• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary navigation
US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer

  • State Sites
    • A-H
      • Alabama
      • Alaska
      • Arizona
      • Arkansas
      • Cal North
      • Cal South
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Delaware
      • Eastern NY
      • Eastern PA
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Hawaii
    • I-M
      • Idaho
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maine
      • Maryland
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Mississippi
      • Missouri
      • Montana
    • N-O
      • Nebraska
      • Nevada
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New Mexico
      • New York West
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • North Texas
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
    • P-Z
      • PA West
      • Rhode Island
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • South Texas
      • Tennessee
      • Utah
      • Vermont
      • Virginia
      • Washington
      • West Virginia
      • Wisconsin
      • Wyoming
  • Programs
  • Resources
  • About
  • Shop
  • Soccer Locker Marketplace
SHOP
Soccer Locker

Privacy Policy

This Temporary Privacy Policy applies to the websites and services (“Services”) operated by the
league or team or youth sports organization (“Organization”) on which this policy is linked. The
Organization will update this Privacy Policy soon. This Policy sets out how the Organization and
certain of its partners may collect and use any personal information which you provide through the
Services.


INFORMATION COLLECTED
The Organization collects any information that you provide to the Services, including for example,
when you register for an account and provide your email address, a password, and your name.
Depending on how you use the Services, the Organization may also collect
• Contact information such as address and phone number of players and family members;
• Team member information, including where applicable information about your children;
• Messages and chat you send via the services;
• Team information, such as rosters, schedules, attendance, statistics, and scores;
• Activity information you upload, including photos, news, information and other content;
• Payment information;
• Messages and feedback you send to the Organization; and
• Transactional information.

Automatically Collected Information
The Organization may also collect information from your device when you use the Services,
including
• Information about your computer, mobile phone, tablet, and all other similar electronic or
mobile devices, including your IP address, operating system and browser type, device
identifiers, device settings, device attributes, browser settings, the web pages of the Services
you have visited, Services visited before and after you visit a Service, and the content and
advertisements you have accessed, seen, forwarded and/or clicked-on.
• Social Media Information. If you engage with the Services through social media services or other
third-party platforms, such as Facebook, the Organization may have access to certain
Information in your profile depending on your privacy settings.


USE OF INFORMATION
Your information may be used by the Organization to:
• Provide the Services
• For any specific purpose for which it was provided or volunteered.
• To send you information
• To Prevent fraud and defend legal rights
• To comply with applicable law

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
The Organization may share your information with:
• Service providers that perform certain business-related functions on its behalf
• Social Networks: if you use social networks through the services.
• Other Users: depending on how you use the Services your information may be available to
other members your league.
• As required by law in with Law Enforcement Agencies or Regulators.
• National Governing Bodies: The Organization may share your information with the following
National Governing Body of your sport, for instance to confirm your eligibility to participate
in a sport.


SPORTSENGINE
The Services are powered by SportsEngine. SportsEngine collects information from users depending
on how they use the Services, as set forth in the NBCUniversal Privacy Policy.
• For logged in users, SportsEngine may collect:
o device identifiers and usage data for analytics purposes,
o data related to messages in the SportsEngine account, and
o volunteer information such as name and email address.
• When administrators are logged in, SportsEngine may collect:
o device identifiers and usage data for analytics purposes,
o data related to messages in the SportsEngine account,
o administrator information such as name and email address data, and other relevant
information when the administrator connects with SportsEngine personnel, for
instance through the built-in chat feature.
• When users are not logged in to SportsEngine, SportsEngine collects device identifiers and
usage data for analytics purposes.


YOUR RIGHTS & CHOICES
• You may unsubscribe from your Organization’s email newsletters or promotional emails by
following the opt-out instructions contained in the email. You may not be able to
unsubscribe from service-related or transactional emails.
• You may be able to access and correct certain information through the features provided by
the Services or by contacting the Organization.


CONTACT
Questions, comments and requests regarding this Privacy Policy should be addressed to your
Organization.

USYS Content

Space For Aggregated USYS Content

(Placeholder)

(Placeholder)

(Placeholder)

Block Styles

This page is a reference for styles and includes examples of common block types that can be copied and used to build out additional content on the site.

DO NOT DELETE OR EDIT – COPY and paste blocks to re-use elements on content pages.

Headers

H1 USYS

H2 USYS

H3 USYS

H4 USYS

H5 USYS
H6 USYS

Headers – Bold

H1 USYS

H2 USYS

H3 USYS

H4 USYS

H5 USYS
H6 USYS

Buttons

Default Style

BUTTON

Outline Style

BUTTON

Accordion

USYS Test

This is a paragraph

USYS Test 2

This is a paragraph

Accordion Item
Accordion Item

File Block

EXAMPLE FILE TITLEDownload

Tabs – Horiztonal Style

Example Tab 1Example Tab 2
CTA Soccer
  • test
  • test
  • test

Tabs – Vertical Style

Example Tab 1Example Tab 2
  • test
  • test
  • test
Accordion Item
Accordion Item

Call to Action (CTA) Styles

With Background Image and button

Title

Paragraph

Button

No Background image

General Safety

This guide is formulated to assist in educating yourself to minimize risks and prevent unnecessary injuries while playing soccer.

Learn More

Underlined Title

Alt Image Attribute

Call to Action Title

With Button

Alt Image Attribute

Call to Action Title

Button Test

Card Style

Alt Image Attribute

CTA Title

Tag

Card caption/button

Alt Image Attribute

CTA Title

Brief description caption goes here

Button

CTA Grid – Cover Block

Two Column

COACHING YOUR CHILD

learn more
Soccer players running drills

SKILLS TRAINING

learn more

Three Column

COACHING YOUR CHILD

learn more
Soccer players running drills

SKILLS TRAINING

learn more

TOURNAMENTS

FIND TOURNAMENTS

Table Style 1

Header 1Header 2Header 3Header 4Header 5
Row 1TestExampleDataInformation
Row 2TestExampleDataInformation
Row 3TestExampleDataInformation
Row 4TestExampleDataInformation
Row 5TestExampleDataInformation

Table Style 2

Header 1Header 2Header 3Header 4Header 5
Row 1TestExampleDataInformation
Row 2TestExampleDataInformation
Row 3TestExampleDataInformation
Row 4TestExampleDataInformation
Row 5TestExampleDataInformation

