Every league, club, and program raising the next generation of Salem athletes. Updated regularly by What's Happening Salem.
Finding the right team for your kid shouldn't take three weekends of Googling. We pulled together every youth sports program we could find in the Salem area, from rec leagues to competitive clubs. If we missed one, send it our way.
This guide reaches thousands of Salem parents looking for the right program for their kids. Want your business in front of them? The presenting sponsor slot is open.
Become the SponsorPrograms offering multiple sports or general athletic development for young Salem athletes.
Affordable youth athletics across seven clubhouses. Flag football in fall and spring, volleyball in fall and spring, basketball in winter and spring, plus summer camps and clinics. Scholarships cover half of registration for qualifying families.
Visit Boys & Girls ClubSalem's biggest public sports menu under one roof. Baseball, basketball, cheer, flag football, golf, kickball, pickleball, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. 50% fee waiver available for qualified Salem residents.
Visit City of Salem Parks & RecreationYear-round kids sports across Salem, Keizer, Woodburn, Silverton, Monmouth, and Independence. Built around sportsmanship and skill-building for every age and ability.
Visit Family YMCANot a league. A coalition. SYSA works to lower financial and transportation barriers and gives parents a clearer map of what's out there. Start here if you don't know where to start.
Visit Salem Youth Sports AllianceRec leagues, travel ball, and everything in between for Salem's young batters and pitchers.
Recreational Little League baseball and softball for the greater South Salem area. Player development, teamwork, community.
Visit South Salem Little LeagueSalem Little League chapter offering youth baseball and softball.
Visit Parrish Little LeagueThe tournament-team pathway tied to South Salem Little League. Register through SSLL and tryouts form teams by age.
Visit Saxon Youth BaseballA North Salem-Keizer baseball and softball program with divisions from age 2 all the way through Babe Ruth (ages 13-15). Built around inclusive play, skill development, and a player-first culture from t-ball through the World Series tournament trail.
Visit NS Cal RipkenA 30-year volunteer-run organization offering Little League baseball for ages 4-16 in the Sprague community. Members of Little League Oregon District 7. In 2019, their Majors team represented the Northwest Region at the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport.
Visit Sprague Little LeagueFrom recreational kickarounds to competitive club play, Salem has strong youth soccer options at every level.
Salem's competitive youth club, established 2008. Serves the mid-Willamette Valley as a nonprofit focused on player development and citizenship.
Visit Capital FCA recreational and competitive soccer club serving Salem-Keizer and the surrounding area. Offers programs in English and Spanish, with field locations at Whiteaker Middle School, Keizer Rapids Turf, the Oregon School for the Deaf, and more.
Visit Mid Valley Soccer ClubIndoor leagues, skills clinics, and competitive programs for Salem's young hoopers.
A 12,000 sq ft training facility in Salem with the same premium flooring used by the Trail Blazers and Oregon Ducks. Six Dr. Dish shooting machines, skills stations, and agility training for young athletes.
Visit The PAC SalemThe South Salem High School feeder program for boys basketball. Built to develop young players into the next generation of Sprague Olympians.
Visit Saxon Boys BasketballThe South Salem High School feeder program for girls basketball. Skills, fundamentals, and community for Salem's young hoopers.
Visit Lady Saxons Youth BasketballSprague Basketball's competitive youth tournament program. Six high-level tournaments around Oregon, two practices a week, season runs November through March. Sprague High School coaches pick the teams, so it works as a true vertically integrated feeder pipeline.
Visit Junior Olys BasketballElite AAU-affiliated program based out of the NPJ Sports Complex. Skills and drills training twice a week, monthly scrimmages, year-round development for boys and girls 3rd grade through high school. Coach Westbrook leads the program.
Visit Run & Shoot BasketballA Christ-centered basketball league for boys and girls in Kindergarten through 6th grade. Every player gets equal playing time. Twelve weeks of practice, eight games, uniform included. Registration opens September 1.
Visit Upward BasketballFlag and tackle programs, 7-on-7 leagues, and elite training for Salem's young football players.
K-8 program offering flag (K-2), rookie tackle (3rd-4th), flag (5th-6th), and tackle (5th-6th through 8th) in the Sprague High School district. Affiliated with the Tualatin Valley Youth Football League. Nonprofit, volunteer-operated, and built as a Sprague feeder program.
