F.C. Portland Soccer Academy

★Steven Richardson

Our experience with this soccer academy was terrible. My niece lost confidence during her time there because it felt like they only focused on the higher-level teams while the lower teams were overlooked and looked down on. I am her primary caregiver so I took her to every game every practice and watched her suffer, now she’s stubborn so she didn’t want to leave but eventually, it had to be done. This club does not treat there players with the respect and dignity, they deserve. Her team was made up of a mix of players, including many who had never played soccer before and were accepted without much experience. There’s nothing wrong with beginners learning the sport, but placing brand-new players with kids who had been playing for years created a huge imbalance There was very little team chemistry, structure, or development, which made the experience aggravating for everyone. Instead of helping players grow and build confidence, the environment made my niece feel discouraged and unsupported to the point where she eventually quit. She joined a new club where it has been going amazing and I shame myself for letting her stay in the environment FC portland has. Every player, regardless of skill level, deserves equal encouragement, coaching, and respect. Unfortunately, that was not our experience here, we would never recommend this club or return.

★Leia Stretz

Stayed at a hotel that was beset by one of their teams and I have never been so disgusted by the behavior of adults. I get the boys being boys and being a little rough, but these kids took it to another level. The entire time they were terrorizing the hotel the parents and coaches only smiled and laughed. When I talked to one of them, they hand waved it as kids being kids. It wasnt until staff threatened to kick them out twice that they calmed down. Know that if you sign up here, your kids will be with the worst behaved children I’ve ever seen, coupled with the most entitled parents.

★★★★★Amber Scott

This is our third year with FC and now my younger daughter is joining a younger team there. We have been really happy with our experience. The coaches are incredible with a lot of enthusiasm, experience, and skill, and are great at getting the best performance out of the players. You really feel how much they love the game and care about the girls. The only negative I have to say about it is that some of the parents can be a little intense and don’t seem to understand what Club Soccer is supposed to be for their teenage children. If you want your player to play in college and beyond, advocate for them, seek out the colleges and do the work. This club will even help give you guidance but it is up to the player not the club. Overall, it’s a great club and we’ve seen a lot of growth and increase in skill with our daughter after coming here.

★Daisy L

My experience with FC Portland has been disappointing. The main coach primarily focuses on their top-tier team, leaving the other teams under the care of assistant coaches who don’t provide the same level of coaching. What’s frustrating is that families across all tiers pay the same amount in fees, yet the quality of coaching and attention varies significantly. Throughout the season, my child and others on these lower-tier teams haven’t learned how to work cohesively as a team, which is especially concerning this late in the season. The coaches don’t encourage or facilitate communication among the players, resulting in kids who lack chemistry on the field and often appear confused about their roles. It’s also clear that many players still don’t know how to play in their positions correctly, which is a fundamental part of soccer. Additionally, practices take place in a very compact space, limiting the kids’ understanding of positioning and spatial awareness during actual games. Overall, I feel like this has been a waste of time and money, and I’m disappointed/not happy with the quality of coaching provided across the non-top-tier teams.

★★★★★Jen Lin

My daughter learned a lot. Her ball control skills have improved significantly!! The philosophy of the club is the person first, then the player, then the team. It’s an interesting one but works if you trust it. The coaches generally do not coach from the sideline during games. They let the players make their own decisions on the field. They instruct with discussions at halftime and afterwards. The coaches really care about the players. I have not heard any yelling in anger at players in the years we’ve been there. They are responsive if you ask questions or have concerns. Otherwise plan on dropping off your child at practice and picking them up afterwards, although a few parents do stay and watch. Most of the practices are at Liberty High School on nice turf fields. Occasionally practices are at South Meadows.