Quick answer: An online school for soccer players lets a student keep one accredited school and one transcript while training, traveling to matches and moving between clubs. Courses are self-paced, so study time moves around practice, travel and tournaments instead of the other way around. Students who want to play college soccer should also check that the school’s courses are on the NCAA core-course list, which the school’s profile in the NCAA portal shows.
Club and academy families work from a calendar that rarely matches a school calendar: a league season that starts in the fall, showcase events in winter and spring, and national playoffs in early summer. This guide covers how a self-paced school fits that calendar, a sample training-week study schedule, season planning, the NCAA core-course rules for Division I and II, and questions to ask any online school. If your child plays more than one sport, our main page for online school for student athletes covers the general case, and the page on online high school for student athletes and performers describes how FTA serves both groups.
Table of Contents
Online school for soccer players: how a self-paced school fits training and travel
Players in MLS NEXT, ECNL and Girls Academy clubs, and in residential academies, train several evenings a week and play on weekends. Many also travel for showcases and national events. A school with fixed class times asks the family to build the soccer schedule around the bell. A self-paced school lets the family do the reverse.
Forest Trail Academy’s page for athletes says there are no fixed class times and that coursework is open at any hour. Its partnerships page says students study around training, rehearsals and travel, and that certified teachers, academic advisors and a support team are available online and by phone. Enrollment is open any week of the year, which matters when a player changes clubs or moves to a residential academy partway through the season.
Self-paced does not mean unscheduled. The student still finishes each course. The difference is who sets the hours. Many families choose a fixed study window on each training evening and a lighter plan around matches.
Sample training-week study schedule for a club soccer player
This is a sample only. Clubs set their own training times, and every student works at a different pace. Use it as a starting shape and adjust it to your team.
| Day | Soccer | Study plan in this sample |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Team training, 5:00 to 7:00 pm | Three hours before practice: one math lesson and one English lesson |
| Tuesday | Team training, 5:00 to 7:00 pm | Three hours before practice: science lesson and a social studies reading |
| Wednesday | Strength and recovery session, 4:00 pm | Two hours in the morning, then a short quiz or writing task |
| Thursday | Team training, 5:00 to 7:00 pm | Three hours before practice, with the week’s hardest course first |
| Friday | Travel to an away match | Two hours on the road or at the hotel, using downloaded readings or a laptop |
| Saturday | Match day | No study, or a short review if the match is late |
| Sunday | Second match or rest | One hour to plan next week’s lessons and submit work |
That sample adds up to about fourteen hours. Ask any school how many hours a full course load takes at your child’s grade level, then fit the table to that number. Students in a heavy tournament block can finish extra lessons ahead of time. A student recovering from an injury can add study hours while resting.
Planning the soccer season around coursework
Leagues publish their calendars, and the shape repeats each year even when the dates move. MLS NEXT’s 2024-25 key dates page lists a season that began in early September, followed by MLS NEXT Fest in December, the Generation adidas Cup in April and the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase in June, with players in age groups from U13 to U19. The ECNL’s 2025-26 event announcement lists 24 regular season national events and 13 recruitable events, where college and professional scouts attend. The Girls Academy site posts regional showcases, such as the Aspire Central Regional, on its home page. Check your own league for current dates.
| Part of the season | What the calendar usually holds | A planning move |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | League opens in early September; school year starts | Pick the full course list before the first league match and set the weekly study window |
| Winter | Large showcases such as MLS NEXT Fest and ECNL recruitable events | Finish lessons before the trip, and load readings you can use offline |
| Spring | Cup events, regional showcases and the most travel | Place lighter courses in this stretch, and plan exam dates before travel dates are set |
| Early summer | National playoffs and finals | Use open time to finish courses or add one that builds the transcript |
| Offseason | Fewer matches, more training blocks | Take a demanding course, such as a lab science or an AP course |
A residential academy adds a question: which school do the players attend, and who issues the transcript? Some academies have a school partner. Others let families choose. If the academy’s school is not accredited the way you want, or you plan to leave the academy, an online school keeps the record in one place. Ask the academy before the term starts.
College soccer recruiting and the school transcript
The NCAA’s recruiting page says recruiting looks different at every division and in every sport. It adds that coaches initiate most conversations, that academics are part of the recruiting decision, and that parents often lead the process in 9th and 10th grade while students take it over in 11th and 12th. Recruiting calendars, which set when coaches may contact players, vary by sport and division and are listed on the same page.
