Santiago Castaneda, now a starter for the German Bundesliga's Paderborn 07, was MVP of the Tampa HSCL five years ago.(Left, Paderborn) Foto: osnapix / Michael Titgemeyer (Credit Image: © Michael Titgemeyer/dpa via ZUMA Press)

Posted in Soccer America Confidential

A Champions League that connects high schools for games that matter — and counters pay-to-play

by Dan Woog September 23, 2026

Perry Van Der Beck was the first American player chosen directly from high school in the North American Soccer League draft. 

In 1978, the Tampa Bay Rowdies selected the midfielder from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Missouri, with the 48th overall pick. He became the youngest native-born American to play in the league that same year, at 18.

Nearly a half century later, high school soccer seems like a poor pathway to the pros. But it has its adherents – including Van Der Beck.

They’re doing more than proselytizing. They’ve built a model that pits the best local high school soccer programs against each other. It bridges the gap between public and private, and large and small schools, during regular season play. The goal is to counter the pay-to-play club model, attract high-level players back to their high schools, and add excitement to the sports calendar.

Jim Harte has been involved with soccer for four decades. He’s served at nearly every level: club and Olympic Development Program coach, camp owner, TOPSoccer director, college and high school coach. In 2018 the Tampa Bay Times named him one of the top 50 coaches in Tampa Bay history – of all sports, at all levels.

High school soccer is his passion. He’s won the most state championships in Florida soccer history (6), and has the best record in Final Four games (15-5). He wants every young male and female player to experience the joy of playing with friends and classmates, for one’s community – and with important results that people care about on the line.

While cautioning that he is not denigrating the club soccer environment, Harte calls it “sterile. They’re not playing in games that matter, for something bigger than themselves.”

The High School Champions League began in 2018. It has grown into a five-region program, reaching more than 100 schools and over 2,000 student-athletes annually,  in four Florida regions and St. Louis. Chattanooga will join next year.

Graduates have gone on to compete at Division I universities – and Europe..

Harte, who is now retired from high school coaching, is familiar with all the criticisms of that game: the season is too short. Players are not good enough. The field is too narrow.

He does not believe any of it. High school soccer, he insists, is a platform to reach and teach many young players. And good players can improve by playing good high school competition.

Each area in the High School Champions League organizes itself, based on local rules, traditions and challenges. The basic idea is for teams to play three round-robin matches in groups of four. The winners then meet in semifinals and finals – also during the regular season.

Scheduling is up to the high school coaches. They collaborate to determine which teams will get in, and when to play their matches.

The draw has become a big deal, Harte says. In his area it’s been held at a local pub, with Rowdies players in attendance.

The High School Champions League operates on five “non-negotiable” principles. 

• It is free. There are no entry fees.
• Merit-based inclusion is based on objective criteria, determined by local coaches.
• Competition is “metro-based.” Local coaches determine what that means, for their area.
• Coach collaboration is crucial.
• Student-athletes are empowered to take charge. “The season is built around what they take from it – not what is taken from them,” the website says.

Success stories? 

Santiago Castaneda — MVP of the Tampa HSCL five years ago — left MLS Next because, Harte says, he was “losing his joy.” He now starts at central midfield for Paderborn 07 in Germany’s Bundesliga.

Maddie DiMaria is a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year (and the first freshman recipient ever). The St. Louis native has committed to the University of North Carolina. She too loves the competition of the HSCL — and the chance to play with friends — Harte says.

A seven-person board oversees the High School Champions League. Members include National Soccer Hall of Fame member Al Trost, and 1985 US women’s national team goalkeeper Ruth Harker.

They’ve secured sponsorship from Select Sport balls. Members hold bi-monthly Zoom calls. The most recent included participants from four continents, and all over the U.S.

One challenge, Harte says, is getting high school coaches to understand the concept. Another is clubs that tell players they can’t participate in high school soccer. “But players don’t want to miss the Champions League,” he says. “They see their friends playing, and they’re envious.”

Feedback has been “universally positive,” Harte says. One of the strongest proponents is legendary coach Nick Zlatar. Retired now in Sarasota, the 83-year-old participates in the draw, and helps pick the Select Sport Virtuoso (Most Valuable Player) award.

“Nick told me, ‘this is a throwback to the days I remember,’” Harte says. “He doesn’t romanticize the past. But he recognizes the emotion in high school soccer, in contrast to the sterile environment” of club ball.

(To learn more about the High School Champions League go to https://www.ushscl.com/).