Gallery

Slideshow

Tiled Gallery

USYS Bylaws, Policies, & Documents

BylawsPoliciesDocumentsMedia Kits
US Youth Soccer Bylaws (7-22-23)Download
National Championships Policy 2023-2024_FINAL 10.16.23Download
2023-24 Presidents Cup National League Eligibility 8-1-23Download
Contract Review and Signing Authority (12.19)Download
Tournament Policy (12.9.15)Download
National Presidents Cup Policy (6.10.23)Download
Investment Policy (11.4.22)Download
Contract Policy (1.14.23)Download
Appeals Policy (4.22.23)Download
US Youth Soccer Cup Naming PolicyDownload
US Youth Soccer Honors Policy (7.22.22)Download
US Youth Soccer Code of Conduct 4.23.22Download
Players and Playing Rules Policy 4.23.2022Download
US Youth Soccer Emergency Action Plan 2020 (Rev. March 2022)Download
US Youth Soccer Futsal National Championships Rules (12.13.21)Download
US Youth Soccer Financial Policy (12.07.21)Download
US Youth Soccer Leagues Policy (as of 9.18.21)Download
League Championships Policy (09.18.21)Download
US Youth Soccer Risk Management Policy – 9.18.21Download
Concussion- Procedure and ProtocolDownload
US Youth Soccer Policy on Committees (12.05.20)Download
USYS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy – English (10.26.20)Download
USYS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy – Español (10.26.20)Download
Policy on Database Submission, Management, and Use (12.2019)Download
US Youth Soccer Travel PolicyDownload
US-Youth-Soccer-Conflict-of-Interest-Policy (3.10.18)Download
Policy on Unmanned Aircraft Systems aka DronesDownload
US Youth Soccer International Travel PolicyDownload
US Youth Soccer Age Matrix (2016-2025)Download
How to Best Support Student-Athlete Mental Wellness and Why It MattersDownload
2023-24 Presidents Cup National League Conference Eligibility (8.1.23)Download
2023 Quarter 1 TOPS PresentationDownload
2022 Quarter 4 TOPS PresentationDownload
2022 Quarter 3 TOPS PresentationDownload
2022 Quarter 2 TOPS PresentationDownload
2022 Quarter 1 TOPS PresentationDownload
Learning From Adaptive Gym ClassDownload
How To Throw An Epic TOPSoccerFestivalDownload
Player Opportunity Pathways in Adaptive SoccerDownload
Strategies For When Things Go SidewaysDownload
Benefits Of Incorporating Physical Therapists into TOPSDownload
Marketing Your TOPSoccer ProgramDownload
US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup 2022-2023 Competition RulesDownload
US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup 2022-2023 Competition ProtocolsDownload
Why Choose USYS?Download
Players’ Bill of RightsDownload
Down Syndrome SoccerDownload
Social Story – How and Why to Play Soccer with FriendsDownload
Social Story How to Play Soccer with OthersDownload
US Youth Soccer Code of Conduct (4.23.22)Download
TOPSoccer Parents Guide – EnglishDownload
Including Deaf and Hard of Hearing AthletesDownload
Intro into Communication ToolsDownload
Soccer for Children with Special NeedsDownload
US Youth Soccer Emergency Action Plan 2020 (Rev. March 2022)Download
US Youth Soccer Futsal National Championships Rules (12.13.21)Download
US Youth Soccer Member Benefits and ServicesDownload
2021 US Youth Soccer Administrator of the Year Nomination FormDownload
2019-2020 US Youth Soccer Annual ReportDownload
Concussion: Procedure and ProtocolDownload
Disciplinary Action and Risk Management Report Form (08.2019)Download
Virtual Referee Development Models, Promising Practices, and GuidelinesDownload
Revolutionizing the Foundations of Player DevelopmentDownload
Taking Your TOPSoccer Programs To The Next LevelDownload
USYS Declaración de UnidadDownload
USYS Unity Statement and PledgeDownload
Save Our SportsDownload
USYS Strategic PlanDownload
US Youth Soccer Application to Host Tournament or GamesDownload
US Youth Soccer Tournament or Games Hosting AgreementDownload
Concussion Notification FormDownload
Medical Release Form (2.18.2020)Download
Medical Release Form – Spanish (5.17.2018)Download
Soccer, Travel and Housing – 2018 and BeyondDownload
TOPSoccer Situational AnalysisDownload
How to Bring Sponsorship Revenue to Your Club or OrganizationDownload
Expanding Your Organziation the Smart WayDownload
Creating an Accurate Club BudgetDownload
US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup – 2018Download
Best Practices in Referee DevelopmentDownload
Funding Your Organization Through RelationshipsDownload
Effective Strategies for ADHD AthletesDownload
How & Why Parent Engagement Must Become a Youth Soccer PriorityDownload
Reducing Parental Sideline Communications and StressDownload
Effective Background Screening Navigating the Challenges and Maximizing the BenefitsDownload
Soccer 2.0: Millennials and Your CauseDownload
TOPSoccer Parents Guide (Espanol)Download
TOPSoccer Rama How to Host a 1 Day EventDownload
U-8 PassingDownload
Parenting Education: Changing the Culture of Youth SportsDownload
Parenting Education: Healthy Fuel for Healthy AthletesDownload
Ability-Based Coaching | David Newbery | 2012 WorkshopDownload
Adaptations for Players with Disabilities | Anne Moore | 2012 WorkshopDownload
Behavior Modification During Training Chris Hershey | 2012 WorkshopDownload
Changing the Club Culture | Tom Goodman | 2012 WorkshopDownload
Native American Soccer | Stephanie Gabbert | 2012 WorkshopDownload
Match Management | Sam Snow | 2012 WorkshopDownload
Analysis and Training of Team Play | Dave Chesler | 2012 WorkshopDownload
What Does a U.S. Soccer Youth National Team Player Look Like | April Heinrichs and Jill Ellis | 2012 WorkshopDownload
How to Write a Training Session PlanDownload
Club Development ManualDownload
U9-U12 Academy FormatDownload
Administrators’ Role in Player DevelopmentDownload
Ethical Coaching: More Than Just Playing FairDownload
Aspiring Towards EliteDownload
Head Games: The Coach and Head InjuryDownload
Player Development ModelDownload
Role of a Club Director of CoachingDownload
Tactical DistributionDownload
TOPSoccer in Your CommunityDownload
Were All in This TogetherDownload
Why Small-Sided Games for American Soccer?Download
Player Development Model (Oct. 2013)Download
Welcome to US Youth Soccer Pamphlet (Spanish)Download
Guia De FutbolDownload
2017 Skills School ManualDownload
Official US Youth Soccer Coaching ManualDownload
Player Development Initiatives (2017)Download
Player Development Model: Spatial AwarenessDownload
Barriers for Coaches | Risk-Management Committee | 2012 WorkshopDownload
Coaching From the Game | Gary Allen | 2012 WorkshopDownload
The American Goalkeeper, Don’t Start Practice Without Them | Bill Stara | 2012 WorkshopDownload
The Elite Soccer Mind Longitudinal Development | Mike Singleton | 2012 WorkshopDownload
Benefits of Coaching Education | David-Carr-Ph.D | 2012 WorkshopDownload
How Do We Measure Success?Download
Club Management: Roles of the Management TeamDownload
Club ModelDownload
Coaching at TournamentsDownload
Recruiting and Retaining Female CoachesDownload
Recreational Player PathwaysDownload
The Game is the Best TeacherDownload
TOPSoccer Coaching Without TearsDownload
TOPSoccer ActivitiesDownload
US Youth Soccer Age Matrix (2016-2025)Download
Player Manual: US Youth Soccer ODPDownload
Coaches Injury OutlineDownload
U-8 DribblingDownload
U-8 Pairs ActivitiesDownload
U-8 ReceivingDownload
U-6 Coordination and BalanceDownload
U-12 DefendingDownload
U-12 PenetrationDownload
U-12 Defending: Pressure & CoverDownload
U-10 Receiving Lofted BallsDownload
U-12 Spatial AwarenessDownload
U-10 TacklingDownload
U-10 Foot Coordination and SpeedDownload
U-6 Coordination and MovementDownload
U-6 DribblingDownload
Parenting Education: A Research Based Case for RecessDownload
Parenting Education: Athlete Collapse GuidelinesDownload
Parenting Education: College Scholarships -The Parents Guide to Coaching AssessmentDownload
Parenting Education: Fostering Good SportsmanshipDownload
Parenting Education: How We Play on Game DayDownload
The Committee Conundrum — Which Ones Do I Need Shorter Meetings, Better-ResultsDownload
Non-Profits and State Associations Leveraging Resources to Serve Non-Traditional Soccer CommunitiesDownload
Safeguarding Your Organization Understanding Soccer Insurance CoveragesDownload
Public Records and Criminal BackgroundsDownload
Youth Injury in SportDownload
Addendum to A Grant Writing Starters Kit for Your Club or OrganizationDownload
Three Keys to Securing a Major Sponsor for Your ClubDownload
A Grant Writing Starters Kit for Your Club or OrganizationDownload
Coaching the Female AthleteDownload
Talent Identification in Soccer: Are There Any Early Markers of SuccessDownload
LA Galaxy Academy Game Principle ProjectDownload
7 Steps to Get Parents to Stop Talking on the SidelinesDownload
Small Sided GamesDownload
Soccer for Social ChangeDownload
Team Management for the Youth Club CoachDownload
Sleep Hygiene for Optimizing RecoveryDownload
