About
FTBL Academy offers youth soccer training that includes group training, semi-private training, private training, and academy teams. Players work on ball mastery, first touch, 1v1 skill, and competition through local games and leagues/tournaments. The Lab is a pitch called “The Lab,” and FTBL is an exclusive supplementary development club in East Pasadena.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Each listed training session is 60 minutes, with Foundation One group training offered Monday–Saturday, Foundation Two group training offered Monday–Friday, and semi-private and private 60-minute sessions available by appointment.
• Price: $150 / MONTH one day a week; $225 / MONTH two days a week; $300 / MONTH three days a week
FTBL Academy offers three paths: Just Starting Out through Foundation programs, Ready to Level Up to sharpen their edge, and Ready to Compete through Academy Teams. Foundation One does not require a tryout, while Foundation Two and Academy Teams use an evaluation process instead of open tryouts. The Lab is supplemental training only, where players train at The Lab but play games with their current team, while Academy Teams are official competitive squads where FTBL becomes the primary club. Every FTBL program follows the FTBL Way, which is described as individual first, team last, thousands of touches with both feet every session, with every minute as touches on the ball, and a stated focus on technique, intelligence, intensity, no shortcuts, and no theater. The program states that it has 0 pay-to-play politics, uses the same curriculum and six-part session blueprint across programs, and follows a Process Over Outcome policy for Academy Teams. The mission statement says that kids don’t need more games but need more touches, more coaching, and more repetitions on the weak foot, first touch, and 1v1, and that FTBL does not sell arrival but coaches the climb, with a mission to elevate the technical standard of every player.
FTBL Academy was started in 2020, and six years later more than 300 players have come through The Lab. The leadership team is led by Coach Rafael, who is listed as Founder, Head coach, and Director of development. The program reports 160+ five-star reviews and a Google Rating described as 0.0 Five-Star Reviews, though the number is noted as numerically unclear. FTBL Academy serves families from Hastings Ranch, Sierra Madre, Altadena, Arcadia, San Marino, and surrounding areas.
Parent testimonials describe improvement and confidence and mention Coach Rafa and his team as amazing, with one parent from Foundation One saying they definitely recommend the program. Another parent from Foundation Two reports that their daughters attend twice a week and that they can see huge improvement, and describes Coach Rafael and his assistants as awesome. A parent from Academy Teams says Coach Rafa has an incredible eye for development and that their son went from the bench to starting and that his confidence is through the roof. One Foundation One parent compares the program to AYSO, saying AYSO was fun but their daughter was not really learning and calls the difference night and day. Another Academy Teams parent calls FTBL the “Goldilocks of youth soccer,” saying it is not as casual as AYSO and not as intense as big clubs, and that their kids are developing and having fun. A Foundation Two parent notes that they used to drive 30 minutes each way to club training where their son sat on the bench, and that at FTBL he gets real coaching and real reps and is 5 minutes from home.
Last updated June 15, 2026.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Each listed training session is 60 minutes, with Foundation One group training offered Monday–Saturday, Foundation Two group training offered Monday–Friday, and semi-private and private 60-minute sessions available by appointment.
• Price: $150 / MONTH one day a week; $225 / MONTH two days a week; $300 / MONTH three days a week
FTBL Academy offers three paths: Just Starting Out through Foundation programs, Ready to Level Up to sharpen their edge, and Ready to Compete through Academy Teams. Foundation One does not require a tryout, while Foundation Two and Academy Teams use an evaluation process instead of open tryouts. The Lab is supplemental training only, where players train at The Lab but play games with their current team, while Academy Teams are official competitive squads where FTBL becomes the primary club. Every FTBL program follows the FTBL Way, which is described as individual first, team last, thousands of touches with both feet every session, with every minute as touches on the ball, and a stated focus on technique, intelligence, intensity, no shortcuts, and no theater. The program states that it has 0 pay-to-play politics, uses the same curriculum and six-part session blueprint across programs, and follows a Process Over Outcome policy for Academy Teams. The mission statement says that kids don’t need more games but need more touches, more coaching, and more repetitions on the weak foot, first touch, and 1v1, and that FTBL does not sell arrival but coaches the climb, with a mission to elevate the technical standard of every player.
FTBL Academy was started in 2020, and six years later more than 300 players have come through The Lab. The leadership team is led by Coach Rafael, who is listed as Founder, Head coach, and Director of development. The program reports 160+ five-star reviews and a Google Rating described as 0.0 Five-Star Reviews, though the number is noted as numerically unclear. FTBL Academy serves families from Hastings Ranch, Sierra Madre, Altadena, Arcadia, San Marino, and surrounding areas.
Parent testimonials describe improvement and confidence and mention Coach Rafa and his team as amazing, with one parent from Foundation One saying they definitely recommend the program. Another parent from Foundation Two reports that their daughters attend twice a week and that they can see huge improvement, and describes Coach Rafael and his assistants as awesome. A parent from Academy Teams says Coach Rafa has an incredible eye for development and that their son went from the bench to starting and that his confidence is through the roof. One Foundation One parent compares the program to AYSO, saying AYSO was fun but their daughter was not really learning and calls the difference night and day. Another Academy Teams parent calls FTBL the “Goldilocks of youth soccer,” saying it is not as casual as AYSO and not as intense as big clubs, and that their kids are developing and having fun. A Foundation Two parent notes that they used to drive 30 minutes each way to club training where their son sat on the bench, and that at FTBL he gets real coaching and real reps and is 5 minutes from home.
Last updated June 15, 2026.
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