United States Youth Soccer Association

The United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer, abbreviated USYS) is the largest youth affiliate and member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body for soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer includes 54 State Associations, one per state except for California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, which each have two State Associations. US Youth Soccer is a non-profit organization.

Not to be confused with American Youth Soccer Organization.

The US Youth Soccer membership is divided into four geographic regions; Eastern, Midwest, Southern and Far West.

History

The association was founded in 1974 with 100,000 registered players.[1][2] Its founding chairman was Donald Greer, who served in the role until 1984 and was also vice president of the U.S. Soccer Federation from 1972 to 1984.[3] Greer's co-founders included Karl Grosch and Robert Nessler.[4]

By the early 1990s, USYS counted more than 1 million players,[5] and by 2006 it counted more than 3 million registered players.[1]

Programs

USYS created the Olympic Development Program (ODP) in 1977. As of April 2023, USYS continues to operate the ODP.[6]

ODP works with state soccer associations to identify high-level youth soccer talent via age-grouped tryouts, then selects players for regional development programs and national camps.[6]

Competitions

USYS holds the annual US Youth Soccer National Championships for age groups from under-13 to under-19.[7][8][9]

USYS also operates the US Youth Soccer National League.[10]

National select teams compete in tournaments against clubs in other youth leagues, such as the Elite Clubs National League.[11][12]

Operation

USYS is based in Frisco, Texas, and is led by a chief executive officer. As of November 2022, the CEO of USYS is Skip Gilbert, who has served in the role since January 10, 2020.[6][13][14]

Controversy

2022 abuse lawsuit

In August 2022, US Youth Soccer was among the defendants named in a lawsuit brought by a former youth player alleging that organizational negligence contributed to her sexual assault by a youth soccer coach.[15]

Notable alumni

Kwame Appiah, featured on season 4 of the Netflix series Love is Blind, was a coach for USYS ODP in Delaware from 2017 to 2018.[18][19]

References
  1. Kelley, Tina (June 25, 2006). "It's Goalkeeper vs. Bookkeeper as I.R.S. Audits Youth Soccer". The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  2. "Women's Soccer Slams Into the Net" (Press release). United States Postal Service. February 16, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  3. "Donald Greer". National Soccer Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  4. "Federal Way honors 'founding father' of youth soccer; gets $90,000 donation for field". Federal Way Mirror. June 19, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  5. "Largest Youth Sports Organization Celebrates 35th Anniversary" (Press release). US Youth Soccer. March 1, 2009. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  6. Schwager, Adam (December 28, 2020). "What exactly is US Youth Soccer ODP?". SoccerWire. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  7. Tannenwald, Jonathan (July 24, 2022). "Philadelphia team wins youth soccer national championship". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  8. "US Youth Soccer National Championships conclude as 14 teams win 2022 titles". SoccerWire. July 25, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  9. "US Youth Soccer to host 2023 National Championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports". SoccerWire. September 1, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  10. "US Youth Soccer National League introduces new competition format for national events". SoccerWire. April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  11. "US Youth Soccer Girls ODP National Select Teams shine at Las Vegas Mayor's Cup". SoccerWire. March 6, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  12. "Around the Country: U.S. Youth Soccer". Soccer America. April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  13. "US Youth Soccer CEO Skip Gilbert Returns to Helm of ACES" (Press release). US Youth Soccer. November 30, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  14. Gewirtz, Jason (December 18, 2019). "Skip Gilbert Named CEO of U.S. Youth Soccer". SportsTravel Magazine. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  15. Harwood, Houston (August 24, 2022). "Lawsuit: National soccer groups' negligence led to sex abuse by Evansville-area youth coach". Evansville Courier & Press. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  16. Wiley, Ben (November 23, 2022). "The American youth soccer of USMNT's World Cup players". Soccer America. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  17. "NL alum Chloe Ricketts signs with Spirit, becomes youngest-ever NWSL player" (Press release). US Youth Soccer National League. March 3, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  18. Banerjee, Partha Sarathi (April 8, 2023). "Is Kwame Appiah From 'Love is Blind' A Real Soccer Player?". Sportsmanor. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  19. "Love Is Blind Season 4: Kwame Appiah's Soccer Career Explained". ScreenRant. March 25, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
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