TOPSoccer Field-SessionDownload
Self-Training: Ways to Help Athletes Improve Performance on Their OwnDownload
Secrets of the Feyenoord AcademyDownload
Managing TalentDownload
Performance Analysis in SoccerDownload
Perform Better with Life-Kinetik® Brain-Based Training Model for Elite PerformanceDownload
TOPSoccer: Uniting a Community and Serving Children Through the Beautiful GameDownload
Keep the Pool Open: How to Train Players with No Cuts Before U12Download
Zone-1: Nutritional Concerns for Players 6-11Download
United States Futsal FederationDownload
Filling the Recreational Coaches Tool-Box Part 2Download
The Future of Elite Player IdentificationDownload
Goalkeeping Concepts: Teaching Youth Goalkeepers How to Read the GameDownload
Confessions of a Parent Coach How to Recruit and Train UsDownload
Competencies of an Effective CoachDownload
Zone One: Our Future Depends On ItDownload
Nutrition at Tournament TimeDownload
Warriors Not WinnersDownload
Using Build-Out LinesDownload
Is Teaching Character Through Soccer PossibleDownload
Understanding the Physical Demands and Outcomes of Soccer-Specific TrainingDownload
Moving Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Keeping Female Coaches in the GameDownload
Preparing Kids for SuccessDownload
How Parents Can Change the Youth Soccer CultureDownload
Half-Time Strategies: Preparing for the Second PeriodDownload
How Should the Referee Prep for and Recover from a MatchDownload
Recovery: Looking Forward to the Next MatchDownload
The Need to Have a Good Plan for Regeneration and RecoveryDownload
Foundations of the National Youth Soccer LicenseDownload
D.C. United Academy Game ProjectDownload
The Benefits of Women Getting Involved as Youth Soccer CoachesDownload
PCA: Developing a Positive Coaching CultureDownload
Delivering Developmentally Appropriate Skill InstructionDownload
Meeting the Goals of the American Development ModelDownload
How to Create a Goalkeeper Development Program Within Your OrganizationDownload
The Starting 11 of TechnologyDownload
The American Development ModelDownload
Secrets to Making Your Volunteer Program Effective and SustainableDownload
Small-Sided Games: A New RealityDownload
Mental Warmup for Youth SoccerDownload
Last Line of Defense, First Line of AttackDownload
Mandating and Providing Standardized National Coach and Volunteer Training and CertificationDownload
Integrating Developmentally Appropriate Competition Structure Talent Identification ProgramsDownload
Developing Positional UnderstandingDownload
Creating a Pathway of DevelopmentDownload
Communicating with ParentsDownload
Coaching Philosophy StatementDownload
Coaching PhilosophyDownload
Coaching Philosophy — Quality vs. QuantityDownload
Allowing for and Facilitating Free Play in Conjunction with Adult ­Organized Youth SportsDownload
Too Soon: When is Too Soon?Download
Locating and Approaching SponsorsDownload
Funding a Field Complex or Major ProjectDownload
The Senseball Program: Integrating Neuro Didactical Advises into a Ball Mastery ProgramDownload
The Importance of Non-Cognition Functions and the Memory During Soccer Learning ProcessesDownload
Deliberate Play, Deliberate PracticeDownload
Scoring Goals with Social Media v2Download
Winning at Fun: Using the FUN MAPS to Maximize Skill Development and AchievementDownload
The 5 Secrets of Success for Efficient Sustainable Volunteer ProgramsDownload
1099s and Independent Contractors – What You Should KnowDownload
Engaged Coaches, Loyal Members: Integrating Your Mission and OperationsDownload
Youth Academy ProgramDownload
Using Your ReservesDownload
Video Analysis Made SimpleDownload
TOPSoccer: The Role of the BuddyDownload
TOPSoccer 301 – Down-SyndromeDownload
Overcoming Barriers to Participation in TOPSoccerDownload
Sports-Nutrition for the Serious Youth AthleteDownload
Technical Responsibilities of the Club DOCDownload
The Role of the Administrator in Player DevelopmentDownload
The Need to Have a Good Plan for Regeneration and RecoveryDownload
Administrative Responsibilities of the Club DOCDownload
Double-Goal Coach: Coaching for Winning and Life LessonsDownload
Tactical-Technical Functional Training for Central MidfieldersDownload
Single-Digit SoccerDownload
SleepDownload
RecuperationDownload
Relative Age Effect in Elite Youth SoccerDownload
Parent Coaches: What they are, what they should-be (How can we help?)Download
The National Youth License: 20 Year Reflection Lessons LearnedDownload
Off-the-Field Impacts Match Performance NutritionDownload
Attacking from the Flanks – U12Download
Mandatory Coaching LicenseDownload
Leadership: Coaching AwarenessDownload
The Human Development in Player DevelopmentDownload
How to Incorporate Recreation and Academy Programs – Steps for SuccessDownload
Coaching Healthy HabitsDownload
Grassroots Soccer: The Future…Today!Download
Fitness Components of Youth Soccer PlayersDownload
The Drop-Out FactorDownload
The Early Specialization Debate Teaching Games for UnderstandingDownload
Development of a Goalkeeper – The Progression From a Beginning Goalkeeper to a College GoalkeeperDownload
Criteria for Quality InstructionDownload
Building out of the BackDownload
Commitment to Coaching Using the Sport Commitment Model as a Theoretical Framework with Soccer CoachesDownload
Attacking from the FlanksDownload
A Curriculum for PARENT EducationDownload
Attacking from the Flanks DEMODownload
Coaches Guide Help Parents Create Environment of Excellence for Their Child in SoccerDownload
8-a-Side: Building Out of- the Defensive ThirdDownload
A Strong Club Develops All Players from Recreation to AdultDownload
2014 Referee Program UpdateDownload
Sponsor Activation is Fundamental to Enduring PartnershipsDownload
You Teams’ Training SessionDownload
TOPSoccer Coaching Without Tears 1Download
TOPSoccer 301Download
The Game is the GreatestTeacherDownload
The-Elite Player PathwayDownload
The Future of Club Soccer – Implementing a Club Wide CurriculumDownload
The Complete Guide to Small-Sided GamesDownload
The Administrative Role of a-Club-Director-of-CoachingDownload
Speed of Play Coaching BehaviorsDownload
Small Sided Games – What is Going On?Download
Risk-Management for Club CoachesDownload
Recreation Soccer Building Grassroots ProgramsDownload
Sport Psychology: U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship SeriesDownload
Long-Term Player Development in OntarioDownload
Positive Soccer ParentsDownload
Playing Thinking Teaching Choices In AttackDownload
Player DevelopmentDownload
National Youth LicenseDownload
MLS Youth SoccerDownload
Mental Skills for Developing Resilient Soccer PlayersDownload
Managing Your Teams in ChampionshipsDownload
Lifetime Development of a GoalkeeperDownload
Kindersoccer-Thoughts-Concerns-Evidence-RecommendationsDownload
Inside Iran’s Road to Brazil World Cup 2014Download
How Can We Improve Our Recreational Programs?Download
Gold Medal CoachingDownload
Diversity in CoachingDownload
Defensive ShapeDownload
Coaching Efficacy and Culture of the US Youth Soccer National Youth LicenseDownload
Coaches and Referees Improving Relations for the Good of the GameDownload
Implementing a Club-­Wide Parent Education ProgramDownload
The Administrators Role in Player DevelopmentDownload
Academy Style TrainingDownload
Scoring Goals With Social MediaDownload
Why Small-Sided Games for American Soccer?Download
We’re All in this TogetherDownload
TOPSoccer ActivitiesDownload
TOPSoccer in Your CommunityDownload
TOPSoccer Coaching Without TearsDownload
The Role of Play in Player DevelopmentDownload
The Game is the Best TeacherDownload
Olympic Development ProgramDownload
The 11+ The FIFA Injury Prevention InitiativeDownload
Soccer as a Lifetime SportDownload
Tactical DistributionDownload
Recreational Player PathwaysDownload
Role of a Club Director of CoachingDownload
Player Development ModelDownload
Head Games – The Coach and Head InjuryDownload
Improving Communications with the Referee CommunityDownload
Recruiting and Retaining Female CoachesDownload
Aspiring Towards EliteDownload
Ethical Coaching – More Than Just Playing FairDownload
Coaching at TournamentsDownload
Club ModelDownload
Club Management – Roles of the Management TeamDownload
Administrators Role in Player DevelopmentDownload
U9-U12 Academy FormatDownload
Educating Referees in Your State Association | Jeff Kollmeyer | 2013Download
The Most Common Insurance Claims and How to Prevent Them | Pat Dunham | 2013Download
Sample Internal Controls Checklist | 2013Download
Internal-Controls-for-Small-Organizations-Jen-Parker-Director-of-Accounting-Finance-for-US-Youth-Soccer-2013Download
Barriers for Coaches | Risk Management Committee | 2012 WorkshopDownload
US Youth Soccer Brand Standards Guide (10.05.22)Download
National League Brand Guide (v2020)Download
National League Terminology Guide (7.29.20)Download

