It can be considered one of the high points of a competitive youth soccer player's career.

And with some of the best players in the nation participating to make it a true test of one's ability, the level of anticipation grows as it approaches.

"Everyone just wants it to hurry up and start," said 13-year-old Vanessa Cabilan, a sweeper for Leahi 95 Premier.

She doesn't have much longer to wait for the U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regionals, which begin next week at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Park.

"It will be a star-studded event, and it's exciting to be around that level of talent," said George Kuntz, the Hawai'i State Director of Coaching and UC-Irvine men's soccer coach. "Everyone is excited to be there. Unless you play in it, you can't describe it.

"Most of the American players in the MLS have emerged from these regional tournaments."

Twenty-two teams in 16 divisions will represent Hawai'i, which hosted the event one other time, in 2003.

Hundreds of males and females, in divisions from under-12 to under-19, will flock to Hawai'i from Alaska, Arizona, California (Cal-North and Cal-South), Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Arian Hoxha, the director of coaching for the Real Hawaii Rush, said it is "probably the biggest tournament in the country." With three other regionals (East, Midwest, South) being played in June, every state is represented in the nationwide tournament.

The tournament begins with pool play Monday through Wednesdays and quarterfinals, semifinals and championship games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively.

"It's absolutely one of the best showcases in the country," Kuntz said. "In the college side, many college coaches recruit at regionals from all over the country. Traditionally the West has had a huge talent pool."

He went on to say that when players are playing "in their most natural environment" — with teammates they have played with for a while, many for most of their youth careers — it is a better measurement for college coaches to gauge them by.

Teams must qualify for the Far West Regionals by participating in state cups. The winners of each division advance to the regionals, and when teams cannot make the trip, their spots are filled by wild-card berths, awarded by drawing, to other teams. The winners of the Far West Regional fall and spring leagues (which Hawai'i teams do not participate in because of cost) also receive a spot.

Regional champions, in under-14 through under-19 divisions, advance to the USYS National Championships this year in Little Rock, Ark., from July 22 to 27.

Only one Hawai'i team has made it that far. In 2004, the Honolulu Soccer Club Bulls '85 won the national championship. In 2006, the HSC Bulls '94 squad won the under-12 Girls 8-vs-8 Region IV championship.

A solid performance in a tournament such as this one can elevate a player's status in the eyes of college coaches. U.S. National team member Brian Ching of Hale'iwa has said that his play at Regionals was what caught the eye of Gonzaga coach Einar Thorarinsson and eventually kickstarted his career.

"(Coaches) like to see players play at high levels multiple times," Hawai'i Youth Soccer Association president Scott Keopuhiwa said. "If they are seeing you at Far West Regionals they know the quality of competition is up there and weighed more heavily on them being able to gauge where you belong in the recruiting process."

University of Hawai'i junior forward Ambree Ako is past that stage in her soccer career, but is still looking forward to her first regional experience.

"The competition should be pretty brutal, and I'm excited for that," said Ako, the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, who is playing in her first Far West Regional event with Leahi 89 Premier.

Born in August of 1988, Ako is still eligible to play in the tournament's oldest division. Like Ako, many of her teammates, as well as her competition, are playing soccer in college.

"I've always wanted to see the different levels of play, so this should be an interesting tournament,"Ako said.

Another newcomer to regionals is Cabilan, who is at the other end of the soccer spectrum in terms of the recruiting process from Ako.

"I'm really excited to challenge other teams and see what competition is out there," she said. "I feel we're very prepared. We're super competitive. Size doesn't matter to us. And we don't give up even when we're losing plenty-to-zero. We're very positive."

For the most part, college coaches are through recruiting the players who will be seniors next year. Coaches are already eyeing freshmen, sophomores and juniors-to-be.

"Except for signing them, I'm done for the 2009 recruiting class and I'm looking at the 2010 class," University of Hawai'i women's soccer coach Pinsoom Tenzing said.

It wouldn't be unusual for Tenzing to be at the field from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with his staff, watching for talent.

"Let me put it this way," he said. "The best players in the western region will be out there on some team."