Brave SC competes in the National 1 League. If you've seen that on our teams page and wondered what it actually means, here's the short version.
What N1 is
The National 1 League launched for the 2026–27 season. It's the top team-based competition in US Club Soccer and US Youth Soccer, created by merging the US Youth Soccer National League team divisions with the US Club Soccer National Premier Leagues.
It covers roughly 10,000 teams and 150,000 players nationally, organized into eight conferences.
It isn't automatic
This matters, and it's the part most people miss. Teams apply to N1, and not every team is accepted. It isn't a rollover from a previous league or something a club can simply opt into.
Where it leads
The conferences were built to align with U.S. Soccer's talent identification models, which means more visibility for players — both with U.S. Soccer scouts and with college coaches.
What it means for coaching
N1 requires coaches to hold a U.S. Soccer D licence or higher and complete five hours of professional development every year. That's a national standard, and our staff meet it.
The short answer
If your child plays with one of our N1 teams, they're competing in a national league with a route to a national championship and genuine exposure to college programs.
Questions about which league your child's team plays in? See our teams
