Plano Sports Authority (PSA) or Plano Youth Soccer Association: which is best?

If you’re new to the area or have young kids who are coming up to the age where you want them to try a team sport and make new friends in the process, join a team through Plano Sports Authority (PSA) or Plano Youth Soccer Association (PYSA) are the two main options in the area, with multiple places to practice and play.

If your child is just into Soccer, you can choose either Plano Sports Authority or Plano Youth Soccer Association.

So, which one do you choose? Which one is best?

All about Plano Sports Authority

Plano Sports Authority is huge, with well over 100,000 registrants every year, maybe even the largest in Texas. It’s set up as a Non-Profit organization. They offer recreational team sports and leagues and for those who progress in level, they offer Select leagues.

At recreational levels, often one parent steps up to coach a team with support from parents to help manage other aspects of team play – like booking venues to play, coordinating with other teams, and providing snacks and drinks for players. Be prepared to be asked to support and volunteer with the team in that way, in addition to paying the registration fee and other fees that may be necessary (like uniforms and equipment). Sometimes there’s a SignUp genius set up for you to supply snacks and drinks for games.

Many sports are indoor only, but some are outdoor so be prepared to meet, practice and play games at multiple different sports fields across Plano, Murphy, and McKinney. Some fields are owned by the City of Plano, Murphy, and McKinney and offer restrooms and some shade.

They offer online registration for sign-up but you need to set up an account with MYSam on their website. Registrations for all activities, including Summer Camps happen through this account.

If your child has friends who are already in a team, you can choose to join that team if they have space. Other times, they are placed on a brand new team giving them the chance to make new friends.

Plano Sports Authority use a system to allocate kids to teams based on their birth year (meaning your kids could be in the same grade level as a friend but on a different team)

The team commitment is for one year only and there is no guarantee that you’ll be placed on the same team, so be sure to stay in close communication with the coach to ensure you know when sign up happens for next year.

In comparison to Plano Youth Soccer Association (PYSA), playing sports through Plano Sports Authority can be perceived as more competitive (this is totally a subjective opinion!). It’s also a much larger scale operation than PYSA.

Schedules can be released late, so planning can be difficult if you tend to plan vacations or other activities way in advance.

To have a great experience, it can be hit and miss but relies on good coaches and enthusiastic parents.

Which sports do they offer at Plano Sports Authority?

They offer Basketball, Volleyball, Martial Arts, Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Football, Cheer, Rugby, Dance, Track, Wrestling, and Golf.

For Preschool (age 3-5) they offer the following Sports: Soccer team and classes, Football, Tball, and Cheerleading. Be aware that some of these sports are seasonal and some are year-round, so be sure to plan ahead accordingly for registration so you don’t miss out on a sport for your child.

In addition to recreational teams, many professionals operate their own teams out of Plano Sports Authority facilities and use their booking systems. Some payments may be split and payable to the coach directly if this is the option you choose. TX Thunder is a good example of a PSA select league run in a professional way.

For older kids, there are options for competitive or club teams. At this point the commitment level in terms of time and cost increases.

In addition to Plano Sports Authority and Plano Youth Soccer Association if your child wants to play soccer another option locally is i9. All soccer games are played outdoors, usually at Carpenter, High Point, Archgate Park or other parks dotted around the city.

What Plano Sports Authority locations can I choose from?

What are their Opening Hours?

Front Desk Hours at PSA1

Monday – Friday: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm

* hours are subject to change

Front Desk Hours at PSA Murphy and PSA McKinney

Monday – Friday: 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm

What do I need to purchase or supply?

It really depends on the sport and the equipment the coach already has and provides. You’ll be told early on what is needed, so be sure to head to Academy, Dicks Sporting Goods or Walmart to get the right size ball and fit your child with the right shoes and clothes to practice in.

Uniforms are usually paid for by parents and are supplied with one order, through the store located at PSA 1 in Preston Meadow Drive, Plano. One parent or the coach may organize the order early in the season. If you play multiple years with the same team, usually you keep the same uniform and the same team name.

Does Plano Sports Authority offer Classes or Summer Camps?

Yes, they do. Some coaches (professionals) offer classes that are booked with Plano Sports Authority.

Summer Camps are always very popular at Plano Sports Authority and can be booked through DaySmart. The 2023 Brochure is available for you to check the options available.

FlexiPass is for ages 5 through 14

We have sports camps for ages 5 through 14

FlexiPass is a full-day, indoor summer camp revolving around sports activities and games. Weekly passes are available with single-day options.
Standard camp hours are 9:00-4:00 pm; extended hours are available from 7:30-6:00 pm (for an additional fee).

They eat lunch at Plano Sports Authority, and it’s included in the fee.  They offer a choice of options that include Hot dogs, Turkey sandwiches, Ham Sandwiches and Pepperoni Pizza which have meat included and for those not wanting meat, they have Cheese Pizza and Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.

Plano Youth Soccer Association

For Youth Soccer players only as an alternative to Plano Sports Authority, Plano Youth Soccer Association is home to 250 recreational and 500 competitive teams. They play at four different facilities in the City of Plano – Russell Creek Park, Carpenter Park, Cheyenne Park, and Jack Carter.

It’s a great place for beginners and is a more relaxed recreational option where your child usually gets placed on a team usually close to where you live. They play in Fall and Spring seasons only.

Games can be played all over the area, including Richardson, Wylie, and Murphy, so while your practices are close to home, games may not be. Schedules do come out late, so be prepared for that. As the league is smaller, you might play some of the same teams three times or more in the same season.