Heart of the City
Heart of the City Program Office & Training Center, 114 S. Genesee St., Suite 303, Waukegan, IL 60085
About
Heart of the City offers soccer, travel soccer, league play, tournaments, college showcase tournaments, summer camp, and educational field trips. The program includes year-round training, as well as a season timeline that features Preseason Summer Camp, Fall Season, Winter Season, and Spring Season. Programs include After School Camps & Clinics as free, introductory soccer experiences, a Soccer Academy as a developmental in-house soccer program for boys and girls, and the HOTC Elite Travel Team as a competitive soccer and post-secondary-readiness program for high school boys and girls.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Price: Affordable fees, scholarship opportunities, and flexible payment plans
Heart of the City was founded by community members in 2014 and is based in Waukegan, Illinois. The program serves youth from Lake County, including Waukegan, Gurnee, Zion, North Chicago, Round Lake, Highland Park, Highwood, and other nearby communities. It offers 18 teams for boys and girls from U8 to U19, with a dynamic curriculum to elevate players’ skills, year-round training, league play, tournaments, and college showcase tournaments for high school teams. Younger teams take part in educational field trips and life skills opportunities, and the program includes youth development and support to enhance the player experience.
Heart of the City uses soccer as the vehicle to teach youth essential life skills, develop them as leaders and mentors, and connect them with postsecondary opportunities. Its positive youth development pathway is focused around Health & Wellness, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Post-Secondary Readiness & Workforce Development, College Soccer Recruitment, and Family Engagement. The program has a dedicated college soccer recruitment program led by a recruitment specialist and maintains established relationships with college coaches and recruiters. Registration for tryouts is open at no cost to sign up.
The staff includes experienced USSF licensed coaches, including former college players and ODP coaches. The leadership team includes Director of Sporting Operations Letisia and a recruitment specialist. Heart of the City’s mission is to empower under-resourced youth in Lake County through transformative soccer programs and exposure to academic, career, and leadership experiences, building skills for success on and off the field. Heart of the City is a 2024 Project Play Champion.
Parent, athlete, and community testimonials describe coaches who are involved in teaching all players, moving them through different positions, and demonstrating and breaking down soccer moves so players understand each step. Testimonials from athletes and a former Waukegan mayor describe Heart of the City as caring about players’ success on the field and in life, providing structure, and offering experiences and support that have shaped athletes’ paths.
Last updated May 26, 2026.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Price: Affordable fees, scholarship opportunities, and flexible payment plans
Heart of the City was founded by community members in 2014 and is based in Waukegan, Illinois. The program serves youth from Lake County, including Waukegan, Gurnee, Zion, North Chicago, Round Lake, Highland Park, Highwood, and other nearby communities. It offers 18 teams for boys and girls from U8 to U19, with a dynamic curriculum to elevate players’ skills, year-round training, league play, tournaments, and college showcase tournaments for high school teams. Younger teams take part in educational field trips and life skills opportunities, and the program includes youth development and support to enhance the player experience.
Heart of the City uses soccer as the vehicle to teach youth essential life skills, develop them as leaders and mentors, and connect them with postsecondary opportunities. Its positive youth development pathway is focused around Health & Wellness, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Post-Secondary Readiness & Workforce Development, College Soccer Recruitment, and Family Engagement. The program has a dedicated college soccer recruitment program led by a recruitment specialist and maintains established relationships with college coaches and recruiters. Registration for tryouts is open at no cost to sign up.
The staff includes experienced USSF licensed coaches, including former college players and ODP coaches. The leadership team includes Director of Sporting Operations Letisia and a recruitment specialist. Heart of the City’s mission is to empower under-resourced youth in Lake County through transformative soccer programs and exposure to academic, career, and leadership experiences, building skills for success on and off the field. Heart of the City is a 2024 Project Play Champion.
Parent, athlete, and community testimonials describe coaches who are involved in teaching all players, moving them through different positions, and demonstrating and breaking down soccer moves so players understand each step. Testimonials from athletes and a former Waukegan mayor describe Heart of the City as caring about players’ success on the field and in life, providing structure, and offering experiences and support that have shaped athletes’ paths.
Last updated May 26, 2026.
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