FRISCO, Texas (October 23, 2024) – Today, US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer, and AYSO released the following statement.

In 2017, U.S. Soccer decided to change the age eligibility for team rosters from August 1-July 31 to January 1-December 31. Since that time, we have been reviewing the impact on our sport, specifically for players of all ages and competitive levels, and comparing the practical results to the communicated goals and outcomes.

Over the past few months, U.S. Soccer, at the urgence of its Technical Development Committee, has engaged in a review of that decision. We support these efforts and appreciate their approach to engage organizational members, leagues and clubs in collecting feedback. Additionally, US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer, and AYSO have solicited and shared additional feedback with one another in an effort to make the most informed and appropriate decision for our sport.

First and foremost, US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer, and AYSO have been in constant communication on the topic. US Youth Soccer and US Club Soccer’s leadership teams have met in person multiple times, most recently in September at the US Youth Soccer Grassroots Symposium in Salt Lake City. Additionally, we welcome the involvement of other U.S. Soccer organizational members.

We believe that any decisions should be made as a collective and our intention is to do so.

As chair and vice chair of the U.S. Soccer Technical Development Committee and Youth Representatives on the Board of Directors, Mike Cullina (US Club Soccer CEO) and Louis Mateus (US Youth Soccer Board of Directors member) are directly involved in the conversation and recommendation to U.S. Soccer’s Board of Directors. Likewise, as chair of the Youth Council and the Youth Representative on the Board of Directors, Tina Rincon (US Youth Soccer Board of Directors chair) is actively engaged.

The next U.S. Soccer Board of Directors meeting is November 22, 2024. We expect this topic to be on the agenda for that meeting and, consequently, a formal and public decision made by the end of the calendar year.

As always, thank you for your passion for the sport and commitment to our athletes.

Skip Gilbert, US Youth Soccer CEO

Mike Cullina, US Club Soccer

Doug Ryan, AYSO National President

– USYS –

About US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers nearly 2.5 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and one million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, coach and referee offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment at every level of the game.

About US Club Soccer

A National Association member of the U.S. Soccer Federation, US Club Soccer fosters the growth and development of soccer clubs in order to create the best possible development environment for players of all ages. 

Anchored by Players First and its pillars of Club Development, Coaching Development, Player Development, Referee Development, Parent Engagement & Education and Player Health & Safety, US Club Soccer offers registration, league- and cup-based competition platforms, player identification and a variety of other programming, resources and services. 

US Club Soccer is sponsored by Nike, DICK’S Sporting Goods and Gatorade.

About AYSO

American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is a national nonprofit organization committed to delivering quality youth soccer programs in a fun, family-friendly environment. AYSO is rooted in Six Philosophies: Everyone Plays®, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship, and Player Development. Now celebrating its 60th year since inception in 1964, AYSO programs span over 640 communities across the United States. 

As a member organization of the U.S. Soccer Federation, all AYSO programs, including AYSO PLAY!, conform to U.S. Soccer standards for safety, training, education, and player development curricula. Learn more about AYSO at www.ayso.org.

FRISCO, Texas (Sept. 9, 2024) – US Youth Soccer (USYS) today announced the 18 member clubs selected to participate in The Game Format Project for the 2024 and 2025 soccer seasons.

The project’s focus is supporting USYS member clubs by providing resources to apply a new game model to their U5 and U6 recreation age groups. Utilizing research from Europe and a U.S. Soccer pilot program, the project shifts these age groups to a model utilizing smaller fields with games of
2v2 or 3v3.

Participating clubs can select the game format they like to implement based on researched-informed recommendations for field size, team size, length of games, restarts, etc. The smaller fields and fewer players lead to more touches on the ball, enhanced decision-making, increased scoring opportunities, and greater enjoyment.

“The goal is to foster the most positive and effective learning environment and the 2v2 or 3v3 game models will allow us to create a more developmentally appropriate format for these ages,” said USYS Chief Soccer Officer Tom Condone.

The initiative is funded in part by the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Innovate to Grow grant. Organizations selected for this project commit to implementing the game model for two seasons consisting of a minimum of six weeks each season. US Youth Soccer is dedicated to learning from the organizations, parents, and coaches participating in the project, and will work with participants to collect survey data from coaches and parents.

BazookaGoal is the official equipment partner of the Game Format Project and is providing each participating member with six sets of 5’ x 3’ goals and 12 corner flags.

Additionally, each club receives 30 memberships to USYS University, powered by etrainu. Coaches working within the age groups will complete the Welcome to Grassroots Coaching course and access more than 30 additional courses on USYS University.

USYS continues to provide opportunities for its members to evolve the game and provide quality player-centered approaches that enhance individuals’ development and enjoyment. Nearly 80 organizations from more than 30 USYS State Associations submitted applications for this initial year of the project. Clubs not selected are encouraged to apply again next spring. Over the next two years, USYS will support 45 more organizations via adoption of the game models.

The 18 clubs selected:
Chicagoland United SC, Illinois
Clark Fork Soccer Alliance, Montana
Dubuque Soccer Club, Iowa
Elizabethtown Youth Soccer Association, Kentucky
Greenville Youth Soccer Association, Mississippi
Harvard Soccer Club, Massachusetts
High Country Soccer Association, Colorado
Howell Soccer Club, New Jersey
Jackson Hole Youth Soccer, Wyoming
McLean Youth Soccer, Virginia
Nether United, Eastern Pennsylvania
Pima County Surf Soccer Club, Arizona
Pinellas County United SC, Florida
Plum Area Soccer: Pennsylvania West
Sanford Springvale Soccer Association, Maine
Success Academy, Eastern New York
Weatherford Soccer Club, Oklahoma
Webster Groves Soccer Club, Missouri

About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer)
US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers nearly 2.5 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and nearly 1 million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game.

