Sprocket 2026 Player Retention Leaderboard

THE TOP 30 SOCCER CLUBS IN U8-U13 PLAYER RETENTION

Player retention is one of the clearest signals of a club's health. While championships and college placements get most of the attention, the clubs that hold onto their players year after year are the ones building something families trust.

These 30 clubs on the Sprocket platform are leading the way - all with player retention rates of 80% or higher, well above the 2026 national average of 73% for U8-U13 players*.

How the Leaderboard Works

Retention rates on this leaderboard are calculated from actual registration data in the Sprocket platform - not self-reported estimates. We compared each club's 2025 and 2026 registration data to determine how many players returned year over year. To qualify for consideration, a club needs to have at least 2 complete years of registrations on the Sprocket platform.

Sprocket recognizes that each club faces a different market environment, making it difficult to compare clubs across the country. Some factors which make it more challenging to achieve the highest retention rates include:

• Regional Market Variables – clubs in large metro markets with multiple competitors or in markets which allow for easy “club-hopping”, e.g., Southern California

• Large Club Size – especially those clubs with 1,000 or more players

• Club Mission – elite clubs competing at the highest level expect more turnover than a rec or community club that places retention at the forefront

• Other Challenges – such as new coaches, new players, long-distance commutes to facilities, sub-optimal team rosters size, etc.