National Championship Series – Events

2024 Dates & Locations

2024 US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships

June 27 – July 3 • Charleston and Barboursville, West Virginia

MORE
2024 US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships

June 21 – June 26 • Overland Park and Olathe, KS

MORE
2024 US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships

June 21 – June 27 • Tampa and Auburndale, FL

MORE
2024 US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships

June 21 – June 27 • Honolulu, HI

MORE
2024 US Youth Soccer National Championships

July 23 – July 28 • Orlando, FL

MORE

Related Documents

National Championship Series Policy

Rev. 10/16/2023

Concussion Procedure and Protocol Info Form

Rev. 01/14/2022

Photography – Social Media Notice

Rev. 06/13/2022

USYS Social

Follow USYS on Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • TikTok

USYS Events

Upcoming Events

UPCOMING EVENTS
Jul
26
2025 US Youth Soccer Annual General Meeting
All day event
Tag(s): East Region, Midwest Region, South Region, US Youth Soccer, West Region
Sep
25
2025 US Youth Soccer Grassroots Symposium
All day event
Tag(s): East Region, Midwest Region, South Region, US Youth Soccer, West Region
Full Calendar RSS iCal

USYS News

News Headlines

USYS NEWS

Updated Decision on Age Group Formation

News, US Youth Soccer, Youth

Sofia Millner Calvo and Matthew Rosa Receive Goaziou Scholarships

News, US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer, Taka Announce Enhancements to Multi-Year Partnership

News, US Youth Soccer, USYS National League

Chris Bentley Named Director of Education

News, US Youth Soccer

120 National League Reps Punch Tickets to 2025 National Championships

National Championships, US Youth Soccer, USYS National League

Tom Condone Appointed US Youth Soccer CEO

News, US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer Announces Jason Elliott as Director of Events

News, US Youth Soccer
View All RSS

Club Template – All Content

News Headlines

USYS NEWS

Updated Decision on Age Group Formation

News, US Youth Soccer, Youth

Sofia Millner Calvo and Matthew Rosa Receive Goaziou Scholarships

News, US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer, Taka Announce Enhancements to Multi-Year Partnership

News, US Youth Soccer, USYS National League

Chris Bentley Named Director of Education

News, US Youth Soccer

120 National League Reps Punch Tickets to 2025 National Championships

National Championships, US Youth Soccer, USYS National League

Tom Condone Appointed US Youth Soccer CEO

News, US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer Announces Jason Elliott as Director of Events

News, US Youth Soccer
View All RSS

Upcoming Events

UPCOMING EVENTS
Jul
26
2025 US Youth Soccer Annual General Meeting
All day event
Tag(s): East Region, Midwest Region, South Region, US Youth Soccer, West Region
Sep
25
2025 US Youth Soccer Grassroots Symposium
All day event
Tag(s): East Region, Midwest Region, South Region, US Youth Soccer, West Region
Full Calendar RSS iCal

Follow USYS on Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • TikTok

Site Guide

This private page is only available to US Youth Soccer admins and editors. This is where you’ll find helpful tips specific to your website. This page is not in the navigation, so bookmark /site-guide for future reference.

IN YOUR VIDEO LIBRARY

Basic WP Knowledge

If you’re new to CMS platforms or WordPress, this a great spot to build a foundation. You’ll see it’s not specific to your site, but you’ll get a good overview of concepts and terms.

