The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is one of the two main national organizations in youth
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
in the United States for children aged 4 through 19.
AYSO was established as a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
organization in Torrance (a suburb of Los Angeles, California) at Jefferson Elementary School in 1964 with nine teams. Today the organization claims membership of over 50,000 teams, with over 630,000 participants.
AYSO is Headquartered in
Torrance,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
and has developed local programs known as "Regions" in all 50
states, the
U.S. Virgin Islands, and
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
. The organization is run primarily by
volunteer
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
s at its constituent local levels, with approximately 20 paid employees at its national headquarters.
Notable players who started their careers in AYSO programs include
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is an American former professional soccer player. Donovan is also the co-founder and vice-president of soccer operations for USL Championship side San Diego Loyal SC, and serves as strategic advisor fo ...
,
Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Manuel Bocanegra (born May 25, 1979) is an American sports executive and former professional soccer player. A two-time MLS Defender of the Year, Bocanegra also played professionally in England, Scotland, France, and Spain. He earned over 1 ...
,
Julie Foudy
Julie Maurine Foudy ( ; born January 23, 1971) is an American retired soccer midfielder, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. She played for the United States women's national soccer team from 1988 to 2004 ...
,
Eric Wynalda
Eric Boswell Wynalda (born June 9, 1969) is an American soccer coach, television commentator, and retired player. He was formerly an analyst and color commentator for soccer coverage on Fox Sports 1 and ESPN. Previously, he served as head coach ...
,
Shannon Boxx
Shannon Leigh Boxx Spearman (; born June 29, 1977) is an American retired soccer player and former member of the United States women's national soccer team, playing the defensive midfielder position. She last played club soccer for the Chicago Re ...
,
Brian Ching
Brian Ching (born May 24, 1978) is an American former professional soccer player who played for twelve years in Major League Soccer and represented the U.S. national team for eight years.
Ching's professional career began when he was the 16th ...
,
Alex Morgan
Alexandra Morgan Carrasco (born Alexandra Patricia Morgan; July 2, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker and captains for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of ...
,
Kristen Graczyk,
Natasha Kai
Natasha Kanani Janine Kai (born May 22, 1983) is an American professional soccer forward and Olympic gold medalist. She previously played for Sky Blue FC and the Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer and National Women's Socc ...
, and
Amy Rodriguez
Amy Joy Rodriguez Shilling (; born February 17, 1987) is an American retired professional soccer player who last played as a forward for North Carolina Courage in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She previously played for NWSL teams Ut ...
.
Structure
AYSO is a California
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
corporation. Local programs, which are called regions, are not separately incorporated. However, they are given significant autonomy in management of their operations, as long as they are in compliance with AYSO's Bylaws, National Rules and Regulations, and Policy Statements. Each region is managed by a regional commissioner in conjunction with a regional board. Groups of regions in close proximity comprise an "area", which is managed by an area director in conjunction with an area board. Areas are grouped into 14 "sections", each managed by a section director in conjunction with a section board. In addition, some regions administered directly by the national office, particularly
those outside the United States, are part of the so-called "Section 99".
The governing body of AYSO is its national board of directors (NBOD), which operates similarly to other boards of directors. Additionally, AYSO also has a number of national commissions, and their respective chairpersons, provide the national president and national board of directors with advice and recommendations on coaching, refereeing, management, tournaments, marketing, eAYSO and development. The advice includes analysis of the impact of proposed or actual program changes including cost and financial impact at the national and local levels; on the specific discipline and community of practice; on other disciplines and national programs; on the standing and perception of AYSO as a national organization within the greater soccer and sports communities and on other potential or actual partners and like-minded organizations.
The AYSO Office
The AYSO Office is located in
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the m ...
.
AYSO divides the country into 14 geographic sections based on player population. Section directors are responsible for activities in their respective section, ensuring that areas and regions comply with all AYSO fundamentals and deliver quality programs.
Programs
Coaching program
The AYSO coaching program provides training and certification resources to volunteer coaches. The program is designed to promote one of AYSO's guiding 6 Philosophies, namely "Positive Coaching". Age-specific coaching courses provide training for coaches at every level of experience using manuals, handouts and outlines, supplemented by local instruction programs, camps and clinics held throughout the country, throughout the year.
Officiating program
The AYSO officiating program provides training for volunteer referees in more than just the Laws of the Game to help ensure officiated games are safe and enjoyable for everyone: the players, the coaches, the spectators, and the referees. There are Six levels of AYSO referee training with
USSF cross-certification. Training for referee instructors, administrators and assessors are provided using online resources including video and workbooks for new referees supplemented by local instruction. The AYSO Officiating Program also includes a youth referee program. The youth referee program provides kids with the opportunity to earn service hours.
Management program
The AYSO management program is designed to facilitate the smooth running of AYSO at the local level by providing practical management training for its volunteers. Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced Regional Management courses teach AYSO's league administrators how to manage their local programs. AYSO also provides in-depth operational manuals to assist administrators at every level their AYSO program. The Board and Staff Introductory Certification (BASIC) audiovisual presentation gives regional volunteers a basic understanding of their duties.
AYSO EXPO
The AYSO EXPO is an educational conference conducted annually for each of AYSO's geographic sections. They provide workshops, training seminars, motivational speakers, a vendor show and a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among AYSO volunteers and staff. The 2015 AYSO EXPO for Section 6 was held in Madison, Wisconsin. The 2013 EXPO was held in Washington D.C.
