BLACKFOOT — Idaho Thunder FC continues to grow in both size and reputation, now attracting players from Bannock and Bonneville counties, and Thunder FC founder Elias Trejo said it’s time to affiliate the club with a larger operation that can provide the tools needed for further growth.

Blackfoot’s first recreational league for fall and spring youth soccer, Thunder FC, has joined with City SC, a national youth soccer network with 18 clubs and more than 15,000 players nationwide, which Trejo said will provide the Blackfoot affiliate with the infrastructure to help with sustainable growth, along with coaching development programs.

“They will empower us with more resources,” he said. “They have great systems in place for coaches and parents to communicate with the club.”

As the current season winds down, Thunder FC will be phased out, and City SC East Idaho will begin its operation with the next season’s tryouts, scheduled for June 8 and 9. As part of the change, the current Thunder FC website will transition to citysceastidaho.com.

“At Idaho Thunder, our priority has always been creating the best possible environment for players and families in our region,” Trejo said. “Joining City SC gives us the structure, support and long-term pathway to take that mission to the next level.”

Thunder FC’s growth accelerated a couple of years ago when the club merged with two other local clubs, Blacksnake and Bingham County FC. The new City SC East Idaho will continue to operate as it has, but will now have the benefits of the affiliation with a nationwide partner.

City SC East Idaho will continue to focus on tournament play during the summer months and recreational league youth soccer during the fall and spring months. As part of its autonomy with City SC, the newly named club will have a slight cost increase but will continue to keep pricing lower than average for operations of its type.

Trejo said costs will increase from $60 per season to $300 for either the fall or spring season and $600 for the entire year. But he has some options. You pay full price if you want to break the cost into monthly payments of $50, or you can pay $250 per season or $500 for the year if you pay fully in advance.

“If you look at what is happening with youth soccer and youth sports, the cost to play some of these sports right now is $1,000 a year or more, and they aren’t getting the kind of training they should,” Trejo said. “My goal is to bring in trainers that they can opt to use. We don’t believe everyone should have to pay for all of those things.”

In those other leagues, Trejo clarifies, where they charge far more, it’s because some of these other services are worked into the overall cost of membership. In the case of City SC East Idaho, Trejo wants to keep the program as affordable as possible, opting for a base cost program and allowing parents to pay for additional services, such as special training, if they want them.

Trejo said part of the increased cost will also be allocated to create a referee association in Blackfoot, adding that he wants to be able to pay referees more so that he can attract some of the best in the area to City SC East Idaho matches.

As part of City SC, the Blackfoot club will also be able to send 10 of its players to City SC to participate in training and a tournament in San Diego in July. Trejo hopes to create an elite team in Eastern Idaho that will travel and compete with other elite teams in the City SC network and other elite teams across the nation.

“To be able to do that, we have to put in a team at every age group,” Trejo said. “We have to have strong teams in all age categories. I am hoping to unite all of Eastern Idaho to get this done.”

He is looking for more trainers and coaches who want to help the kids.

“This is really about the kids, not about making money,” Trejo said. “We don’t have anyone taking a salary. All this money is going back to the kids and making soccer better. We don’t have administrative costs or owners taking pay.”