National Championship Trophies

Previously, the cup was named after Ross Stewart, a tireless ambassador for US Youth Soccer. Stewart's efforts have been memorialized with his name appearing on the 19-and-Under Girls trophy. The trophy was established in 1980 as the Athena Cup, and renamed the Ross Stewart Cup in 1994. Stewart was a driving force for girls’ soccer in North Texas. Stewart coached The Ding-A-Lings to the first 14-and-Under Girls Regional title more than 20 years ago. He served on many US Youth Soccer committees, including being the Chairman of the National Youth Challenge Committee. Stewart served on the board of the North Texas State Soccer Association as Youth Commissioner and President. In August 1994, Stewart was selected for the North Texas State Soccer Association Hall of Fame.

The 19-and-Under Boys National Championship, the oldest of the 14 Championships, has been played annually since 1935, except during World War II. Officially known as the United States Soccer Federation National Junior Challenge Cup, the competition was renamed the James P. McGuire Junior Champion Cup in 1975, after the late United States Soccer Federation President. He played for the Brooklyn Wanderers in 1929, and later joined the Brooklyn St. Mary's Celtics who with McGuire at center half won the U.S. Open Cup. James McGuire also served on World Cup and various other FIFA committees, and earned an international reputation as an excellent soccer administrator and leader.

Previously, the cup was named after Francis J. “Frank” Kelly who was born in Dublin, Ireland, on July 9, 1924. He played Gaelic Football in his youth and then for the Bohemians Football Club in the League of Ireland from 1945 to 1948. From 1969 through 1973 he was a member, then president, then trustee of the South Jersey Soccer League, and a founding member of the New Jersey State Youth Soccer Association. He was elected 2nd Vice President of the New Jersey State Youth Soccer Association in June 1993 and at one time served as James P. McGuire Cup National Chairman, on the US Youth Soccer Executive Board, and as a member of the Board of Directors of U.S. Soccer. The Frank Kelly Cup was established in 1994, which is also the same year Frank was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

In 1994, the 18-and-Under Boys championship was added. Previously, the cup was named in 1997 after longtime volunteer Andy Stone. His commitment to US Youth Soccer began in 1978 when he was a coach for a local recreational team. Along with coaching duties, Andy also served as a referee, president of Mississippi Youth Soccer Association and South Region Deputy Director. He was elected to the US Youth Soccer Board of Directors in 1990 as the South Region Director and was re-elected in 1995. Andy also served on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Soccer Federation and was a longtime youth representative on the U.S. Soccer Coaching Committee.

The US Youth Soccer 17-and-Under Girls National Championship was established in 1991. Previously, the cup was named in 1998 after Laura Moynihan, who was one of the founders and leaders of girls' soccer within the state of Wisconsin, Midwest, and US Youth Soccer. A tremendously successful youth soccer coach, all four of Moynihan's children played soccer throughout their childhood and moved on to play and coach at the college level. Laura served as head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her daughter, Susan, succeeded her as head coach at UWM from 1992. Keeping it in the family, Laura's' son, Michael, took over for his sister as the head coach at UWM in 1997.

An 17-and-Under Boys National Championship was established in 1991 and named in 1993. Greer is the founder of United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) and served as its first chairman from 1974-1984, He served as an official of the California State Soccer Association- North (1962-74) and a USSF Vice President (1972-84). Greer also founded the California Youth Soccer Association and served as its President from 1968 to 1975. He launched the McGuire Cup, the Olympic Development Program and established regional and subregional youth programs. The number of players participating in US Youth Soccer ballooned from 32,000 to more than $1.3 million nationally under Greer’s leadership. He was Inducted into the California Youth Soccer Association Hall of Fame in 1975, inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1985 and received the US Youth Soccer Founder's Award in 1992. In 2008, he was named charter member of the US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame.

The 16-and-Under Girls National Championship began in 1985. In 2010, the 16-and-Under Girls Cup was renamed the Mavis Derflinger Cup.  In the 1970s, US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame member Mavis Derflinger co-founded the Washington Area Girls Soccer League (WAGS) and served as treasurer. Derflinger was elected the president of the Virginia Youth Soccer Association from 1979-1981. She held the position of US Youth Soccer Region I director from 1981-1986. In the early 1980s, she became the first female board member of the USSF. In 1986, she was elected as chairwoman of US Youth Soccer, which put her on the USSF Executive Committee. She served as chairwoman through 1990.

