What ages and program levels does Cincinnati United Soccer Club offer?CU Juniors serves boys and girls ages three through seven as a bridge from recreational soccer toward select play. CU communities (North, Southeast, and Northwest) run U8 through U19 boys and girls teams with professional coaching and two trainings per week. CUP Boys and CUP Girls premier programming begins at U11 and continues through U19 for players who want three trainings per week and regional or national league access, including MLS Next, National Academy League, and Girls Academy tracks when rosters qualify.
About
Cincinnati United Soccer Club is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit youth soccer organization that scales programming from introductory work for preschool and early elementary players through community select teams and a premier pathway for athletes who want regional and national competition. Founded in 2008 through the merger of legacy area clubs, it now serves about 2,700 players across roughly twenty-eight training and playing locations around Greater Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio. The club organizes work around one shared mission: to inspire a love for development, competition, and community among players, coaches, and staff.
What the club offers
CU Juniors introduces boys and girls ages three through seven to age-appropriate technical work and game behaviors in a positive environment, positioning families to move from recreational play toward select soccer when they are ready. The wider CU program (U8–U19) keeps players in geography-based communities—CU North, CU Southeast, and CU Northwest—with professional coaches, two training sessions per week, and league play centered on Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio. At U8–U12, CU North splits into Cincinnati United Lakota–Monroe and Cincinnati United Sycamore–Mason before combining as CU North from U13 upward. CU Northwest launched as the newest community in fall 2025. Cincinnati United Premier (CUP) serves girls and boys U11 and older who want a higher training load and broader competition map: three sessions per week at sites across the metro, access to top state, regional, and national leagues, and alignment with MLS Next, the National Academy League, and the Girls Academy where age-eligible rosters qualify. Year-round specialty options—camps, futsal, small-group training, 3v3, and after-school style add-ons—are open to members and newcomers who want extra touches without the same full-year team commitment.
Training sites and league rhythm
CU North draws families from areas including Lakota, Lebanon, Liberty Township, Mason, Monroe, North Loveland, Sycamore, and West Chester, training outdoors at places such as Voice of America, Lebanon Sports Complex (McClure), Christ Church, Hope Church, White Oak Park, CHCA grass and turf fields, and Posey Hartman. CU Southeast covers communities such as Amelia, Anderson, Clermont County, Hyde Park, Indian Hill, Madeira, Mariemont, Milford, South Loveland, and Terrace Park, using Clear Creek Park, Waldron Soccer Complex, Horizon Community Church, and Riverside Park among its outdoor bases. CU Northwest focuses on Cleves, Colerain Township, Fairfield, Finneytown, Hamilton, Harrison, Mount Healthy, Northgate, Ross, and White Oak, with Colerain High School, Northwest High School, and Spooky Nook in the mix. CUP boys and girls train at a rotating set of regional sites including Blue Ash Sports Center (Grooms), Lebanon Sports Complex, Warren County Sports Park, Walnut Hills upper and lower fields, CHCA turf, Colerain and Northwest campuses, Spooky Nook, and other shared complexes. Typical CU league ladders move from a U8 Developmental League 5v5 model into Cardinal Premier League and Premier League bands at U9–U10, then CPL or Buckeye League work at U11–U12, with U13 and older teams also tapping Ohio State League when rosters fit. CUP layers elite league and showcase opportunities on top of that structure.
Tryouts, placement, and registration
Every player—returning or new—registers for tryouts in PlayMetrics to receive a formal club offer; internal placement for current members follows spring age-group meetings and season-long evaluation, but PlayMetrics registration still applies. Supplemental tryouts and interested-player kickarounds help fill mid-cycle openings by community. For 2026–27, detailed tryout nights and birth-year blocks were slated to appear in PlayMetrics by May 2026, with evaluations typically concentrated in mid-May in line with recent spring cycles; families should open PlayMetrics as soon as registration goes live for the exact schedule. CUP runs ID sessions during parts of the season for players aiming at premier rosters; staff for CUP boys and CUP girls coordinate attendance for those invitations. A player interest form connects prospective families with the right technical director when timing or geography is unclear.
