The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is the oldest non-profit (501c3) and leading grassroots youth soccer program in the country. For 60 years, AYSO has given kids the opportunity to be introduced to the beautiful game of soccer.

AYSO was the first organization to give female athletes an equal opportunity in sports, predating Title IX.

VISION: To provide world class youth soccer programs that enrich children’s lives.

MISSION: Develop and deliver quality youth soccer programs which promote a fun, family environment based on AYSO’s Six Philosophies.

AYSO Regions are community-run soccer programs, essentially local soccer clubs. They can have less than a hundred players or several thousand! Each Region is run by a volunteer Regional Commissioner and a volunteer Regional Board. Regions are responsible for recruiting volunteers to coach and referee, running practices and games, finding and allocating field space, facilitating registration, managing finances, and parent communication.

AYSO Regions are commonly referred to as our Core Program. Teams are formed and match schedules created by player age groups. Our programs run from 4U (3 year olds) to 19U (up to18 years old). Training sessions and match days are set by the local volunteers who run the program.



AYSO PROGRAMS

AYSO’s Player Pathway allows for players of all ages and skill levels to develop and progress within the game of soccer, as a team and as individuals.

Learn about our Programs.

AYSO's Vision is to provide world class youth soccer programs that enrich children’s lives.

AYSO's Mission is to develop and deliver quality youth soccer programs which promote a fun, family environment based on AYSO's Six Philosophies:

• Everyone Plays - Our goal is for kids to play soccer. So we mandate that every player on every team must play at least half of every game.
• Balanced Teams - We require every region at the start of each season to set up teams as evenly balanced as possible - because it's more fun when teams of equal ability play.
• Positive Coaching - The way to make winning kids is by building them up, not down. We train and encourage our coaches to make the extra effort to understand and offer positive help to our players, rather than negative criticism.
• Open Registration - Our programs are open to all children between the ages of 4 and 18 who want to register and play soccer. Interest and enthusiasm are the only criteria for playing.
• Good Sportsmanship - We desire to create a positive environment based on mutual respect, rather than a win-at-all-costs attitude. All our programs must be designed to instill good sportsmanship in every facet of AYSO.
• Player Development - We believe that all players should be able to develop their soccer skills and knowledge to the best of their abilities, both individually and as members of a team, in order to maximize their enjoyment of the game.

The core values which guide the American Youth Soccer Organization are:

• Fun for all
• Education for all
• Ethics for all
• Accessible to all

The mission is accomplished by providing these essential services to the Areas and Regions in Section 2:

• Coaching and referee programs including quality delivery systems
• Quality administrative and operating systems with a support network
• Strong financial position
• Special network for volunteers, supported by a national staff
• Program research and development