Very Important Player (VIP) Program
AYSO's Very Important Player (VIP) Program offers children and young adults with disabilities the opportunity to play soccer at their own pace. The practices and games are geared to their needs – with fewer and more flexible rules – allowing for a successful sports experience. Since 1991, AYSO has helped regions and areas establish VIP programs for players whose physical or mental disabilities make it difficult to successfully participate on mainstream teams. As of 2014, over 3,700 VIP players participate nationally.
In order to volunteer with the VIP Program, one must complete Safe Haven Training.
Safe Haven Child & Volunteer Protection Program
The AYSO Safe Haven Child & Volunteer Protection program trains and certifies volunteers and staff in their positions through AYSO's Safe Haven program, AYSO volunteers are afforded protection under the federal Volunteer Protection Act of 1997. AYSO's volunteer application and screening process reduces the likelihood of abuses occurring while kids are participating in AYSO soccer programs.
Extended play
In some regions, after the regular open registration season ends, All-star teams and tournament teams are formed in the separate divisions from the most skilled players in the league. Other regions and areas have parallel "extended play" programs that operate at the same time as the standard primary program. The different levels are referred to as region, area, and section teams.
On May 4, 2009, AYSO announced the launch of AYSO FLEX as an umbrella for new pilot programs to encourage the growth of extended play options. Regions and area are permitted to apply to pilot "Extra" programs, to operate at the same time as the standard primary program. Under the Extra program, there are two options: "Concurrent", in which players must play in the standard primary program to participate in Extra; and "Side-by-Side", in which players participate only in one or the other program.
History
AYSO was co-founded by
Hans Stierle and Bill Hughes with the support of
Ted McClean,
Ralph Acosta and
Steve Erdos
''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen
Notable people with the name include:
steve jops
* Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people
* Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people
* Steve ...
in 1964. Stierle organized youth soccer games for the Los Angeles Soccer Club, a German club in
North Hollywood
North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
that played against other local ethnic (mostly European) clubs.
To avoid the cross-town trip to the games, Stierle thought to get boys in his
Torrance suburb interested in the world's most popular game. The first AYSO league started with nine teams, and stressed Open Registration: "Anyone can sign up; you do not need to belong to one of the ethnic clubs."
Stierle's own team had strong players from the LA Soccer Club team (including
Sigi Schmid
Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid (; March 20, 1953 – December 25, 2018) was a German-American Association football, soccer Manager (association football), coach who had the most wins in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS). Born in Tübingen, West ...
, who went on to play and coach at
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
and coach the
Los Angeles Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began play ...
and the
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...
), and won or tied nearly all its games. To even things out and make the experience more competitive and enjoyable for the other teams, the policy of Balanced Teams was adopted, whereby the stronger players were distributed around the league. This had a slightly perverse effect, as some weaker players who formerly played every minute were forced to the bench by the newly arrived stars. To overcome this, the policy "Everyone Plays" was adopted, which mandated at least half a game for all players. That, in turn, led to AYSO games having specific times for substitutions so they could be monitored: halfway through the first half, half-time, halfway through the second half, and for injuries.
Sponsorship
AYSO operates through player fees collected by the local regions and various sponsor categories. Premier sponsors include
Score Sports
Score or scorer may refer to:
*Test score, the result of an exam or test
Business
* Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio
* Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company
* Score Media, a former Canadian m ...
(uniforms). UK International (AYSO Soccer Camps), Sator Soccer (AYSO Store) and
Molten Corporation
is a sports equipment and automotive parts company based in Hiroshima, Japan.
Molten is mostly known for manufacturing balls for several team sports, with a range of products that includes American footballs, association footballs, basketbal ...
are licensees.
Affinity partners
AYSO partners include:
Positive Coaching Alliance
Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is an American non-profit organization which strives to create a positive youth sports environment.
Since its founding in 1998, PCA has established 18 chapters nationwide and has delivered more than 20,000 live g ...
,
National Alliance for Youth Sports
The National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.. NAYS provides a variety of programs and services for everyone involved in youth sports, including professional and vo ...
,
Character Counts Coalition,
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is ...
,
U.S. Soccer Foundation,
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
,
National Soccer Coaches Association of America
The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of United States, American soccer Coach (sport), coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization i ...
, and the
National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of public parks, recreation and conservation. Their work draws national focus to the far-reaching impact of successes generated ...
.
See also
*
United States men's national under-17 soccer team
The United States U-17 men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team may compete is in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which is held every two years.
History
Champ ...
*
United States women's national under-17 soccer team
The United States U-17 women's national soccer team is a youth soccer team operated under the auspices of U.S. Soccer. Its primary role is the development of players in preparation for the senior national team. The team's most recent major to ...
*
United States Youth Soccer Association
The United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) is the largest youth affiliate and member of U.S. Soccer, the governing body for soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer includes 54 State Associations, one per state except for ...
*
US Youth Soccer National Championships
The US Youth Soccer National Championships consists of six age groups (Under 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19). The finals are a result of competitions in every state known as the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series. Regional winners advance ...
References
External links
AYSO – The American Youth Soccer Organization official website
{{Authority control
Children's sport
Soccer governing bodies in the United States
Youth soccer in the United States
Sports organizations established in 1964
1964 establishments in the United States
Youth soccer leagues in the United States
Youth organizations based in the United States