Video Tutorials Overview
  • How to create a New Article
  • How to create Links and Buttons
  • How to add a PDF, Video, or Audio file
  • How to add a tag to an Article
  • How to create pages
  • How to create custom menus
  • How to add widgets
  • How to create/assign a Homepage
  • How to Customize your Theme
  • How to Install Plugins
  • What are Text Blocks
  • What are Media related blocks
  • What are Design related blocks
  • What are Widget related blocks
  • What are Block Patterns
  • How to Manage Comments
  • How to add new users
  • How to edit your profile
  • WP Tools and Settings
IN THIS SITE GUIDE

USYS Guidelines

This site guide is more focused training specific to US Youth Soccer website.

Site Guide Overview
  • WP Users
  • WP Powerhouses
  • Menus
  • Content
  • Page Basics
  • Posts
  • Reusable Content
  • Make it look Good
  • Third-Party Code
  • Maintaining accessibility
  • Maintaining Performance
  • Notes on SEO
MANAGING

WP Users

Start with the WordPress basics

WP Users are managed separately from users in SportsEngine HQ. Add new users

  • Admin: Can manage all users and content throughout US Youth Soccer
  • Editor: Can edit content throughout US Youth Soccer
  • Subscriber: This level will be viewers of portal content
Watch Video 28 Library
Log in at /wp-admin

WordPress VIP is different than WordPress. Don’t log in with WordPress.com. Instead, use the username/password option.

Send these instructions to a new admin

Hi [new editor],

I’ve added you as an editor to our US Youth Soccer website. A system-generated invitation email was sent to [email address used during user setup] from donotreply@wpvip.com (check spam, if needed). (No need to create your own WordPress login at wordpress.com.) Once you click the confirmation link, your account will be created and you’ll set up a password. Note, the confirmation link will expire in a few days.

You’ll log in here https://vip.sportsengine.com/usa-softball/wp-admin

Now that you have access, it’s time to dive into WordPress training (located within the Dashboard of our website, under the tab “Video Tutorials“). This week you’ll want to carve out time to watch all of the training videos at least once, which should take about an hour.  These videos are very basic WP concepts but will help familiarize you with key terms.

More US Youth Soccer training content is housed on our Site Guide https://(insert-your-domain-here)/site-guide/

If you have questions, you can start by emailing Nick. If we’re stuck, we can reach out to websites@sportsengine.com for technical assistance.

Manage groups (portal access)

We manage access to our portals via Groups in the Dashboard.

Create a new Group by clicking the New Group button. A name is all that’s required before saving.

To add an existing user to an existing group, check the box next to their username in the Users section of the Dashboard. You can check multiple users at a time. Select the needed group(s) and “Add to group” before clicking “Apply.”

After a user logs in, if they are part of a Group, they will be redirected to the page URL that matches the Group’s name. For example, a user in the Umpires group will be redirected to /umpires/. If the page does not exist, they will land on the site’s homepage.

START HERE

WP Powerhouses

Dashboard

The WordPress Dashboard is your website’s control center, offering a comprehensive range of management options. It provides access to settings, user management, and content creation tools. view of the WordPress dashboard

It serves as the central hub for managing your entire website.

Watch Video 1
Customizer

The Customizer tool focuses specifically on customizing your website’s global appearance. It allows you to modify your menu, global ads, widgets, and other visual elements. With the Customizer, you can preview changes in real-time before applying them, ensuring you can fine-tune your site’s look to perfection.

Admin Bar

The admin bar is a convenient toolbar that appears at the top of your website when you’re logged in as an administrator. It provides quick access to essential functions, such as adding new posts or pages, moderating comments, and accessing the Dashboard directly while you browse your website.

BUILDING + MANAGING

Menus

Start with the WordPress basics

You have full control to build menus as you need:

  • Pages aren’t automatically added to menus. As you create pages, you can decide if they should live in your navigation or not
  • Menus can accommodate various types of content including pages, posts (like rosters, videos, articles), or links (internal or external)

“Menus” includes your main mega menu, secondary menu, and footer.

Menus can be updated in two areas:

  • Appearance Menus
  • Customizer Menus
    • The advantage of the latter is that it allows updates to be made while previewing them on the site, as well as that it allows the easy creation of pages when adding pages.
Watch Video 15 Library
Manage your main navigation button

This button title and target are updated in the Customizer Header & Navigation Featured Slot 2. When changing the title, MAKE IT ALL CAPS to match site design.

Manage your secondary menu

The link titles and targets are managed within Menus “Header Menu – Secondary Menu”

The search icon can be toggled on/off in the Customizer Header & Navigation Secondary Menu Featured Slot 1

Manage your footer

Your footer links are made up of three menus, one for each column. Edit the link titles and targets in Appearance Menus.

The other footer items are managed in the Customizer Footer Settings, but we don’t recommend changing those.

BUILDING + MANAGING

Content

Start with the WordPress basics

You have full control to build Pages and Posts as you need:

  • Pages and Posts aren’t automatically added to menus.
  • As you create Pages and Posts, you can decide if they should live in your navigation or not
  • Menus can accommodate various types of content including pages, posts (like rosters, videos, articles), or links (internal or external)
Watch Video 5
Watch Video 14
TIP: Use the Document Overview

Toggle on the Document Overview view for a comprehensive look at the components on your page. From here you can click to select one or many blocks (by using the shift key). You can group items, move items, copy blocks, copy block settings. It can be easier to make some changes via this list than within the page content.

TIP: Copy + paste blocks/styles

It’s been done before, so don’t start from scratch! It’s possible to copy and paste a block or a set of blocks. This is a great way to repeat design elements to ensure the site design is consistent.

  • When a block (or blocks, using the shift key) is selected, select the three vertical dots to the right. (This could be in the block menu within the page content editor OR the block menu in the Document Overview view.)
  • Then click copy block(s).
  • Navigate to where you want to build the new content and click to place your cursor.
  • Use keyboard shortcuts to paste it. Command + v on Mac; Ctrl + v for PC.
BUILDING + MANAGING

Page Basics

Start with the WordPress basics

Be sure to watch both video linked below to understand the differences between Pages and Posts

Watch Video 2 Library
Editing a slug

The slug is the portion of the URL that refers to that specific page. Generally speaking, slugs tend to be very similar to the original title. When you give a post, page, category, or tag a title, WordPress will generate a slug automatically.

For consistency, the US Youth Soccer website uses hyphens (-) for spaces in multi-word slugs.

An admin can change the slug for a page/post in the sidebar settings, under the Post/Page → ‘Summary’ section. Clicking the URL will display a panel with the permalink and the slug:

Editor settings showing the URL area, and displaying a text field to change the custom slug.

If you’d like to find the slug for a category or tag, visit Posts → Categories or Posts → Tags in the Dashboard.

Dashboard sidebar settings for Posts, with options to edit categories and tags.

Once you’ve loaded the Category or Tag page, you’ll see a listing on the right of all your current items. The Slug column will display the slug for each category.

Categories dashboard displaying columns of different items, including a column for page slugs.
Publishing options for pages and posts

The publishing options for pages and posts allow you to control when and how your content is published on your website.

