Where it started
Elite Kickers Soccer Club began in 2023 with one team: a group of 2011 boys playing at U13. There was no long club history behind them and no pathway of younger teams feeding in. There was a group of players, a coach, and a plan for how they would develop.
That team is now our U16 Boys, and it is the team the rest of the club was built around.
Where they are now
Now the group is in its fourth season together. The team competes in the Elite Development Program (EDP) and the National 1 League (N1) under Head Coach Gabriel Ascunce.
What matters most to us is how these players have developed, as players and as a team.
What made the difference
Technique first, every season. From day one, practice focused on first touch, change of direction and ball mastery. That never stopped as the players got older. At U16 they still work on finishing, shooting, crossing and heading every week.
Practicing to be challenged. Most EKS players practice to compete a year above their age. Sessions are designed to be demanding, and coaches keep asking whether they are challenging enough.
Coaches who demonstrate. Our coaches show every technique on the field and explain why it matters. Players learn by seeing it done properly, then repeating it.
Video and analysis. Games are filmed and reviewed, so players can see their own decisions and learn from them.
A team that stayed together. Many of these players have been together since U13. They know each other's game, and their families have been part of the journey from the start.
Why they stayed
More than 95% of the roster has stayed together since 2023. In youth soccer, where players often change clubs every year, that is rare.
Some of these players have had the opportunity to join MLS NEXT teams. They chose to stay at EKS. Not because they had no other options, but because of what this group has built: the coaching, the friendships, and a community of families who show up for each other. That choice says more about the club than any result.
What comes next
Results come and go, and they are not the goal on their own. The goal is to keep developing players who are technically strong, confident and ready for the next level. The 2011s showed what that approach can do, and our younger teams are now following the same path.
Interested in joining EKS? Request an ID session to see where your player fits.
