Can three clubs challenge Orlando’s soccer powerhouses?

In youth soccer, everyone has a pathway. The question is where it leads—and what a family has to give up to get there.

One pathway, three clubs

Highland United says it has joined forces with Seminole United and South Orlando United in a network stretching across the Orlando area. Its pitch is appealing: stay with your club, your coaches and your community, while gaining the possibilities of a bigger setup.

South Orlando has already been through one change. FD Football Club says it and South Orlando Soccer Club joined forces under the South Orlando United name. Now Highland describes a wider three-club alliance. If the pieces fit, could this be a new way for local clubs to compete with the established names?

The power of a bigger badge

Orlando City already understands the appeal of reach. In 2022 it announced Lake Nona, Windermere and Clermont as additions to its youth network. The Lake Nona school offers recreational and competitive programs and describes connections to Orlando City, Orlando Pride and their academies. For a family weighing the next step, that is a recognizable name with an established local presence.

But a recognizable badge is only the beginning of the conversation. Who gets access to the next level? Who decides when a player is ready? And can a wider network offer more suitable teams without asking a family to trade a trusted coach and a manageable drive for the promise of an opportunity?

Where does that leave Nona?

Nona Soccer Academy has its own answer to the pathway question: a local club with recreational and competitive programs, college prep and Nona FC’s USL League Two team. It is familiar with the same competitive landscape as South Orlando; both were announced as members of EDP’s Orlando Metro League in 2020.

If South Orlando can offer families a wider network while keeping its local identity, could that pull attention away from Nona? And how might Nona respond: double down on the pathway it already has, build a partnership of its own, or keep its independence as the advantage?

What if Nona joined in?

Picture Nona’s Lake Nona roots connected to clubs across the region. Could that give its players more teams and opportunities to choose from? Would its coaches and families gain something—or would the academy risk losing the identity that brought them there?

That is a question for the community, not a deal on the table: there is no announced proposal for Nona to join. And before any family can judge Highland’s network, the details matter. Which players can move between teams? What happens to fees, travel and coaching? Who makes the decisions?

A bigger network could give local clubs a stronger hand. It could also test how much independence they are willing to share. The real measure will be whether families see more doors open—not just more badges on a website.