Grassroots - US Youth Soccer

WE ARE YOUTH SOCCER

Soccer is more than a game. Our program uses soccer to improve children’s physical and mental health and overall well-being in underserved communities.

For more information please see: https://ussoccerfoundation.org/programs/soccer-for-success/

League America is:

An overarching brand meant to capture the spirit and ethos of our recreational and grassroots soccer members
A pool of resources, housed within USYS University, that provides tools and resources that allow State Associations to create and support grassroots and recreational programming
A branded foundation upon which State Associations can graft their own programming, resources, tools and education elements
Free for State Associations to use

League America Festivals:

We want the recreational player to feel special and have fun! League America Festivals gives US Youth Soccer State Associations another benefit to bring even more service to current members and a tool to use in increasing membership enrollment.

By uniting traditional soccer clubs, leagues, and associations with nonprofits that use soccer as a tool to positively impact the lives of young people and families in their communities, the soccer community has developed actionable steps, plans, and processes to reduce the barrier of entry to quality soccer programming.

For this year’s Grassroots Symposium please follow this link: https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/event/2024-grassroots-symposium/

Click on the different weeks below to celebrate National Youth Soccer Month!

Week One – FUN

Week Two – FAMILY

Week Three – FRIENDSHIP

Week Four – FITNESS

Goals of Youth Soccer Month:

Raise awareness of Youth Soccer and the benefits of playing the game we love.
Emphasize soccer as the number one youth participation sport in America and a leading contributor to the healthy lifestyle of millions of American families.
Bring kids and families of all ages and all abilities together for fun, friendship and fitness.
Highlight the various programs available to children interested in playing soccer, including inner-city, disabled, recreational and elite youth soccer.

Get involved:

Anyone can spread the message about his or her positive experience with youth soccer. This website is designed to help you get involved and celebrate Youth Soccer in your own unique way. Share your celebration on our social media channels, upload funny videos, enter to win great prizes, but make sure to get involved and celebrate youth soccer in September!

US Youth Soccer continues to research soccer programming to identify the best playing environments that take a player-centered approach to advance player development. The goal of the Game Format Project is to support USYS member clubs with the resources they need to apply a new game format to their U5 and U6 recreation age groups. Utilizing research from Europe and the US Soccer Federation’s pilot program, this project shifts these age groups to a format that focuses on smaller fields with games of 2v2 or 3v3. Participating clubs can select the game format they would like to implement based on researched-informed recommendations for field size, team size, length of games, restarts, etc. By using smaller fields, larger goals, multiple goals, and smaller numbers of players, this new format supports greater individual skill development and decision-making.

This initiative was funded in part by the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Innovate to Grow grant. BazookaGoal is the official equipment partner of the Game Format Project and provides participating clubs with goals and equipment to support small-sided fields. Each club commits to implementing the model over two seasons of play and provides coach and parent feedback at the end of each season. Coaches in these age groups are also provided with educational resources via membership to USYS University powered by etrainu and access to the USYS National Curriculum via MOJO.

Why This Project?

Research in the US and Europe has shown the 2v2 and 3v3 game formats allow players to have more touches on the ball than 4v4 or 5v5. The smaller fields and fewer players allow individuals to be involved in each game more. This creates more 1v1 opportunities and chances to develop individual skills. The use of multiple goals increases scoring chances and allows for additional decision-making. The use of a larger central goal allows for more scoring as well. Furthermore, when a ball goes out of bounds clubs can choose to restart the play with a dribble/kick-in option or a “new ball” from the coach. The dribble/kick-in option challenges players to decide how the ball should enter the pitch based on what space they see. The “new ball” from the coach allows the coach to pass to players based on the player’s needs. A coach can pass to a player who has not touched the ball much or play to a player who may have just made a mistake and needs to get another chance. Research in several countries has shown that players’ enjoyment increased with touches on the ball and opportunities to score. In addition, in the US pilot program parents’ perception of their child’s experience with soccer was more positive when participating in the new format.

Parent Resources Link | Coach Resources Link

USYS will continue to support this project with funding from US Soccer over the next three years. Clubs interested in applying for the project can reach out to Sari Rose srose@usyouthsoccer.org The new application for the program will be released in May 2025.

2024-2025 Project Participants