Status

  • Draft (default upon page creation)
  • Published

Visibility

  • Private (admin-only)
  • Password-protected (type a password to see this content)
  • Restricted (login to see this portal content)

Pages and posts can also be scheduled to publish by choosing a specific publish date and time.

Watch Video 12 Library
Hiding a page title

If you want the page published but don’t want the page title to display, you can hide the title. (Don’t delete the title as it is helpful for navigation and SEO). This is a bit more hidden feature, but here’s how to find it:

  • From edit mode on a page, click “Genesis” in the upper right (Genesis is the planet-looking icon)
  • Under Title, check the box next to Hide Title
  • Update the page to republish
BUILDING + MANAGING

Posts

Start with the WordPress basics

Posts are specialized content with some settings and styles already configured. You will be able to fully control the Posts that appear on your site.

Watch Video 5 Library
Roster Pages

Roster posts will be displayed on the frontend on the Roster page. Roster posts can be accessed on the backend by clicking on Roster in the left-hand sidebar. 

Adding Team Types

If there are multiple Teams needed such as Men and Women, click Type under Roster.

Individual Roster posters are referred to as Team Member posts. 

When adding a new Team Type, give it a Title.  The title should be the name of the Team Type (Men, Women’s, Juniors, etc). On this page you can also choose the Sort Order of the Team Members within this type. Choose from (alphabetical – first name, alphabetical – last name, or jersey number)

Adding Team Members

To add a new Team Member post, click the Add New Team Member button.

When adding a Team Member post, give it a Title. The Title should be the name of the Team Member. Below the Title is the block editor, which can be ignored, as it isn’t used for Team Members.

When adding a Team Member post, fill out the Team Member Details section, with the Uniform Number, Sponsor, & Social Media fields. Additionally complete the Roster Years, Position, and Featured Image sections. More details on these steps can be found below.

Adding Roster Types

If you have more than one roster (i.e. Men’s & Women’s) a Roster Type can be built for each. Then, when adding a player to a roster, the type can be tagged to each player, similar to position. When adding pages from the Menu, a ‘Type’ can be added to the Menu, then dragged with in the sub-menu.


Adding a Uniform Number

To add a Uniform Number to a Team Member post, look in the Team Member Details section for the Details heading – the Uniform Number field is nested below. Add the appropriate number to the field. 

Adding a Sponsor

To add a Sponsor to a Team Member post, look in the Team Member Details section for the Sponsor heading. An Image (Sponsor logo), Text (Sponsor name), & Link (Sponsor website) can all be added here. Use the “Attach a File” button to add the Image. Enter the Sponsor name in the Text field. Enter the Sponsor website URL to the Link field, being sure to include https:// as part of the link.

Adding Social Media

To add Social Media links to a Team Member post, look in the Team Member Details section for the Social Media heading. For each network which will be included, enter the URL to the team member’s profile link, being sure to include https:// as part of the link.

Adding Roster Years

To apply Roster Years to a Team Member post, look in the right-hand sidebar for the Roster Years section. Click the downwards caret to expand the section. To select a Roster Year, check the box next to the appropriate year. If the desired year isn’t displayed, click the “Add New Roster Year” link, which will reveal a field to enter a name (year) and a button to add it. 

Adding Positions

To apply a Position to a Team Member post, look in the right-hand sidebar for the Positions section. Click the downwards caret to expand the section. To select a Position, check the box next to the appropriate position. If the desired position isn’t displayed, click the “Add New Position” link, which will reveal a field to enter a name and a button to add it. 

Adding a Featured Image

To add a Featured Image to a Team Member post, look in the right-hand sidebar for the Featured Image section. Click the downwards caret to expand the section. Click the “Set Featured Image” button which will reveal the Media Library popup. For more information on adding a Featured Image, please refer to the following video tutorial: Add a Featured Image. The information detailed in that video is universal and can be applied to all post types which use a Featured Image, such as the Team Member posts.

If you only add a Featured Image to the right-hand sidebar, the image will apply to both the Banner and Card image. If you’d like to have a unique image for both sections, navigate below the Team Player information to the Team Member Details section. You can add a new Banner image here that will display above the Player Information.. The Featured image will then only display on the main News page card. If you’d prefer not to have a Banner image at all, you can select Disable Banner Image

Sorting Teams, Positions and Players

To sort the order of one Roster team only, go to Appearance > Customizer > Roster Archive Order.

To sort the order of multiple teams, go to Appearance > Menus > Type > Select all Team Types you’d like to add. You can then click and drag to order the new tabs into the Menu as you’d like.To sort Position order go to Term Order > Order Position. You can click and drag for custom sorting, or choose between Other Auto Sort choices (alphabetical, slug, post count)

Videos

Video posts will be displayed on the frontend on the Video page. Video posts can be accessed on the backend by clicking on Video in the left-hand sidebar. To add a new Video post, click the Add New Video button.

When adding a Video post, give it a Title. Below the title, embed a video by pasting a YouTube URL directly into the block editor, such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnytgioRkNQ. Alternatively, a YouTube embed block can be used to add the YouTube URL. If any other content is to be added beyond the video, additional blocks can be inserted below the YouTube video. For more information on adding blocks and using the block editor, please refer to the following video tutorial: The Block Editor. The information detailed in that video is universal and can be applied to all post types which use the block editor, such as the Video posts.

It is not necessary to include a Featured Image with a Video post, as the embedded video will be displayed in place of an image on the archive page.

Articles

News posts will be displayed on the frontend on the News page. News posts can be accessed on the backend by clicking on News in the left-hand sidebar. To add a new News post, click the Add New News Article button.

When adding a News post, give it a Title. Below the title, add to the body of the post by adding blocks. For more information on adding blocks and using the block editor, please refer to the following video tutorial: The Block Editor. The information detailed in that video is universal and can be applied to all post types which use the block editor, such as the News posts.Additionally, when adding a News post, give it a News Tag, a Sponsor, and a Featured Image. More details on these steps can be found below

Tagging a News Article

Tagging a news article will allow you to control where articles show on your site. This can be accomplished through matching the tag applied to the news article itself as well as matching that tag within a “SE Event Aggregator” block on a desired page.

To apply a tag to a news article, first start by clicking on the ‘news’ tab in your dashboard. From there, locate the article you wish to tag and click ‘quick edit’. From there, choose the tag you wish to apply to the article. Then save the changes.

Once the article is tagged, it will now appear in any event aggregator that is set to pull articles with the matching tag.

Adding Sponsors

To apply a Sponsor to a News post, look in the right-hand sidebar for the Sponsor section. Click the downwards caret to expand the section. To select a Sponsor, check the box next to the appropriate Sponsor. If the desired Sponsor isn’t displayed, click the “Add New Sponsor” link, which will reveal a field to enter a name and a button to add it. 