Previously, the cup was named after Dimitrious "Jimmie" Niotis Cup (D.J. Niotis Cup). The cup was first awarded to the 16-and-Under Boys national champion in 1976. Niotis was former president of the U.S. Soccer Foundation Youth Division (now US Youth Soccer). The D.J. Niotis Cup was renamed the Larry Harmon Cup in 2008 to recognize former Member at Large of the US Youth Soccer Board of Directors (2000-2007). Harmon has been involved in soccer for over 20 years.  Harmon served as the Local Organizing Committee Chair for the 1996 US Youth Soccer National Championships and the 1988 US Youth Soccer Region II Championships. The former state president (Indiana, 1993-2000) was also on the Federation Board of Directors as a Youth Representative from 2000-2006.

Dr. Dimitrious "Jimmie" Niotis, the former President of the Youth Division of the United States Soccer Federation (now US Youth Soccer) was established in 1976. A World War Two veteran with the U.S. Navy, he served as the National Chairman of the Youth and School Promotion Committee of the United States Soccer Federation. Niotis was a life member of the Chicago National, and was also a member of the Pan-American Committee. He was named Man of the Year in 1973 by the Illinois High School soccer coaches association, and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1963.

Previously, the cup was named after U.S. Women's National Team veteran Kristine Lilly, by placing her name on the 15-and-Under Girls trophy at the 2001 US Youth Soccer National. In 2008, Lilly was inducted to the US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame’s second class. Lilly became the first player in history (male or female) to appear in 250 career international games in April 2003, and retired in 2011 with 352 caps, the United States' and the World's all-time leader in international appearances. Lilly has won NCAA titles, Olympic medals (Gold in '96), and World Cup's (1991, 1999), and is both the youngest and oldest player to score a goal for the U.S. and first woman to play in five FIFA World Cups.  

The 15-and-Under Boys championship was added in 2001. Two notable 15-and-Under Boys champions are Arsenal FC (CA-S) and Baltimore Bays (VA). Arsenal won their first national title in 2004 as 15-and-Under Boys and went on to be the first boys’ team to win three consecutive US Youth Soccer National Championships. The Baltimore Bays (VA) club claimed the 15-and-Under Boys national championship three years in a row, beginning in 2008.

Previously, the cup was named the Elmer Ehlers Cup at the 2002 US Youth Soccer National Championships. US Youth Soccer renamed its 14-and-Under Girls National Championship trophy, first presented at the 2001 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Lawrence, Ind., to honor longtime youth soccer administrator Elmer Ehlers. He became involved with soccer when his sons started playing for the Milwaukee Kickers in 1970. Ehlers then became the team's general manager. He later served 10 years as a Regional Director on US Youth Soccer's Board of Directors (1984-94), and was a lifetime member of the U.S. Soccer Federation. Ehlers served as a commissioner with Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association, and he is a member of the Wisconsin Soccer Hall of Fame.

Previously, the cup was named after William J. “Billy” Goaziou. Recognizing the benefits younger players receive from experiencing top-level competition and the demand created for more opportunities, the US Youth Soccer Board of Directors voted to add the 14-and-Under age group to the 2001 US Youth Soccer National Championships. With the addition of the 14-and-Under age groups, such players as Freddy Adu, the youngest player to debut for the U.S. National Team, whose team won the first US Youth Soccer 14-and-Under Boys National Championship, have the opportunity to showcase their talent on the national level. In 2006, the 14-and-Under Boys Cup was renamed in honor of William J. "Billy" Goaziou, a former treasurer of the United States Soccer Federation.

The addition of the 13-and-Under age group in 2013 for boys and girls marks the first time that US Youth Soccer has increased its age range at the National Championships since 2001, when the 14-and-Under and 15-and-Under groups were added. Previously, the farthest an 13-and-Under team could advance was its respective Regional Championship.

The addition of the 13-and-Under age group in 2013 for boys and girls marks the first time that US Youth Soccer has increased its age range at the National Championships since 2001, when the 14-and-Under and 15-and-Under groups were added. Previously, the farthest an 13-and-Under team could advance was its respective Regional Championship.