AYSO Blog Archives - American Youth Soccer Organization

Introducing Kickstart: AYSO’s New Entry-Level Experience

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:08:00 GMT

Laughter, movement, child-centered, and nonstop action.

Welcome to Kickstart!

AYSO’s new program for players ages 3–6 replaces Playground and Schoolyard with a simpler, more flexible experience built around what young children love most: movement, imagination, exploration, and play.

For 6U, instead of traditional teams and schedules, the Kickstart 6U option uses a fun jamboree-style format where children jump right into the action each week. There are no standings, no pressure, and no waiting around. With four small goals, live restarts, and game-like activities, every child stays active, involved, and smiling from start to finish.

Parents are part of the experience too, helping on the field, sharing in the fun, and creating the kind of welcoming, energetic environment that makes AYSO special.

Kickstart was shaped by a national U.S. Soccer research project involving AYSO and organizations from across the country, all working together to better understand what creates the best possible first soccer experience. The result is a program designed around what young children want and need most: joy, connection, confidence, and a love of the game.

To learn more about Kickstart and how your Region can bring it to life, please reach out to programs@ayso.org .

The post Introducing Kickstart: AYSO’s New Entry-Level Experience appeared first on American Youth Soccer Organization .

Is Your Tournament, Playoff, or Postseason Competition Listed?

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 21:03:00 GMT

Celebrating the Spirit of AYSO Sportsmanship

From local tournaments and Area playoffs to Section championships, AYSO competition is where our players, coaches, and volunteers come together to celebrate teamwork, effort, and the joy of the game.

These events represent the culmination of hard work and the true spirit of soccer — where every goal, save, and spirit-tunnel reflects what makes AYSO so unique.

Include Your Competition on the AYSO Tournament Hub

By sharing your tournament details, you’ll help us showcase the depth, diversity, and strength of our AYSO community — locally and nationally.

Why Your Competition Should Be Featured

1. Boost Visibility
Thousands of families visit AYSO.org, and your listing includes a direct link back to your Region, Area, or Section site — helping you boost visibility, improve SEO, and reach more participants.

Each listing will clearly note whether it’s Open (accepting external teams) or Closed (by invitation or qualification).

2. Celebrate Your Players, Coaches, and Volunteers
When you tag @AYSO_Soccer, we’ll feature your tournaments across our social media channels, sharing stories, photos, and highlights from your events.
We’ll celebrate your winners, spotlight your volunteers, and showcase the healthy competition and sportsmanship that define AYSO.

3. Build Sponsorship and Support Opportunities
AYSO is actively in discussions with potential partners and vendors interested in supporting tournaments through sponsorship, value-in-kind donations, and giveaways.

By listing your tournament, you help us secure these partnerships — ensuring that value and resources flow back to the local level.

4. You Stay in Control
Your Region, Area, or Section maintains complete control of your tournament or playoff operations.
We are simply here to help amplify your visibility and connect your efforts to the larger, national AYSO network.

How to Participate

1. Complete the AYSO Tournament Submission Form
2. Include your event website link
3. Indicate whether your event is Open or Closed
4. Tag @AYSO_Soccer on your social posts ( Instagram , Facebook , TikTok , X )
Questions? Tournaments@AYSO.org

The Bigger Picture

Every event we list — from local tournaments to Area playoffs and Section championships — tells a unified story:
That AYSO is thriving, connected, and powered by volunteers who create moments that matter.

Submit your event today and help us tell the story of AYSO — Stronger Together.

The post Is Your Tournament, Playoff, or Postseason Competition Listed? appeared first on American Youth Soccer Organization .

AYSO Coach Store Super Stars

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Thank you for your incredible support!

We are nearing 200 regions that have supported the Coach Store , which has generated almost $10,000 for the AYSO Playership Fund. This fund fuels opportunities and experiences for players across the country.

Your purchases are more than transactions—they are investments in the future of playership and a testament to being a “PROUD AYSO COACH!”

Thank you for making a real difference, and be on the lookout for new coach swag coming soon.

The post AYSO Coach Store Super Stars appeared first on American Youth Soccer Organization .

Regional Commissioner Training

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 19:21:00 GMT

This past October 4th-5th, Sections 1, 10, 11 hosted 21 new Regional Commissioners for RC Training featuring opportunities to discuss and plan the AYSO Experience that best fits their Regions and communities. RCs also discussed strategies for recruiting, retaining volunteers, and staffing their Regional Boards in order to continue the tradition of AYSO programming that fulfills the vision of providing world-class youth soccer programs that enrich children’s lives. Fiduciary and Risk Management responsibilities, Emergency Preparedness, and Conflict Resolution were also covered.

