Premier International Tours’ Loek van Zijl on the Life-Changing Impact of Soccer Travel
For decades, Premier International Tours has helped American youth soccer teams experience the joys and challenges of competing internationally, fostering a deeper appreciation for the global game. More than just a chance to play against international competition, soccer travel opens young players’ minds to new cultures, perspectives, and life-changing experiences—all while uniting them by a shared passion for the sport.
No one understands the impact of soccer travel better than Loek van Zijl, the founder of Premier International Tours. Born in the Netherlands, van Zijl fell in love with traveling as a young soccer player and was driven to share that experience with others. Since then, his company has arranged soccer tours for nearly 2,000 youth teams, allowing over 25,000 young American players to compete in Europe, South America, and beyond.
More Than Just a Soccer Trip – A Global Education
Traveling with a soccer team is more than just an opportunity to play abroad—it’s an education beyond the classroom. Unlike a family vacation, these trips allow young athletes to step outside their comfort zones, experience new cultures, and see firsthand how soccer connects people from every corner of the world. 
“The real value of traveling with a soccer team extends far beyond wins and losses,” says van Zijl. “Players gain a broader perspective on life, experience different styles of play, and form lifelong friendships with teammates and opponents alike.”
For many youth players, their first international match is a revelation. The moment they step onto the field, they realize that the “beautiful game” speaks for itself despite language barriers and cultural differences.
“I think travel and experiencing culture through the common world language of soccer is the greatest educational opportunity,” says Chad Liddle, Director of the Soccer Academy at Darlington School.
Premier International Tours has arranged travel for more than 25,000+ youth soccer players
A Rite of Passage for Young Athletes
Although international soccer travel can be a significant investment, it has become a rite of passage for many young players. Competing against top youth teams in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, and beyond, they not only test their skills but also gain a deeper understanding of the commitment and discipline required to succeed at higher levels of the game.
For Jim Eisenhardt of Morrisville SC, the impact of soccer travel on his club has been undeniable.
Players are able to discover how small the world is while being challenged by international teams.
“Since 2005, Morrisville SC has had the privilege of traveling with Premier International Tours. We’ve taken 15 boys’ and girls’ teams to destinations across Europe, including Italy, Denmark, and Portugal,” Eisenhardt explains. “It has been an amazing experience for our players—one that goes beyond soccer and stays with them for a lifetime.”
“I think travel and experiencing culture through the common world language of the beautiful game is the greatest educational opportunity.
Chad Little
“I have kids from all around the world, but I still want to show all my kids the world of soccer and the passion the game brings,” adds Liddle. “It is also about making lifelong memories.”
SoccerToday Interview with Loek van Zijl
Diane Scavuzzo: What motivates you?
Loek van Zijl: What drives me? Showing the world is connected through soccer.
It is motivating to open the eyes of youth soccer players all across America. We open their eyes to the world when they go on one of our Premier International Tours.
Diane Scavuzzo: When did you first discover your passion for travel?
Loek van Zijl: If we go back to why I started, I was a 16-year-old boy who went from the Netherlands to Germany with my soccer team in 1975. This was usually done back in those days. There were still emotions between Holland and Germany that lingered from WW2, but on the soccer field, it didn’t matter. The only things that matter on the soccer field are the ball and a player’s ability. I love the way players make friends with kids from other countries.
At Premier International Tours — what we do is help people discover the world through soccer.
It is a civilized world on the other side of the ocean. A world with a breathtaking atmosphere and a rich soccer culture.
There is real power in the mutual understanding created through soccer, regardless of politics or social economics.
Diane Scavuzzo: Premier International Tours has taken over 26,700 players on approximately 2,000 teams overseas. Is there any common experience that the teams that travel usually share?
Loek van Zijl: People who take our tours come back with a deeper love of the game of soccer. Traveling internationally, testing your skills against new competition and coaching against foreign teams, it is an experience to remember.
Soccer abroad is social, and teams and coaches connect after the game and even before.
Diane Scavuzzo: Can American teams compete successfully in Europe?
Loek van Zijl: Yes, of course. Seeing how an American team ranks compared to their international counterparts on a global stage is always interesting.
Often coaches in Europe are surprised.
And the teams from the U.S., they have a great time. How can you not when you are playing on a field with the Vatican in the background? Or competing in an international youth soccer tournament with teams from all over the world?
It is always a good learning experience. Sometimes, players even discover they need to be humble …
Diane Scavuzzo: How did you start your career in travel?
Loek van Zijl: At 20, I started working for a firm that was bringing teams from the USA to Europe.
After the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA, interest in international soccer travel exploded. By then, I was in the USA and we were taking twenty groups a year overseas. It was a huge deal and we were one of the only organizations familiar with European soccer and arranging this type of travel.
Now, decades later, traveling to Europe on a team trip is a part of the American youth soccer resume — all the big, important clubs take annual trips.
It is an obligation for a big club to have every player experience an international tour.
It used to be the exception, now it is part of the soccer curriculum and education. Many of the smaller, independent clubs also want to give their players this experience.
Diane Scavuzzo: Is it affordable?
Loek van Zijl: Well, like anything else, it depends upon how much you want it.
Average Daily Starbucks for One Year = One Player’s Trip on a Team Tour
If you go to Starbucks and order coffee and pay $5.50 for a cappuccino every day, the money spent on all those coffees in a year can be more than the actual cost of a trip.
We also have excellent fundraising programs. Every year, Premier International Tours gives away two roundtrip tickets to Europe as a prize for this raffle.
Players can sell raffle tickets and pay for their entire trip.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is the cost of a trip?
Loek van Zijl: The cost per player for a trip to compete in a tournament in Europe ranges from $2,000 to $4000—the average is $2,500. The cost includes tournament costs, hotels, two meals a day, transportation, and usually even tickets to a professional game.
We also help teams with financial planning. We do not need huge chunks — teams can pay over a period of months so players can fundraise. It is a luxury but it is a life-changing experience and there are enough fundraising efforts available.
If you want it, you can really make it happen.
We feel it is so essential that teams travel, we try to help. For example, when a youth soccer team becomes either US Youth Soccer and US Club National Champions, Premier International Tours offers them a $10,000 travel certificate towards an international tour.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is the best way to begin planning a soccer tour?
Loek van Zijl: Decide where you want to go. Do you want to travel to England, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, or Italy? Just select a destination or pick a European youth soccer tournament, and everything else will start to fall into place.
Diane Scavuzzo: Do most parents join the team on the trip?
Loek van Zijl: Parents are always welcome. Even for well-traveled parents, it is almost the same experience as for the player.
Diane Scavuzzo: Is traveling with a soccer team different from visiting the country as a family?
Loek van Zijl: Soccer travel is different. Soccer travel brings you into the community.
If you go to Spain with a tour organization, you become part of the experience. As tourists, we go to a city and leave. On a soccer trip, you experience the culture and the people, and you do not need to speak the language.
Diane Scavuzzo: What differentiates Premier International Tours from other travel organizations arranging soccer trips?
Loek van Zijl: No organization in America has more experience. I know every place, every game — With 40 years of experience, our expertise cannot be matched and because of our volume, our prices are the best.
We roll 40 years of knowledge into every single tour. We make sure the American teams are taken care of, and we know what they want.
And, quite frankly, one of the best reasons to go on a soccer tour — guess what it is? You will never guess.
Lastly, I am proud of our work — the quality of our tours and rates. We want to give back to the American youth soccer community because the soccer community has given us everything we have — we have two beautiful kids. We sincerely love living in the USA. We are very grateful.
Getting kids untethered from their screen.