Adding a Featured Image

To add a Featured Image to a News post, look in the right-hand sidebar for the Featured Image section. Click the downwards caret to expand the section. Click the “Set Featured Image” button which will reveal the Media Library popup. For more information on adding a Featured Image, please refer to the following video tutorial: Add a Featured Image. The information detailed in that video is universal and can be applied to all post types which use a Featured Image, such as the News posts.If you only add a Featured Image to the right-hand sidebar, the image will apply to both the Banner and Card image. If you’d like to have a unique image for both sections, navigate below the news article content to the Article Display Modifications section. You can add a new Banner image here that will display above the News Article Post. The Featured image will then only display on the main News page card. If you’d prefer not to have a Banner image at all, you can select Disable Banner Image

Events

Events can be displayed on the front end of your site through the use of the “SE Event Aggregator” block. To ensure that an event you have created appears on a particular event aggregator, you will need to add the matching ‘Event Category’ to both the event itself and to the event aggregator.

Creating an Event

To create an event, navigate to your dashboard, then click the ‘Events’ tab on the left side menu. From there, click ‘add new’ at the top of the screen.

From there, fill out the relevant information for the event:

  • Name
  • Description of the event
  • Date and Time
  • Location details
  • Organizer information
  • Cost for the event (If needed)
  • Event Category (if you dont have any, follow the steps below under “Create an Event Category”)

Once the information has been filled out with the relevant event information, click the ‘publish’ button on the right side of the page.

NOTE: Be sure to publish all events immediately, as scheduling an event to publish at a future date will cause the event to not show up on any event aggregator until the set publish date.

Creating an Event Category

To create an event category, first click on the ‘Event Categories’ tab in the left side dashboard menu. From there, type in the name of the category in the ‘name’ text box. Then scroll down and click ‘add new event category’. Once the event category has been added, it will appear along with any other categories you have created in the table on the right side of the screen.

Adding a category to an Aggregator

To ensure an event shows up on the aggregator of your choosing, navigate to the page where your desired event aggregator is and click the ‘edit page’ button at the top of the page. From there, locate and click on the event aggregator in the ‘document overview’ menu. Once you have the event aggregator selected, navigate over to the right side ‘block editor’. Locate the Event Categories setting and ensure that only the Categories of events you want to display are selected.

For example, if you have a division structure broken up by age, you can make an age related tag, such as U18. Then on your U18 division page, you can add an event aggregator to show only the events that are relevant to the U18 division.

To do this, you would start by creating a U18 event category. From there, you would add an event aggregator, ensuring that the U18 event category is selected in the block editor. Then any event created for the U18 division would also have the U18 category added. If done correctly, only U18 events will appear in the event aggregator on the U18 page.

BUILDING + MANAGING

Reusable Content

Content Templates

Access by appending `wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=sec_content_template` to the end of the site url.

Content Templates are reusable templates that can be utilized to speed up the process of adding content in a consistent manner when creating a new post. These can be added to any Parent or Child site for use.

Creating a new Content Template

To create a new Content Template, go to Content Template and click the Add New Template button. 

On the next screen, you will be presented with the block editor interface. Give your Content Template a title, so that you will be able to identify the particular template from a list later. Next, add content that you wish to reuse when creating new posts. For example, you may wish to include paragraphs, headings, images, or a gallery. You may also wish to configure more complex layouts at this stage, such as columns or groups, so that it will be easier to incorporate those types of layouts when selecting the template for use later. When you’re finished configuring your template, click the Publish button. 

Editing an existing Content Template

After a Content Template has been created, it can later be selected for editing. To edit, go to Content Template and click on the title of the template you wish to edit. On the next screen, make adjustments to your layout as needed. For example, you may wish to reorder your content, add a quote to a layout, or add some additional images. When finished making your edits, click the Update button. Any changes made to an existing Content Template will only be applied to future uses of the template. Any instances of the template having been added to a post will not be affected. 

Using a published Content Template

To use a Content Template, you would go to a Post (or a page). You can use an existing post or add a new post. To access the available Content Templates, look towards the top-right corner of the site for the square mosaic grid icon. Click this to reveal any published Content Templates. 

To load a template to your post, click the plus icon next to the Content Template you wish to use. You will see a popup note that states: “Apply this template? This will append the selected template to the content in the editor.” Click the Apply button to proceed. Once the Content Template has been added to your post, you can edit the content as needed. Editing the content once it’s been added to a post will only edit this specific content. The template itself will stay preserved to be reused again. You are free to add any additional content or remove any of the template content, as needed. Be sure to Save or Publish your work when finished.

Patterns

Block Patterns are a collection of predefined blocks that you can insert into pages and posts and then customize with your own content. Using a Block Pattern is an easy way to create beautiful layouts that combine different blocks to produce professional designs.

To take a look at the block patterns available, follow these steps:

  1. From your dashboard, go to Pages or Posts and click any page or post to edit it.
  2. In the editor, click the + Block Inserter in the top left corner.
  3. Click on the Patterns tab.
  4. Browse through the patterns. You can click to view collections of patterns within a specific category, or click the Explore all patterns button at the bottom of that section to open the patterns in a new, larger, window.
  5. Click on any pattern once and it will be added to your page at the location of your cursor.

Using a Block Pattern

If you find a block pattern that you like, click it once to insert it to your page. The full pattern of blocks is then inserted into the page at the location of your cursor.

Once you insert a Block Pattern, you can change the content as much as you’d like.

Watch video 25
Reusable Block

Create a Reusable Block

You can turn any individual or group of blocks into reusable blocks. For example, let’s say you have a Paragraph block that you often fill with the same text and place at the end of your posts. To avoid rewriting the same content each time, you can make this content into a reusable block by following these steps:

  1. Select the block you’ll want to reuse.
  2. Click on the three dots that appear in the toolbar.
  3. Click on Create Reusable block.
  4. Give it a name.
  5. Click Save.

How to apply a Reusable Block

Create another post/page where you want to insert it. Click on the plus icon in the top-left toolbar, visit the “Reusable” icon and select the reusable block you want to use.

Disclaimer*: Updating a reusable block in one location will update ALL instances of that reusable block across your site.

BUILD CONTENT BUT

Make It Look Good

Approved Mockups

Here’s what US Youth Soccer website looked like at launch:

SEE MOCKUPS
Block Style Guide

There are so many block options in WordPress. To help you maintain consistent content, review the Block Style Guide.

Image Recommendations

Cropping Files Keep in mind that the exact pixel size does not matter as much as the ratio. All images will scale down to the horizontal width of their column. As long as all images in same row are the same ratio, they will display the same height.

Saving Files When saving out your file, make sure that the resolution or dpi is not more than 72. Also, make sure you are saving it as a web file like a jpg or png. Only save out as a png if image needs to have a transparent background. Jpgs are smaller file sizes and are more efficient for your website’s load speed.

Optimizing Files Make sure you optimize the file with a tool like ImageOptim. This will shrink the file size without impacting quality. All these little steps will really help keep the page load speed from being negatively impacted. 

Image Sizes These size recommendations serve as a guide for appropriate image sizing for images uploaded to the pre-formatted elements of the site. Uploading images that are different in aspect ratio from the intended display space will cause cropping of the image. In many cases this cropping will be minimal, but in some cases can crop essential parts of the image.

For example, a rectangular image won’t fit into a square view port without cropping the excess image.

