LA Galaxy Youth

Owned by Major League Soccer team the LA Galaxy, LA Galaxy Youth has offered soccer training programs in the South Bay for 10 years. Programs are available for kids ages 18 months to 16 years, ranging from beginner to advanced levels as either year-round or seasonal classes, camps, leagues and additional trainings.

What are your goals for your business in 2024?

Our goal for 2024 is to continue growing the game of soccer in the South Bay! We will do this by building on the momentum of our newly opened facility, Galaxy Park (on the campus of Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson), and our all-encompassing portfolio of programs. We will continue servicing our existing participants as well as welcome new fans to the LA Galaxy family. We don’t want to just meet your needs; we want to exceed your expectations. By continually reviewing and refreshing our training curriculum, educating our licensed youth coaches and evaluating the impact of our programs, we are your go-to soccer training provider for youth in the South Bay.

Describe your wellness practices.

Health and wellness are at the core of LA Galaxy Youth. Using soccer as the medium, our programs are built to improve kids’ cardiovascular health, coordination, strength and flexibility, along with their mental, emotional and social health. We recognize that some aspects of youth sports have become less about the child’s development and more about winning. We guarantee that our soccer programs bring back the fun and reset the focus on youth development. In our more advanced programming, we have also utilized the relationship we have with Herbalife Nutrition. We’ve provided our participants with nutritional handbooks that are tailored specifically to youth athletes. These handbooks teach our participants how to prepare, refuel and recover through their nutrition—something that plays an important factor not only on the field but also in rehabbing off the field.

Highlight some notable achievements by your youngest clients.

Our youngest players are 18 months old in Galaxy Juniors. Every achievement is a pivotal soccer and developmental milestone for them! They learn the game over eight weeks and develop physically, socially and mentally. From their first pass to their first goal, every class is fast-paced, energy-burning and fun to watch. We pride ourselves on knowing that we are one of the very first soccer (and perhaps even sports!) memories that they will have. We want that experience to be an everlasting positive moment for them, and we want to continue developing their love for soccer and the LA Galaxy.

Describe the unique characteristics of LA Galaxy Youth.

Being a professional soccer organization in Major League Soccer, we consider ourselves the gold standard of youth soccer training. Our coaches, many of whom are USSF-certified, are high quality and create a positive atmosphere for all players to receive a high level of coaching instruction. Each of our programs has age-appropriate curriculum that is carefully curated and inspired by our LA Galaxy Academy. We set our programs apart from others with our top-tier training facilities, potential LA Galaxy player appearances, exciting program benefits and complimentary ticket offers to participants (subject to LA Galaxy season). We provide a platform for players to develop and challenge themselves in an exciting and safe environment through our South Bay youth programs that help kids grow as individuals and as athletes.

Have you undergone recent expansions?

We’re always striving to improve and update our youth programs. This year we expanded our Galaxy Juniors and Skills Training classes to Galaxy Park—but we didn’t stop there! One huge change was our LA Galaxy Youth Leagues. Our team dedicated months to listening, digesting and analyzing feedback from parents and players on what we can do better. From that, a newly reimagined LA Galaxy Youth League was formed: our Grassroots League. With this new program, we are combining a one-hour practice and a one-hour game each week to provide an uplifting and positive opportunity for players to learn to play in a team environment. 

Describe some ways you promote teamwork.

Teamwork is at the heart of what we aim to teach each participant through LA Galaxy Youth. Soccer is also rooted in the ideology of working together, not individualism. Our coaches stress the importance of not just playing with your teammates but helping and supporting each other—through the wins, the losses and everything in between. We curate and develop players and also well-rounded humans. In doing so, we teach the importance of collaboration, comradery and unity.

Tell us about the mission of your business.

Our mission derives from putting the player first. We focus on the experience and program touchpoints each participant has with us by designing programs that provide a better understanding of the game in a safe, fun and competitive environment conducive for each player to learn and grow. Our coaches teach using age-appropriate technical and tactical exercises with each level of player in mind. We welcome all players from our community and, in turn, make them fans of soccer and the LA Galaxy for life.