This past weekend, NJ Youth Soccer joined State Associations across the country in supporting a historic step to make US Youth Soccer (USYS) part of U.S. Soccer, bringing the organizations closer together to invest more in local soccer and create better experiences for players and families. USYS State Associations voted, virtually unanimously, to approve the change during their Annual General Meeting, kicking off the integration process on September 1st. The decision brings USYS’s decades of experience and reach across youth soccer together with U.S. Soccer’s resources and national scale. Click here for additional background on this announcement.
What This Means for Soccer in New Jersey
State Associations will work closely with U.S. Soccer and USYS to help shape the future of soccer in communities around the country. The goal is a stronger, more connected soccer system that can:
- Bring more resources and investment to soccer locally.
- Strengthen State Associations and their ability to support and grow the game in their communities.
- Create more opportunities for people to play and stay in the game.
- Better support clubs, leagues, coaches and referees serving players every day.
- Make soccer easier for families to understand and navigate.
- Connect local communities more directly to U.S. Soccer and the resources, expertise and opportunities available nationally.
The integration is part of U.S. Soccer’s broader Pathways Strategy, which brings together members and stakeholders from across the country to create a more connected future for the game. For NJ Youth Soccer, that future starts locally — building on the work already happening in our communities and creating the support, investment and opportunities to help soccer reach even more children across New Jersey.