So you’re on the hunt for an adult soccer league near you, huh? Well, you’re in luck because the Adults Play Sports directory has the most robust compilation of adult soccer leagues in North America.
But before you go check it out, here’s a quick lowdown on how it works and what you should consider when searching for a soccer league to join.
How To Use The Adults Play Sports Directory To Find An Adult Soccer League Near You
I’m a lifelong soccer player. Throughout my life, I’ve used all methods to find soccer leagues–from Craigslist to Meetup to web searches to simply asking around. It can be a bit daunting.
To make it easier, I came up with the idea to create a directory where all the leagues are on one platform–and only for adults. Woo hoo! So far, there are almost 1000 listings for adult soccer in North America–and growing.
Search By Location
Use the map to find listings near you, or enter your location in the search bar. Hit the magnifying glass to work some magic, and you’ll see all the adult soccer leagues near you pop up.
In the filters, you can select “Indoor Soccer” and/or “Soccer,” along with options for gender, skill, etc.
Search By Gender, Skill, And Other Features
You may want to find an adult soccer league near you that caters to men who play at highly competitive levels. Or perhaps you’d rather find a more chill league for beginners, and you don’t care if it’s co-ed or single-gender.
Maybe you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community, and you’d feel most comfortable in an LGBTQ+ adult soccer league.
Whatever you’re looking for in an adult soccer league, the place with the most options is the APS directory.
A Few Key Points About The Sports Directory
The directory listings are only as good as the information the leagues provide on their websites. Since that’s where the APS directory sources its information, some listings might have less detail than others.
I’m working with leagues to encourage them to edit their directory listings to be as descriptive as possible for players like you searching for adult soccer leagues and their specifics.
Reviews
If you happen to play in an adult sports league and it’s in the directory, leave a review. You’ll help out your fellow adult athletes who trust the opinion of people like you.
As a thank you for leaving a review, you can drop your email to win $100 toward your league fees. There’s a new winner each month.
Things To Consider In An Adult Soccer League
Now that you know how to easily find an adult soccer league in your area, you’ll probably want to take a few other things into consideration in your quest for the perfect fit.
Cost of the League
League fees can vary greatly, so be sure to ask how much a season costs and what your fees cover. Most fees will cover referees, but there are some leagues that require a separate ref payment at each game.
Ask if you’ll need to buy a uniform or if that’s also included in your registration costs.
Competition and Skill Levels of the League
You’ll want to find an adult soccer league that suits your skill level. It’s no fun being a complete newbie trying to keep up with ultra-skilled and competitive players. Plus, your chance of injury will greatly increase.
On the flip side, if you’re a former D1 soccer player and want to keep playing after graduation, you probably won’t enjoy playing on a team with a bunch of rookies.
The good thing is there are plenty of adult soccer leagues with various skill divisions suitable to most playing styles. Some organizations even offer special skills camps and clinics for new players.
Age Divisions
Whatever your age of adulthood, it’s awesome that you still want to play soccer. As you should. It’s one of the best workouts and an overall amazing sport (yes, I’m biased).
However, as you age, your body eventually slows down, and it’s hard to keep up with 20-year-old dynamos when you’re a pushing 50 dynamo.
When I was 49, I offered to sub for a team that was an 18+ Division 1 team in my soccer league. I could’ve birthed all the players on the field. As good as I might be on my over-40s team, I was sucking wind so hard playing in that D1 game. It was rough.
My point is, if you’re getting past the prime of your twenties, there are many soccer leagues that offer over 30s, over 40s, over 50s (and even older) divisions.
If you’re in your late 30s but still keeping up with the twentysomethings, by all means, keep playing in the open division if that’s what makes you happy. But if you’re struggling to keep up but still want to play, look into the higher age divisions.
Keep in mind that the higher age divisions usually implement no slide tackling as a rule to further minimize injury risks.
You don’t need to let your age be a deterrent from playing soccer well into your later years.
Game Locations
Some leagues always play at the same field. Others schedule games all over the place. Be sure to ask. If a league plays games up to an hour’s drive away, you’ll have to consider whether that would be a deterrent for you.
You might also want to ask if the fields you’ll play on are grass or artificial turf. There are plusses and minuses to both.
If games are played on a well-kept grass field, there’s nothing better. If it’s a field that’s technically grass but mostly dirt and gopher holes, artificial turf might be the better option.
League Format
Do you prefer traditional 11 v 11 outdoor soccer? Do you prefer the faster pace of indoor soccer and using the walls to your advantage? Do you prefer 6-a-side soccer?
Find out the format of the leagues you’re researching. There are plenty of combinations out there, so you’ll need to consider which format best suits your playing style.
Practices
Soccer practices are more common among leagues with younger players and with leagues that are more competitive. Be sure to ask a team you want to join if they practice and factor in whether the extra time commitment will work with your schedule.
If you can’t commit, it’s better to find an adult soccer team or league with a more relaxed schedule.
Physical Fitness
Soccer requires a lot of running, so if you’re smoking two packs a day and chomping on Twinkies in between all your meals, bowling might be more your flow. If you’re just starting out at soccer, your body will be sore, and you’ll probably feel exhausted from the running. But the more you play, the more you’ll improve and increase your stamina.
Now go find an adult soccer league so you can play the beautiful game so many of us love all around the world.