“The training was a long drive but absolutely worth it. It strengthened my confidence and showed me I’m better equipped than I realized. Hearing other new Regional Commissioners share similar challenges was reassuring and inspiring; it reminded me that we’re all part of a strong, supportive network across AYSO.”
Kate Vanderwoude
AYSO 10/Q/599
San Luis Obispo, CA

“I really liked the way each of the topics were presented. The presenters used a variety of group work and prompts to keep us engaged and interacting with each other. It created an environment where we were not only learning, but getting to know each other as well.”
Sarah Brown
AYSO 10/V/254
Burbank, CA

The post Regional Commissioner Training appeared first on American Youth Soccer Organization .

Submit Nominations for the National Board of Directors and National President

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:40:00 GMT

At NAGM 2026 in Grapevine, TX, we will be electing four members to the National Board of Directors and a National President. There will be four open positions for a three-year term on the National Board, and one open position for the one-year term of the National President.

Submit your nominations for the National Board of Directors and National President by Friday, January 16th, 2026.

National Board Members terms expiring:
Michael Cassidy
Kris Graff
Michael Karon
Gary Van Otten

National President term expiring:
Doug Ryan

Please note: You must be a Registered AYSO Volunteer to be considered as a candidate for the National Board of Directors and National President.

To be considered for National President, you must first be elected to the National Board of Directors. You can declare your intention to run for the National Board and the National President by selecting both positions on the nomination form. If you are successfully elected to the National Board at the NAGM, you can immediately be a candidate for National President.

To be considered for nomination, please fill out the form and submit it no later than Friday, January 16, 2026 .

All submissions will be presented to the Nominating Commission for consideration.

Nominations Form

The post Submit Nominations for the National Board of Directors and National President appeared first on American Youth Soccer Organization .

American Youth Soccer Organization, US Center for Mental Health & Sport Announce Partnership Focused on Player and Volunteer Wellness

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 21:24:00 GMT

TORRANCE, CA. (August 24, 2023) — The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is pleased to announce a new partnership with the US Center for Mental Health & Sport (USC-MHS) , building on our commitment to provide current and innovative training and support resources to our coaches, players and volunteers.

AYSO has always been a leader in youth development with our distinct Philosophies and child-centered approach; and we must continue to be intentional with our efforts and bold in our commitment to explicitly target social and current areas of need.

USC-MHS will offer organizational support, resources and guidance and offer in-person and virtual workshops to local Regions in our quest to address this important area of focus. USC-MHS believes in order to establish sport environments that promote and support positive mental health, participants struggling with mental health challenges need to be surrounded by people who are able to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, as well as be able to provide them basic information and resources to point them towards the pathway of support and recovery.

“In 2019, we identified mental health and wellness as an organizational priority, and post-COVID, the demand to supply resources and support has increased significantly,” stated Scott Snyder, AYSO Senior Director of Sport Development. “USC-MHS is the industry leader in mental health in sport research, trainings and applications, and will help educate AYSO in normalizing the topic, opening discussions to provide much needed local resources and guidance for our players and volunteers.”

USC-MHS Co-founder and Executive Director, Margaret Domka, stated, “We all have mental health, and we should never be ashamed to talk about it or get the support we need. Whether individuals’ mental health is thriving or languishing, the USC-MHS has the resources, training and support to help local AYSO Regions maximize the play environment and overall experience for all their membership including, of course, athletes.”

Online content and resources will be available this fall on the AYSO Mental Health and Well-Being site and workshop offerings will begin in early 2024. More details to come.

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About AYSO
Established in 1964, AYSO is a national nonprofit organization that develops and delivers quality youth soccer programs, which promote a fun, family environment based on AYSO’s Six Philosophies: Everyone Plays®, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship, and Player Development. Today, AYSO has 1.6 million players, parents, siblings and volunteers. For more information, visit www.AYSO.org .

About The U.S. Center for Mental Health & Sport
The U.S. Center for Mental Health & Sport, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, develops sport environments that allow for optimum mental wellness by providing mental health awareness training and resources, opening pathways to access additional mental health support services, and committing to the advancement of mental health and sport research. For more information, visit https://mentalhealthandsport.org/ .

