Council Bluffs Soccer Club

Who we serve

CBSC serves 1,700 plus athletes and their families, primarily hailing from Council Bluffs and surrounding southwest Iowa communities in Pottawattamie County including Carter Lake, Treynor, Underwood, Neola, Avoca, Walnut, Oakland, Carson, and Crescent in addition to communities within the counties of Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, and Shelby Counties. The population of Council Bluffs is approximately 63,000, of which more than 63 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch in the Council Bluffs Community School District. With one of the highest free and reduced lunch rates in the state of Iowa, Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County are considered the third pocket of poverty in the metro area. Because CBSC is accessible to children from low-income backgrounds, it has drawn players residing in Douglas County who hail from at least 17 different schools, a number of them in north and south Omaha. 

CBSC wants all children in our community to have access to soccer regardless of ability to pay at the recreational, academy or select levels and therefore keeps the cost low on both the front and back end. By substantially discounting fees to play on a team up front --rates are approximately half of what it costs to play on select squads in the metro-- CBSC is significantly more accessible to athletes of all socio-economic backgrounds. 

In addition, if players are still unable to afford to play, CBSC offers thousands of dollars in scholarships that cover costs associated with participation. Everyone who applies receives some assistance and no child is refused the opportunity to play. Though it is not tracked, many of the volunteer coaches have been known to purchase shoes and other equipment for players on their teams who would otherwise not be able to afford them.  As the organization becomes more sophisticated, there will be a structure put in place to ensure resources are available to players who might need assistance outfitting for their sport.

CBSC believes financial barriers should not prevent young athletes in the community from being able to take advantage of all the sport of soccer has to offer both on the field and off.