Fees, uniforms, and extras
Membership combines a club fee that covers fixed costs such as coaching salaries and field rental—payable in full or on a spread plan—with team fees that cover variable items like referees, league entries, and tournaments. Families also purchase the age-group uniform bundle for the current cycle; uniform ordering runs through Soccer Village’s Team Hub Sports portal, with instructions delivered through PlayMetrics and email rather than public shopping links. Specialty programs bill separately; questions about camps, futsal, or small-group blocks can go to the director of business operations.
Philosophy, alumni outcomes, and how to reach the club
The vision is to pursue excellence together, fuel passion for soccer, and bring out the best in players, families, and staff. Seven values—character, unity, person-first care, growth mindset, ownership, ambition, and love—anchor day-to-day culture. Since formation, more than nine hundred alumni have played in college, eleven have reached the professional game, and one former player has capped for the U.S. senior national team. General soccer questions can go to the director of soccer at sbower@cincinnatiunitedsc.com; member services and registration nuances often route through lhausser@cincinnatiunitedsc.com. Community technical directors include Garry Hancock (CU North), Brian Berning (CU Southeast), and Gary Gayle (CU Northwest); CUP boys and girls leadership sits with Reece Hands and Stephanie Webb. Correspondence mail goes to PO Box 422, Trenton, OH 45067-0422.
Explore more teams
Compare Cincinnati United Soccer Club with other youth soccer options in your area before making a decision. These directory links make it easier to review local clubs, broader Ohio programs, and nearby team options in one place.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Cincinnati United train and play?CU North trains at complexes such as Voice of America, Lebanon Sports Complex, Christ Church, Hope Church, White Oak Park, CHCA, and Posey Hartman across northern suburbs. CU Southeast uses Clear Creek Park, Waldron Soccer Complex, Horizon Community Church, and Riverside Park among its outdoor sites. CU Northwest centers on Colerain High School, Northwest High School, Spooky Nook, and surrounding communities. CUP rotates among regional hubs including Blue Ash Sports Center (Grooms), Warren County Sports Park, Walnut Hills, CHCA turf, Colerain, Northwest, Spooky Nook, and other shared fields. Exact assignments shift by team and season inside PlayMetrics.
When are tryouts or registration, and how does placement work?Families register tryouts through PlayMetrics; offers only go out after that registration step. Returning players are evaluated all season and reviewed in spring age-group meetings, but they still complete PlayMetrics tryout registration. Supplemental tryouts and interested-player events fill openings mid-year. For 2026–27, full tryout details were scheduled to reach PlayMetrics by May 2026, with mid-May evaluation windows typical of recent springs—families should treat PlayMetrics as the source of record once it opens. CUP ID sessions during the year matter for players targeting premier rosters.
What does it cost to play for Cincinnati United?Families pay a club fee that covers fixed costs like coaching salaries and field rental, either upfront or on a payment spread, plus team-specific fees for referees, league entries, and tournaments. Required uniform packages for each age group are purchased separately through Soccer Village’s Team Hub Sports portal after the club shares ordering instructions in PlayMetrics and email. Specialty camps, futsal, and add-on training bill on their own schedules.
What is Cincinnati United’s mission, philosophy, and coaching approach?The mission is to inspire a love for development, competition, and community across players, coaches, and the club. The vision stresses shared excellence, passion for soccer, and bringing out the best in everyone. Daily culture leans on seven values: character, unity, person-first care, growth mindset, ownership, ambition, and love. Technical directors oversee each community, professional staff lead trainings, and CU teams follow a club-wide developmental plan while CUP layers elite competition and college-oriented exposure for committed athletes.
How can families contact Cincinnati United or get quick updates?Email sbower@cincinnatiunitedsc.com for general soccer questions or lhausser@cincinnatiunitedsc.com for member services. Use the contact directory for community technical directors—Garry Hancock (CU North), Brian Berning (CU Southeast), Gary Gayle (CU Northwest), Reece Hands (CUP Boys), and Stephanie Webb (CUP Girls)—or submit the player interest form when you are unsure which program fits. Rostered families rely on PlayMetrics for schedules, field addresses, and team messages; the club also runs a field-status view with live open or closed notices for complexes. Mail reaches PO Box 422, Trenton, OH 45067-0422.
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