MTA Juniors

MTA Juniors is for boys and girls ages U8-U12. Juniors teams train year-round, with training about three times a week from August through July, and U8 teams train twice a week. The program includes U8 and Pre-ECNL, and tryouts take place in July.

Programs

• Juniors — U8–U12, boys & girls · Year-round; training 3–4x per week, Aug–July (U8: 2x) · Year-round TCSL teams with licensed, paid coaches. Includes U8 and Pre-ECNL. U8 can join anytime. Tryouts in July.
• Thunder Sparks — Ages 2–4, boys & girls · 1x per week, 30-minute sessions · Parent-and-child soccer. No tryout needed.
• ThunderBolts — U5–U7, boys & girls · 1x per week, 60-minute sessions; year-round · Year-round, coach-led training. No tryout needed.
• Girls ECNL — U13–U18/19, girls · 3–5x per week, Aug–July (U15+ Nov–July) · Top platform for girls youth soccer. MTA is a founding club. July tryouts.
• Boys ECNL — U13–U18/19, boys · 3–4x per week, Aug–July (U15+ Nov–July) · A boys ECNL team at every age, U13 through U18/19. July tryouts.
• Girls ECNL-RL — U13–U18/19, girls · 3–4x per week, Aug–July (U15+ Nov–July) · ECNL-RL Twin Cities conference, with showcase events and a June postseason. July tryouts.
• Boys ECNL-RL — U13–U18/19, boys · 3–4x per week, Aug–July (U15+ Nov–July) · ECNL-RL Midwest plus ECNL-RL Twin Cities or N1 locally. July tryouts.
• N1 — U13–U17, boys & girls · 3–4x per week, Aug–July (U15+ Nov–July) · National 1 League (formerly Minnesota NPL). July tryouts.
• Thunder Girls Regional — U13–U14, girls · 3–4x per week, Aug–July · Year-round TCSL Regional teams for girls U13–U14. July tryouts.

At a glance

• Ages: 8–12 years old
• Current session: Thunder Sparks Winter 1 (Nov 1–Dec 20, 2026); Thunder Sparks Winter 2 (Jan 3–Mar 21, 2027); ThunderBolts Winter 2026–27 (Nov 1–Feb 28, 2027); ThunderBolts Spring/Summer 2027 (Apr 4–Jun 27, 2027)
• General schedule: Juniors teams train year-round about three times a week. Teams train together August through July, with your coach all year.

About the provider

Matt VanBenschoten is the Juniors Director. The site also lists Greg Holker as Technical Director, Danny Storlien as Girls Director, Mark Yueill as Boys Director, Terry Leiendecker as Goalkeeping Director, Jeremy Driver as Executive Director, Tara Blastick as Operations Director, Maureen Brick as Finance Director, and Kate Zaver as Sporting Ops Director. MTA states that it has developed more Division 1, professional, and U.S. National Team players than any other soccer club in Minnesota. The site says MTA girls have played ECNL since 2009 and boys joined in 2019. It also states that MTA is the only club in Minnesota with the full ECNL pathway for boys and girls.

• Thunder Edge — U9–U19, boys & girls · Saturdays, Oct 31 – Mar 27 · $520 per session · Winter ball-mastery and striking sessions, grouped by age and level. Register, all clubs welcome.
• NextGen Training — MTA players, boys & girls · Small groups, max 10 per coach · Extra technical work for MTA players who want more.
• Goalkeeper Program — U11–U19, boys & girls · 1–2x per week, year-round · Specialist training for MTA keepers, led by a former pro. Included in player fees.

Tryouts take place each July. U8 in Juniors can join anytime. ThunderBolts has no tryout needed; spring/summer sessions are open to join anytime and winter joining is by contacting the club. Fees are prorated for late start in Thunder Sparks. Players with experience outside the ThunderBolts age range can request an age exception. ThunderBolts is a training program, not a league team.

What families say

“The chemistry on my son's team is unlike anything we've ever experienced and we feel much of that is due to the example set by the coaches and club directors. We didn't know this kind of youth soccer existed in Minnesota and only wish we'd made the move earlier.” — Ashley B., MTA Parent

“My daughter has not only improved her skills since being part of the MTA program, she has gained confidence. It is truly a safe space for her and has been an incredible blessing to see her excited, happy and excelling.” — Amanda Jane F., MTA Parent

“I wanted to give him the best opportunity to first be coached by the best coaches in MN and second get some national exposure through ECNL. I believe that he has gotten both.” — Don R., MTA Parent

Last updated October 24, 2026.