If soccer is your passion and you have the desire to compete with the nation's best soccer players on a weekly basis, Richmond United is the perfect club for you. We promise that you will be surrounded by like minded, competitive teammates, highly qualified coaches, and a club who is truly focused on the development of each individual.

Richmond United offers:

• Ability to compete at the highest level of youth soccer in the US (https://www.ecnlboys.com/about-boys-ecnl/)

• Clear development pathway from U13 to the professional or collegiate game (http://www.richmondutd.com/boys-home/club-info/about-the-club/development-pathway)

• Strong culture with clearly defined philosophies on club, soccer and player development (http://www.richmondutd.com/boys-home/club-info/about-the-club/club-philosophy) 

• Focus on the individual player by creating individual development plans for all players that take into account the development stage and the maturity of the player as well as his personal goals (http://www.richmondutd.com/boys-home/club-initiatives/individual-development-plans)

• Supplemental programs that help with the overall development of the player, for example Sports Performance, Futsal, International Competition, and Video Analysis (http://www.richmondutd.com/boys-home/club-initiatives)

If you currently play for an affiliate club (Richmond Strikers, Richmond Kickers, Tidewater Sharks, Fredericksburg FC, Virginia FC), we recommend reaching out to your head coach or Technical Director to find out if Richmond United could be a good fit for you. We communicate with Directors and/or Elite level coaches of our affiliated clubs on a regular basis about the player pool and individual player performances. Based on their feedback and the Richmond United staff’s own observations in practices, live games or game video, we will invite interested players to Richmond United practices. 

If you currently play for a club that is not affiliated with Richmond United, we recommend reaching out to us directly through our Player Identification Form. Based on the feedback of your club coaches/directors, local scouts and the Richmond United staff’s own observations in live games, we might invite you to Richmond United practices for further evaluation. 

If you are a coach, director or president of a club and would like to recommend a player for further evaluation, please reach out directly to Richmond United’s Academy Director at sgoerres@richmondutd.com or through our online form.

Why does Richmond United not hold open tryouts?

We believe that:

• A thorough evaluation of a child’s current ability is necessary to put a child in an environment that provides challenges as well as success

• A thorough evaluation of a child’s current ability takes time

• A thorough evaluation is difficult to make on a single day while the player is playing in an unknown (new players/coaches) and stressful (getting evaluated) environment

• Every player and parent should have the opportunity to thoroughly evaluate Richmond United’s environment

• Richmond United’s environment can be best evaluated in regular training sessions and in a conversation between the Richmond United Staff and the player/parent