For a soccer family, that means two tracks run together: film, events and coach contact on one side, and a transcript and a set of course choices on the other. A transcript that shows steady grades in core subjects supports both.
NCAA core-course and eligibility notes
These notes come from the NCAA Eligibility Center’s pages for Division I and Division II. Rules change, so read those pages for the current version.
- Division I players create an Academic and Athletics Certification account, earn 16 NCAA-approved core-course credits, and reach a minimum core-course GPA of 2.3.
- Division I also uses a 10/7 requirement: ten core courses, including seven in English, math or science, finish before the start of the seventh semester.
- Division II players earn 16 core-course credits and a minimum core-course GPA of 2.2.
- Both divisions count only NCAA-approved core courses in the core-course GPA, and both ask the high school counselor to upload the final official transcript with proof of graduation.
- The Eligibility Center says not every high school class counts as an NCAA core course, and tells students to review the school’s NCAA-approved course list with a counselor before they finalize a schedule.
- For Division I, the NCAA notes that graduating on time matters. Students who graduate on time may use one extra core course within one year after graduation and before full-time college enrollment.
| Subject area | Division I core years | Division II core years |
|---|---|---|
| English or native language | 4 | 3 |
| Math (Algebra I or higher) | 3 | 2 |
| Science | 2 | 2 |
| Additional English, math or science | 1 | 3 |
| Social science | 2 | 2 |
| Additional core courses (may include world language, comparative religion or philosophy) | 4 | 4 |
| Total | 16 | 16 |
The NCAA’s page for high schools says the Eligibility Center reviews schools and their academic offerings to decide which courses may satisfy initial eligibility. That is why the school’s own list matters more than a course title. You can look up a school with the NCAA’s high school portal. FTA keeps its own page on NCAA courses and a separate page on online school for NCAA athletes. Check the school’s listing in the NCAA portal before choosing courses, and ask a counselor to confirm the plan.
Questions to ask any online school
- Who accredits the school, and can I confirm that on the accreditor’s own site?
- Does the school have a core-course list in the NCAA portal, and which of its courses are on it?
- Which courses do I need for Division I or Division II, and in which grade do I take each one?
- Are courses self-paced, or does each have an end date? What happens at a tournament?
- How do I reach a teacher, and how soon do I hear back when I am in another time zone?
- Where do exams happen when my child is traveling? Does the school need a proctor, a webcam or a testing site?
- Who sends the transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center, and to college coaches who ask for it?
- How are credits from my old school or my academy counted?
- Can my child start any week, and can we change course loads in a heavy travel block?
- What does it cost, and what does the fee include?
Where Forest Trail Academy fits
Forest Trail Academy is a private, accredited, secular online K-12 school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Courses are self-paced and taught by certified teachers, and enrollment is open any week of the year. More than 10,000 students have enrolled since 2007, and its graduates have been accepted at 1,000+ colleges.
FTA is a school, not a club or academy, so it does not run training or recruiting. Its high school curriculum for grades 9 to 12 lists the core courses and electives, and the tuition rates page lists current costs. Families who plan to play college soccer should review the NCAA notes above with an advisor. Athletes in other sports can read the pages for tennis players and lacrosse players.
Frequently asked questions
Can a competitive soccer player do school online?
Yes. Many players in club and academy programs use a self-paced online school, because study hours can move around practice, travel and tournaments. Ask the school how it handles exam dates while the team is on the road.
Do online courses count for NCAA eligibility?
That depends on the school and the course. The NCAA Eligibility Center says only NCAA-approved core courses count toward the core-course GPA, and it tells students to check their high school’s approved list. Look up the school in the NCAA portal and ask the school’s counselor.
How many core courses does a college soccer player need?
Division I and Division II each require 16 core-course credits. Division I sets a minimum core-course GPA of 2.3 and Division II sets 2.2, per the Eligibility Center’s pages.
Can my child switch schools during the soccer season?
Ask the new school how it counts credits from the old one, and request records from the old school first. FTA enrolls students any week of the year.
What if my child lives at a residential academy?
Ask the academy which school it uses, who issues the transcript, and whether credits carry over if your child leaves. An online school gives you one record that travels with the student.
Do MLS NEXT, ECNL and Girls Academy have school requirements?
Their published pages cover schedules and events. They do not set a school for families. Ask your club what it recommends, and check the NCAA pages above for the eligibility side.
Book a call with admissions to ask how FTA fits your player’s season.
