Sporting JAX Academy

What the club offers

Programming spans Future Stars for roughly ages 2.5–5, Rising Stars for ages 5–6, Jr Academy as a bridge for players about 5.5–8 (including optional U8 bridge team tryouts for a more competitive rhythm), recreation for ages 4–19, the Recreational Development Academy (RDA) for players roughly 8–12 who want a higher training load without full travel-club commitment, and competitive teams from about U8 through U19 for boys and girls. Summer camps, after-school options, home-school programming, ID clinics for players evaluating a move into competitive soccer, tournaments, and Special Olympics Unified Sports round out the calendar.

Competitive pathway and leagues

Competitive teams train and play under a season that runs August through May, with June and July post-season play when a team qualifies. League participation includes ECNL (Elite Clubs National League), ECNL Regional League, and NPL (National Premier League), plus regional play in NFPL (North Florida Premier League) and CFPL (Central Florida Premier League), depending on team level and location. ECNL ID clinics target ambitious players born 2008–2014 who are positioning for the next competitive cycle; players already registered with ECNL or ECNL Regional League at other clubs are not eligible for those sessions. General ID clinics serve players born roughly August 1, 2015 through July 31, 2018 who are not yet in the academy and want staff evaluation.

Recreation, RDA, and Jr Academy

Recreation emphasizes volunteer-coached teams, SafeSport screening and background checks for coaches, positive coaching expectations, and WeGotSoccer-supplied uniforms. Fall and spring season lengths vary by site: some recreation offerings run 10–12 weeks for U5–U14 and 8–10 weeks for U15–U19, while Duval/St. Johns, Oakleaf, and Palm Coast fall and spring cycles typically schedule one practice per week for U5–U10 and two per week for U11–U19. Most games land on Saturdays. RDA runs August–May with two training sessions per week, 8–10 games per fall and spring segment, professional coaches, US Club Soccer registration, and an in-house RDA league format at 7v7, 9v9, or 11v11. Jr Academy is a continuous August–May program with two weekly trainings and Friday 5v5 games for the standard track; an optional bridge team layer adds extra training, league play, and tournaments for an additional fee.

Training sites and regions

Jacksonville and St. Johns competitive teams train at Veterans Park (1332 Veterans Parkway, St. Johns, 32259), Aberdeen Park, Durbin Park, Chuck Rogers Park, and Losco Park. Oakleaf competitive teams use Oakleaf Soccer Fields and nearby sites. Earl Johnson Park anchors San Marco–area training. Palm Coast work centers on Indian Trails Soccer Complex. RDA training hubs include Veterans Park, Chuck Rogers Park, Earl Johnson Park, and Oakleaf. Jr Academy uses Veterans Park in St. Johns County and Indian Trails fields in Palm Coast for trainings and Friday games.

Tryouts, registration, and costs

For the 2026–27 competitive cycle, opening tryout night for Jacksonville and St. Johns is May 1, 2026 at Veterans Park; Oakleaf, Earl Johnson/San Marco, and Palm Coast sessions are scheduled May 2, 2026 at Oakleaf Soccer Fields, Earl Johnson Park, and Indian Trails Soccer Complex respectively, for players U8–U19. Families register through PlayMetrics; new families create a free club account there for programs and payments. Anyone who cannot attend a scheduled tryout window can complete the absentee tryout registration flow so directors can arrange an evaluation. Financial aid applications for 2026–27 open April 1; submitting by April 25, 2026 allows review before tryouts so approved adjustments can flow into tryout-night billing in PlayMetrics.

2025–26 competitive registration fees vary by league tier and region—for example, ECNL U13–U19 in Jacksonville/St. Johns at $2,150, ECNL Regional League U13–U19 at $1,950, NPL U13–U19 at $1,650, and several academy and select bands between about $1,095 and $1,500, with lower registration amounts at Oakleaf and Palm Coast for some academy tiers. Those registration amounts exclude uniforms and estimated team fees; expected team-fee bands span roughly $400–$1,600 by age and league track depending on level. RDA full-season registration is $995 at Veterans Park and Chuck Rogers Park, $885 at Earl Johnson Park, and $900 at Oakleaf, plus a required New Balance uniform kit (quoted after a club coupon). Jr Academy is $895 for the Jacksonville/St. Johns season and $650 in Palm Coast, excluding the Adidas kit; the U8 bridge team add-on is $100 on top of Jr Academy tuition, with separate bridge registration at $950 for the ten-month bridge-team season. Recreation pricing is location-specific in PlayMetrics—use the recreation location entry that matches your area.

Coaching environment and mission

Development balances technical growth, confidence, teamwork, and love of the game from first kicks toward long-term competitive goals. Competitive and academy staff lead RDA, Jr Academy, and competitive trainings; recreation relies on trained volunteers under club standards. Competitive families pair age and region with a director of coaching from the club roster; RDA questions route to Dana Klabacka and Veronica Garza, recreation questions to Recreation@SportingJaxAcademy.com, and general inquiries to info@SportingJaxAcademy.com or +1 904-257-5575.