A coach in a red jacket talking to a circle of academy players under the floodlights, seen over a player's shoulder

Elite pro and collegiate pathway · U13–U19 boys

  • No. 1 U15 · national preseason
  • 3–4 sessions a week + GK
  • 18–30 league matches
  • Pro players coach sessions

MLS NEXT. Homegrown & Academy Division.

The Triad's premier boys pathway, directly affiliated with Carolina Core FC of MLS NEXT Pro. Direct visibility to professional scouts, national team selectors and top collegiate programs, and a U15 team ranked No. 1 in the nation in preseason.

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Age groups
U13 – U19 boys · Tier 1 MLS NEXT Homegrown · Tier 2 MLS NEXT Academy Division · Tier 3 NCYSA Classic
Training
Homegrown: 4 sessions + 3 goalkeeper sessions a week, four days of strength and agility · Academy Division: 3 sessions + 2 goalkeeper sessions
Season
Full year: August 2026 – May 2027 plus national showcase events
Pro connection
Direct scouting pipeline to Carolina Core FC (MLS NEXT Pro); players train at Phillips Park alongside the first team
Travel
National platform: regional league (NC, SC, TN, GA, VA) plus national events
Player movement
Evaluations for players rostered with another MLS NEXT club follow the MLS NEXT Player Movement Guidelines

League schedule, tournaments & pro showcases

Same crest. Same training ground.

Our MLS NEXT Homegrown players train at Phillips Park alongside Carolina Core FC's first team, and pro players have coached MLS NEXT sessions. In 2026, four academy players made at least one professional game-day roster, two started multiple matches, and more than ten took part in first-team training and trials.

3–4
sessions a week
Plus 2–3 goalkeeper sessions
18–30
league matches
Regional division fixtures
2–5
national events
MLS NEXT Fest, Flex, playoffs
4
academy players on pro game-day rosters
Carolina Core FC, 2026 season

National preseason rankings

Ranked. Nationally.

Independent editorial rankings by UpNextAnalytics, 2026–27 preseason. Each link opens a dated archive of the page as published.

No.1U15MLS NEXT Homegrown · national preseason Top 20View ranking ↗No.11U14MLS NEXT Homegrown · national preseason Top 20View ranking ↗No.17U17MLS NEXT Academy · national preseason Top 20View ranking ↗
No.27U17MLS NEXT Homegrown · national preseasonUpNext Pro placing
No.28U16MLS NEXT Homegrown · national preseasonUpNext Pro placing

UpNext rankings are independent editorial rankings by third-party analyst UpNextAnalytics and are not official league standings or Quality of Play ratings. 2026–27 preseason placings; positions beyond 20 are visible to UpNext Pro subscribers.

Tiers

Homegrown. Academy Division.

13U – 19U · Tier 1

MLS NEXT Homegrown

Elite professional pathway team competing against MLS club academies across the Southeast.

  • 4 team training sessions + 3 goalkeeper sessions a week
  • Four days of strength and agility training a week
  • 20–30 league matches a year across NC, SC, TN and GA
  • 2+ major national MLS NEXT events (Fest, Flex, playoffs)
  • High-performance environment: Homegrown players do not play high school soccer
  • Direct evaluation by Carolina Core FC's MLS NEXT Pro technical staff
13U – 19U · Tier 2

MLS NEXT Academy Division

Advanced competitive division with collegiate recruiting exposure and a flexible prep calendar.

  • 3 team training sessions + 2 goalkeeper sessions a week
  • 18–24 league matches a year across NC, SC and VA
  • 3–5 premier showcase and tournament events a year
  • High school soccer participation permitted
  • Full match filming, tactical video review and college recruiting coordination

Tuition & fees

Every tier priced.

MLS NEXT Homegrown

13U – 14U Homegrown

U13–U14 boys · full year (August – May)

$3,700per year
InstallmentsDeposit + up to 9 monthly payments
Academy Division

13U – 14U Academy Division

U13–U14 boys · full year (August – May)

$3,200per year
InstallmentsDeposit + up to 9 monthly payments
MLS NEXT Homegrown

15U – 19U Homegrown

U15–U19 boys · full year (August – May)

$3,700per year
InstallmentsDeposit + up to 9 monthly payments
Academy Division

15U – 19U Academy Division

U15–U19 boys · full season + showcases

$2,800per season
InstallmentsDeposit + up to 9 monthly payments

What's included in MLS NEXT tuition

US Soccer and UEFA licensed professional coaching staff
Match and training videoAvailable for many games and sessions, with tactical analysis.
College recruiting coordinator supportAnd player profile hosting.
Individual Development PlansOffered for competitive players, with sports science monitoring.
MLS NEXT league registration, referee fees and primary event allocations

Open tryouts. Every year. Every level.

Plenty of clubs act as gatekeepers. We don't. Spring tryouts run from the top down, so a player who misses the top team still has every other level ahead of them. The pro side holds open tryouts too.

How spring tryouts work

MLS NEXT questions

What is the difference between Homegrown and Academy Division?
Homegrown is the top tier: four team sessions plus three goalkeeper sessions a week, strength and agility four days a week, 20–30 matches against MLS club academies, and no high school soccer. Academy Division trains three times a week, plays 18–24 matches, and permits high school soccer.
My son is rostered with another MLS NEXT club. Can he be evaluated?
Yes. Evaluations for players currently rostered with another MLS NEXT club are scheduled strictly in accordance with the MLS NEXT Player Movement Guidelines. The Homegrown director contacts you first about timing.
What is separate from tuition?
A roster spot is secured with an initial deposit; the remaining tuition is payable across up to 9 monthly installments in PlayMetrics. Official match uniform kits and individual player travel and hotel fees for away matches and national events are separate.

Ready when you are

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Prefer to talk? 336-992-0089 · info@ccfcyouth.com