-USYS –

Frisco, Texas (Aug. 13, 2024) – US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, today announced its Board of Directors for 2024-25 following elections at its Annual General Meeting.

Atop the new leadership team is Tina Rincon, who was elected chair in a vote of USYS’ 54 State Association and affiliate members and board of directors. She follows Todd Lockhart, who served as chair since January after nearly four years as vice chair.

“As someone who has been involved with US Youth Soccer for more than 30 years, as a player, coach, soccer mom, and board member, I am deeply honored to be elected as chair of our board to lead USYS to get more kids on the pitch and give them lasting memories,” said Rincon.  “I am looking forward to working with the State Associations, USYS staff, my board and U.S. Soccer to grow the game and serve our 2.5 million players and leverage the excitement that the 2026 World Cup and other events will generate for soccer across our country.”

Rincon vacates the treasurer role, a position she held from 2022 until the election. The board is expected to appoint an interim treasurer this fall, who will serve until 2025 board elections.

Rincon, a Dallas-area CPA, began playing in the USYS system at age 8 before moving on to a standout career as a student-athlete at Texas Tech University. During the last four years, in addition to her time as treasurer, Rincon has sat on the DEI and Appeals committees. She currently plays on an adult women’s team and coaches her son’s USYS team — part of Richardson Soccer Association and North Texas State Soccer Association, and is an assistant coach at a Dallas-area high school.  

Dr. Bill Taylor is the incoming vice chair. Dr. Taylor, who served in the same role on the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors until this past spring, has coached competitive soccer for more than 20 years, while claiming 14 Idaho state championships with club teams, as well as a high school state championship (2018 6A Championship, Rocky Mountain High School Varsity Boys). Dr. Taylor’s soccer resume also includes a lengthy stint as the president of Idaho Youth Soccer (2009-2020) and assisting in developing two current US Deaf National Team players. Additionally, he holds USSF A and National Goalkeepers coaching licenses.

Since 2004, Dr. Taylor has been a full partner in private practice in Boise, Idaho.  He is a graduate of New York Medical College and completed Residency and Fellowship at Duke University in Neuroradiology.

Jeff Sommer was elected secretary. He became president of the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association in 2019 having previously served for many years as vice president, secretary and district commissioner. Sommer was selected as EPYSA’s Travel Coach of the Year and was a USSF referee for 25 years. Jeff also served as his club Southern Chester County Soccer as a coach in their intramural, travel and top soccer programs as well as registrar and Club President. 

Sommer is a senior judge on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Court of Common Pleas and previously was a trial judge serving the 15^th Judicial District – Chester County. He was first elected a judge in 2013.

David “DK” Kaweski-Mukooza joins as an independent director. He began playing as a youth on the U.S. east coast before selection onto various USYS ODP national teams, and then moving on to start every game as a soccer student-athlete at Wake Forest University. Beyond soccer fields, Kaweski-Mukooza’s accomplishments include 24 years as an active-duty Naval intelligence officer with nine combat deployments. He is currently a director with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy Information Warfare and Enterprise in Washington D.C. and is pursuing an MBA at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

“On behalf of the entire US Youth Soccer staff – here at our Frisco headquarters and throughout the nation, we congratulate Tina, Bill, Jeff, and DK,” said USYS CEO Skip Gilbert. “They assume a critical role as we wind down our 50^th anniversary year and begin focusing on the 2026 World Cup returning to U.S. soil. We have every expectation that USYS will maximize opportunities ahead and further deliver on our vision to bring communities together through the power of soccer making lifelong fans of the game.”

Three board members retained their posts. Danielle Valente, USYS’ first-ever athlete member on the board since 2022, won reelection. Dan Popp was reelected as the West Region representative, a role he has held since 2020. Jim McCarthy was reelected as the Midwest Region representative, retaining a seat he first won in 2022.

The board is advisory, and each member is elected to two-year terms. Below is the full 2024-25 USYS Board of Directors along with each’s respective tenure. Newcomers and those in new roles are in bold.

• Tina Rincon, Chair (First elected treasurer in 2022)
• Todd Lockhart, Past Chair (2021)
• Bill Taylor, Vice Chair
• Jeff Sommer, Secretary
• (Vacant), Treasurer
• Jim Kuntz, East Region Representative (2019)
• Jim McCarthy, Midwest Region Representative (2022)
• Dale T. Burke, South Region Representative (2021)
• Dan Popp, West Region Representative (2020)
• Louis Mateus, Member-at-Large (2021)
• Sarah Jennings, Independent Director (2021)
• David Kawesi-Mukooza, Independent Director
• Danielle Valente, Athlete Member (2022)

Rincon becomes the third female to lead the USYS Board of Directors, following Marty Mankamyer and Mavis L. Derflinger.

US Youth Soccer Past Presidents/Chairs

• Don Greer (1974-1985)                  
• Marty Mankamyer (1985-1986)                 
• Mavis L. Derflinger (1986-1990)                     
• Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia (1990-1996)                    
• Virgil Lewis (1996-2000)                   
• David Messersmith (2000-2006)                  
• Larry Monaco (2006-2010)                   
• John Sutter (2010-2016)                 
• Jesse Harrell (2016-2018)              
• Dr. Pete Zopfi (2018-2024)             
• Todd Lockhart (2024-2024)      

(Note: Originally, the leader of the USYS Board of Directors was the president before being retitled chair.)

About US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers nearly 2.5 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and one million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, coach and referee offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment at every level of the game.

–USYS–