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The American Youth Soccer Association (AYSO) Partners with GameChanger to Help Connect AYSO Members on and off the Pitch

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 20:59:00 GMT

Torrance, CA and New York City, NY (August 17, 2023) – AYSO is excited to announce a multi-year partnership with GameChanger, the #1 rated youth sports app for live streaming, scheduling, and scorekeeping. The partnership makes Dick’s Sporting Goods’ GameChanger the “Official Scorekeeping, Statistics, and Video Partner of AYSO.”

Since launching scorekeeping and live streaming capability for soccer in 2021, GameChanger has seen strong adoption among youth soccer teams. With this new partnership, AYSO and GameChanger look to grow the game by helping athletes, families and coaches stay connected. Using GameChanger’s top-rated app, coaches can seamlessly manage their teams, as well as score and live stream matches for families and friends with the ease of a few taps.

“We are thrilled to kick off this partnership with AYSO and work hand-in-hand to enhance the youth soccer experience for players, coaches, and families nationwide,” said Brett Rhodes, GameChanger director of strategic partnerships. “Together, we’ll unlock new possibilities, elevate the joy and love of the sport, and provide greater access and ease to AYSO members and programs through the power of GameChanger technology.”

“AYSO continually strives to create an all-around soccer experience, from registration to the field, and technology is a big part of helping us accomplish that goal,” shared Matt Winegar, AYSO Executive Director. “We are so excited for this partnership with GameChanger to connect our families on and off the pitch. We look forward to working with them to enhance the AYSO experience for all our members.”

The announcement comes on the heels of the 2023 AYSO National Games. Nearly 400 games were live-streamed on GameChanger during the tournament that took place in Irvine, California from July 24-30. AYSO operates in about 700 regions across the country, engaging nearly 400,000 players and an estimated 50,000 teams annually.

AYSO and GameChanger have created a landing page with all the information on how to activate and use the platform, that can be found by clicking here . More details to come on training webinars starting in September.

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About GameChanger
GameChanger empowers athletes, coaches, and families to stay connected through live streaming, scorekeeping, team management tools and developmental resources. Available on iOS, Android, and the web, GameChanger covers over 5MM+ games annually and over 750K+ teams a year. The live streaming and team management technology is available for all youth sports, with deep stats and scorekeeping capability for baseball, softball and basketball. GameChanger is based in New York City and is owned and operated by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

The post The American Youth Soccer Association (AYSO) Partners with GameChanger to Help Connect AYSO Members on and off the Pitch appeared first on American Youth Soccer Organization .

AYSO SUPPORTS U.S. SOCCER ATHLETES COUNCIL CALL ON CONGRESS TO IMPROVE SAFESPORT PROCESSES

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:13:00 GMT

Torrance, CA (July 27, 2023) – Last week, the Athletes Council of U.S. Soccer sent a signed letter to Congress , sharing their concerns about the U.S. Center for SafeSport. They asked Congress to pass legislation in order for the necessary changes to SafeSport’s processes be made, thus making it safer for all players to play the beautiful game. AYSO shares U.S. Soccer’s commitment to prioritizing the safety of all who participate in our sport.

“AYSO fully supports the views and the call to action put forth by the Athletes Council,” shared Michael Karon, National President of AYSO and U.S. Soccer board member. “We believe SafeSport must evolve to meet the objectives it set out to accomplish. We will work collaboratively with U.S. Soccer, Congress and SafeSport to help initiate change that will protect all through improving SafeSport’s processes.”

AYSO has a long-standing record of incorporating youth participant safety in all our programming before SafeSport was implemented, but SafeSport has played an important role in advancing our shared goal of creating safe environments for sports participation over the last few years within the larger soccer landscape. And, while they remain an essential partner in this work, there are troubling limitations within SafeSport’s processes that have had a significant impact on the ability of national governing bodies (NGBs), like U.S. Soccer, to protect athletes and other participants.

U.S. Soccer and the Athletes Council have recommended improvements, which AYSO asks our AYSO members to support. Those recommendations include:

Increased transparency and information sharing
Increased ability for NGBs to take action
Reform and reduced use of administrative closures
Changes to the appeals process

AYSO calls on Congress to help make these critical changes a reality and ensure that an entity created by Congress to protect everyone in the Olympic movement, is effectively fulfilling its mission.

About U.S. Soccer
Founded in 1913, the U.S. Soccer Federation has been the official governing body of the sport in the United States for more than 100 years. During that time, the sport has grown tremendously at all levels. As U.S. Soccer looks towards the future, its mission is to make soccer the preeminent sport in the United States. With a long-term and strategic approach, U.S. Soccer aims to accomplish its mission by supporting its members to increase participation at the youth and adult levels, develop world class players, coaches, and referees to consistently win at the highest levels on the international stage and serve the fans by engaging with them in deeper and more meaningful ways. For more information, visit ussoccer.com .

