Portage Soccer Club offers an outstanding soccer experience within the Academy, Select, Elite, Premier and MRL programs. Additionally, as an all volunteer program, the Club represents an outstanding value (one of the lowest in the state) by providing excellent coaching and strong competition at one of the nicest soccer complexes in the state.
Our Mission
The mission of the Portage Soccer Club is to promote the development of amateur soccer players. We will accomplish this mission by:
Providing quality coaching, clinics and team play
Providing competitive opportunities through participation in the West Michigan Youth Soccer Association (WMYSA), the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA) and the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA)
Promoting and sponsoring MSYSA and USYSA sanctioned tournaments
Supporting recreational and developmental soccer programs in the community
Working cooperatively with other recreational and developmental sports programs
Supporting the development and maintenance of soccer fields for PSC teams, for tournament play and for community use
“Pound for pound Portage, Michigan is the best soccer community in the Midwest and has spawned multiple big time coaches, players and influential community members. All in all Portage soccer has impacted the lives of many. It truly takes a village to raise a soccer legacy.”
Our Philosophy
The philosophy of the Club is to emphasize player development. We believe that consistent achievement at the highest level possible is a goal that is reached through development and not by coaching to simply win games in the short term. By focusing on development the Club also strives to keep players enjoying the game, and we seek to avoid the burnout that sometimes occurs when travel time becomes excessive, or when pressure to perform may exceed age-appropriate levels. PSC offers a very good experience that many outstanding high school players have benefited from.
Most teams practice twice a week, and typically play an average of eight (8) league games each season on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. The Fall Season typically runs from mid August to the end of October, and the Spring Season usually starts in mid April and lasts until mid June. Half of the games are played away (typically within an hour drive) while home games are played at the Portage Soccer Complex conveniently located here in town. Teams usually play two or three tournaments per year, which may include Memorial Day & Labor Day weekends. All teams are also required to play in the Portage Soccer Club hosted tournaments.
PSC teams playing in WMYSA (select division) compete within the Portage, Kalamazoo, River Oaks, Marshall, Mattawan and Plainwell area. Those playing in the Elite divisions play in the Portage, Grand Rapids, Grand Haven and St. Joe area. Those playing in the premier divisions play in the Portage and Detroit area. Those playing in MRL typically do three tournament style weekends; one of which may be at the home complex. The goal of PSC is to place each team in a league that maximizes the number of closely contested games, which helps make it fun and helps foster player development by exposure to good competition with coaches who keep winning in perspective.
PSC has a proven track record of producing many fine young adults and some excellent soccer players too. Some of the more famous alumni of PSC include Lindsay Tarpley, Jacob Peterson, B.J. Snow, Eric Alexander, Paige Wester, and Brandon Bye. Each of these accomplished soccer stars played for the Portage Soccer Club. The community of Portage is fortunate to have so many parents who appreciate the importance of player development without forgetting about the importance of having fun along the way too!