See our Competitive Program Fees here and/or register a player.

7. Why choose Real SC?

Real Soccer offers the best value/cost structure of any true competitive soccer club in the area. All our competitive program coaches are licensed or in the process. Starting Fall 2026, a technical director from Top European club, Villarreal CF, makes sure an age-appropriate curriculum is delivered to all our coaches.

This affiliation is a genuine, long-term partnership rather than a simple branding initiative. It is a true club-to-club relationship, built on a direct partnership with one of Europe’s most respected professional clubs and youth academies. We will enjoy a comprehensive player and coach development pathway that provides direct access to Villarreal CF’s methodology, technical expertise, coach education, and international programs. Read more.

Read our values.

Read our mission statement here.

8. Parents Feedback

Please see recent google reviews here!

Here is one of the many comments we get. This is from a former coach of a big club in Boise (she prefers to remain anonymous):

“I am a notorious price shopper – but if shown why I should spend more money, I will (value).  Unfortunately, I did not know about quality soccer programs when my daughter was starting out.  I have not been happy with 3 of the 4 volunteer coaches she had over the years.  As persons, they are fine, but as coaches…well, they didn’t know what they were doing and the kids did not grow much.” May 2014

9. Past Seasons Highlights

Notable results | REAL sc – real boise cf, real middleton cf, real meridian cf, real caldwell cf & real eagle cf

Read more: Competitive Program Overview (U9-U19)

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