Reducing the scale of images is essential to keeping a website loading quickly. Modern digital images taken with cell phones or digital cameras create images that are way larger than needed for website display, so uploading images without resizing will quickly add up and slow down the website performance.

For a free online resource for resizing images:

https://www.adobe.com/express/

For further image ratio and sizing information:

https://calculateaspectratio.com/

ElementAspect RatioWidth x Height (pixels)
CTA ad image next to Leaderboard Ad5:3300 x 180
Full width billboard image21:92000 x 857, 1800 x 772
Call to Action (CTA)3:2600 x 400, 450 x 300, 300 x 200
News image (for card and article page)3:21800 x 1200, 1500 x 1000
Event card16:9400 x 225, 320 x 180
A NOTE ON

Third-party Code

Disclaimer

As SportsEngine does not own or control third-party code, there may be style or function limitations outside our control.  

Further, using third-party code may conflict with the platform and site design code already running on US Youth Soccer and may impact site function or performance.

Google Ad Blocks

There is a custom post type called Google Ads. Go to Add New Google Ad to add a Title, Ad Tag Slot, Ad Tag Div ID, Width and Height.

Step 2 – Optional – On the Customizer page, there is an area called Google Ad Globals. From there you will see one dropdown for Desktop and one for Mobile. Each dropdown contains the posts set up in step 1. 

Step 3 – On an individual page, add the block called SE – Google Ads. On the right sidebar you’ll see a few dropdowns, again, one for Desktop and one for Mobile. If you have selected global ads from the customizer (step 2), these will be your defaults. No more action required. If you don’t want to set globals, or you want to override your global settings, you can select a different ad from the dropdown. Those are also pulled from the post types set up in step 1. Finally, if for whatever reason you really want to add in your tag slots and div ids manually, you can override all the above settings and add those in the text areas below the dropdowns.Any custom css needed to style the ads can be added in the Style textarea. The <style></style> tags are not required.

Leaderboard Ad + Square Ad

The leaderboard ad and square ad are displayed at the top of each page, above the navigation. It is possible to add either a custom image and link, or a Google Ad, into this slot. To add or update the leaderboard ad, go to Appearance -> Customizer, and select the Leaderboard Ad section.

The first option is Display Leaderboard which can be used to turn the ad slot off entirely. Below that, there is an option to add a Google Ad slot, which can output both a 970×90 desktop ad and a 320×50 mobile ad, which will automatically display in the right mobile context. For each Ad type, add the Tag Slot and Div Id.

If you would rather use a custom image and link, upload an image to the Image field and add a URL to the Link field.

Tracking Codes + Snippets

Instead of adding your tracking codes into the Header or Footer script area, we have added a panel on the Customizer > Tracking Scripts and Snippets. This now includes an option for Facebook Pixel ID, Google Analytics ID, and Google Tag Manager ID. When adding to these sections the ‘ID’ is only necessary. If you have tracking codes outside of these options, then using the Header/Footer script area will be necessary.

MAINTAINING

Accessibility

Disclaimer

While WordPress provides tools and features to support accessibility, it is important to note that maintaining site accessibility ultimately rests with the site administrators. It is the responsibility of the site owners and administrators to utilize the available tools, follow best practices, and ensure that their WordPress site is accessible to all users.

Alt text

The Alt Text helps visually-impaired users of screen readers because it is a textual description of what is in the image. The alt text is also read by search engine crawlers.

You can write Alt Text for an image in the settings of the Image block.

You can also update Alt Text for all images within the Media Library. We suggest a regular audit to ensure your maintaining the site’s accessibility.

Contrast

Fonts and colors are essential components on your site, adding personality and style and strengthening your visual identity online. Avoid font styles and sizes and color palettes that make your site difficult to read, and pay attention to contrast, or the difference between the darkness of your text and the lightness of your background.

The editor will display an error message in Color settings when it detects poor color contrast in the specific block you’re working on:

Content Structure

Utilize proper HTML heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content hierarchically. This helps screen readers understand the organization and flow of information on your site.

Descriptive Link Text

Instead of using generic link text like “click here,” use descriptive text that conveys the purpose or destination of the link. This allows screen reader users to understand the context and relevance of the link.

Keyboard Navigation

Test and ensure that all interactive elements on your site, such as menus, buttons, and forms, can be accessed and operated using only the keyboard. This is important for users who rely on keyboard navigation due to mobility impairments.

Screen Reader Tests

To assess the accessibility of your site, you can use screen reader testing tools. One popular option is the NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) screen reader, which is free to download and use. Install NVDA on your computer, navigate to your site, and test its usability by interacting with various elements using the screen reader.

MAINTAINING

Performance

Disclaimer

While WordPress provides tools and plugins to optimize site performance, it is important to note that maintaining site performance ultimately lies with the site administrators. It is the responsibility of the site owners and administrators to utilize the available tools, implement best practices, and regularly monitor and optimize their WordPress site for optimal performance.

Media Library

Keep your media library organized and free from unnecessary files. Only upload and use images and media files that are required for your site. (You can use one file on multiple pages and posts; only upload assets once.) Regularly review and delete any unused or redundant media files to keep your media library streamlined.

Performance is based on what’s on the whole site, not just a single page.

Image Optimization

Compress and optimize images before uploading them to your WordPress site. See more under Build Content but Make it Look Good.

NBC Sports Next’s Standards

We consistently minify and combine our CSS and JavaScript files to reduce file sizes. We also manage (and limit) the plugins on your site.

MAINTAINING

SEO

Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is already a plugin already activated on your site and is there to help you optimize your site’s content and keywords. A lot of what Yoast SEO does is automated, but still needs your input and some planning.

You’ll see the tool display on every page. The plugin gives you a score, tells you what problems there are and how to improve your content for SEO.

Friendly name slugs

Friendly names contribute to SEO. Read the overview in Page Basics section.

No follow, no index

The “no follow” attribute is used when you want to instruct search engines not to follow a specific link, while “no index” is utilized in the robots.txt file to prevent search engine bots from crawling and indexing specific pages or directories on a WordPress site.

“No follow” is a toggle available when you’re setting a link target.

“No index” would be CSS added to a Page Settings.

Making a page private does restrict access to the page for non-logged-in users. However, it does not inherently prevent search engines from crawling or indexing the page. By default, search engines may still discover and index private pages, particularly if they are linked from other publicly accessible pages.

If you want to ensure that a page is not crawlable by search engines, in addition to making it private, you can also add a “noindex” directive. This can be achieved by using a plugin that allows you to set the “noindex” meta tag for specific pages, or by modifying the page template to include the “noindex” meta tag manually.

OUR PARTNERS

US Youth Soccer

QUICK LINKS

  • Contact Us
  • About US Youth Soccer
  • US Youth Soccer Programs
  • Resources
  • USYS University
  • Partners
  • Bylaws and Policies

MEDIA

  • News
  • Video
  • USYS Media

FOLLOW USYS

Privacy Policy
This website is powered by SportsEngine's Sports Relationship Management (SRM) software, and is owned and subject to the US Youth Soccer privacy policy.
Powered by SportsEngine