For more information, contact:
Yvonne Lara
YvonneLara@ayso.org
(424) 221-7971

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The post AYSO SUPPORTS U.S. SOCCER ATHLETES COUNCIL CALL ON CONGRESS TO IMPROVE SAFESPORT PROCESSES appeared first on American Youth Soccer Organization .

American Youth Soccer Organization, Northland Sports Alliance Announce Partnership Expanding Soccer Programing in Kansas City

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 21:42:00 GMT

KANSAS CITY, MO (June 8, 2023) – The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) and Northland Sports Alliance (NSA) are pleased to announce a partnership between the local AYSO Region serving Kansas City and NSA, to provide more playing opportunities for the community. This alignment will reinvigorate recreational soccer in the area, creating more accessible and affordable program offerings for all.

AYSO has made it a focus to partner with organizations whose missions and values align with the organization. NSA’s mission of fostering a positive learning environment to develop both young people’s athletic ability and character is the perfect fit for AYSO’s values and mission to enrich children’s lives through soccer.

“AYSO is and always has been about celebrating and enhancing youth soccer at the community level. Joining forces with Northland Sports Alliance – a community treasure that shares our mission and values — represents a tremendous opportunity for families in the area,” shared Dan Howald, Senior Director of Program Implementation, AYSO. “We’re excited to work together to deliver real player development in a fun, family-friendly, recreation-based program.”

“Our mission at Northland Sports Alliance is to provide recreational sports opportunities for kids and families in the Northland who just want to play, have fun, and learn with their friends,” said Stephanie Schieber, Executive Director, NSA. “Partnering with the AYSO, with their long history of providing world class soccer training and coaching opportunities, will bring together two likeminded organizations to take recreational soccer to the next level, continuing a tradition, we started over 50 years ago.”

As noted above, the partnership will be in conjunction with the local AYSO Region 1161, who are excited about the opportunity it provides for their current program, as Mark Dieckman, AYSO Regional Commissioner, recently shared. ‘’I’ve been around various soccer leagues throughout Missouri and Kansas for over 30 years as a referee, coach, regional registrar, and Regional Commissioner of AYSO Region 1161. Well run leagues are those that have quality coaching and instruction for players, a pathway for player development, and most of all, one where players and families have fun learning the game of soccer. Both AYSO and NSA have these qualities in their programs. Quality soccer isn’t about the price paid, but the quality of instruction and coaching. The AYSO/NSA relationship strengthens soccer development in the Northland by placing both longstanding clubs under one umbrella, which will provide the resources where players can develop to their fullest potential without having to leave the AYSO/NSA program for another program. Players can start as young as 3 years-old, and play all the way to their high school soccer career.”

The partnership officially begins this July, but registration is now open for Fall Soccer! Click Here to register . Several events are planned through the summer for the community to learn more about the relationship and experience the game. More information to come, but please note upcoming key dates:

Parent virtual Information Nights: July 26 ^th and July 27 ^th
AYSO/NSA Summer Camp: August 7 ^th – 11 ^th
In-person Coach Meeting: August 24 ^th
Field Grand Opening: August, 25 – 27

For more information, contact:
Yvonne Lara
YvonneLara@ayso.org
(424) 221-7971

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About Northland Sports Alliance
Northland Sports Alliance (NSA) is proud of the family-centered atmosphere that it promotes. The goal of the Northland Sports Alliance is to foster a positive learning environment that allows young people not only to develop their athletic ability but also to develop their character.

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AYSO Zoom Chat: Claudia & Melissa from Pop the Bubble

admin-duda-ayso@playmetrics.com (Admin AYSO) — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 23:41:00 GMT

AYSO’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Yvonne Lara held a Zoom chat with Region 18 player Claudia Chavez and her mother Melissa A. Robinson-Chavez to talk about how they are working to inspire action with the goal of embracing diversity within their community. Claudia was recently featured on Kids, Race and Unity, A Nick News Special with host Alicia Keys , to have constructive conversations about race, and teen activists fighting racial injustice.

Melissa is the founder of Pop the Bubble, an organization that aims to empower children through education, empathy, action, and replacing “anti” behaviors with compassion and acceptance. To learn more about Pop the Bubble visit: Facebook.com/Popthebubble2020

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