Visit Sprague Youth FootballSalem-Keizer nonprofit serving youth football players since 2009. Runs Oregon 7s, Oregon 5s, and travel competition through programs like the Polynesian Youth Bowl. Built around character, consistency, and confidence, with mentoring and tutoring built in.
Visit Island Boy CampCompetitive 7-on-7 football for serious players. Multiple age groups including Alpha 14u, 15u, 18u, and Alpha Elite. Run by Coach DY.
Visit Team AlphaThe South Salem High School feeder football program offering flag for kindergarten through 6th grade and tackle starting in 3rd grade. Affiliated with the Tualatin Valley Youth Football League. 8th graders get a signing day to South Salem High.
Visit Saxon Youth FootballA Christ-centered flag football and cheerleading league for K through 9th grade. Games every Saturday in September and October. Registration for the 2026 season opens in April.
Visit Upward Football & CheerleadingClub teams and recreational leagues for young players who want to learn the game or compete at a higher level.
Salem's biggest club volleyball home. Six-court complex, youth leagues for 3rd through 6th grade, clinics, academies, and 90+ club teams across the program.
Visit NPJ Volleyball SalemStructured programs building strength, flexibility, and confidence for kids at every skill level.
Gymnastics from walking through competitive Level 10, plus ninja warrior classes, tumbling and trampoline, special needs programs, and a preschool. Founded 1996.
Visit The Athletic EdgeA community staple with classes, free play sessions, camps, and birthday parties. Built around physical activity and movement education for kids.
Visit Salem Gymnastics CenterDance, acrobatics, and movement-based programs that build coordination, confidence, and creative expression in young athletes.
A 5,000 sq ft Salem studio offering youth dance classes for ages 2-17 across ballet, contemporary, acrobatics, jazz, and hip hop. Also runs a play-based preschool, yoga, and fitness programming. First class is free.
Visit The Lotus StudioKarate, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, and more for Salem kids who want to build discipline, focus, and confidence on the mat.
Family-owned academy on McGilchrist. Youth and adult programs built around confidence, discipline, and self-defense.
Visit Salem-Keizer BJJ AcademySwim lessons, recreational leagues, and competitive teams for Salem's young swimmers.
Founded by Dr. Amy Schulz and Ryan Schulz. Water safety and swim instruction for Salem kids.
Visit Salem Swim SchoolYear-round club swim team for ages 5 to 18, plus group and private lessons for all levels in a 25-yard competition pool.
Visit Kroc Center AquaticsA nonprofit year-round competitive swim team based in the heart of Salem. Practices at the Salem YMCA and Salem Tennis and Swim Club. Open to swimmers ages 5–25, with monthly fees ranging from $95–$170. Built around developing individuals through competitive swimming while making the sport accessible to all skill levels.
Visit Salem Swim ClubContact and non-contact rugby programs introducing Salem kids to one of the world's fastest-growing youth sports.
A Salem/Keizer nonprofit rugby club with teams for every level. Youth players can develop through the Lost Boys (high school boys) and Snapping Turtles (high school girls) sides. No experience necessary, and the club is always recruiting.
Visit Salem RugbyNon-contact flag rugby for girls, built around leadership, empowerment, and core values alongside skill development. Part of the national Girls Rugby organization, serving the mid-Willamette Valley.
Visit Girls Rugby Mid-Willamette ValleyA new youth flag rugby program in the Salem area for kids in 3rd through 8th grade. Co-ed, with seasons in fall and spring. Part of the Salem Rugby Club family, with hopes to build a competitive flag rugby program in the region. No experience necessary.
Visit Salem Rugby Club Youth Flag RugbyOne of the fastest-growing youth sports in the country, with a strong local program for Salem-Keizer kids ready to pick up a stick.
A youth boys lacrosse league serving kindergarten through 8th grade. Divisions for 8U (1st-2nd), 10U (3rd-4th), 12U (5th-6th), and 14U (7th-8th). Member club of Oregon Youth Lacrosse, with a TryLax intro program for new players.
Visit Salem Keizer Youth LacrosseThink there is nothing to do in Salem? We will prove you wrong.
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Salem's youth sports scene grows every year. If your league, club, or program isn't on this list, send it to us and we'll add it. Coaches, parents, and league organizers all welcome.
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