US Youth Soccer Leads Development of New Elite Soccer Platform
With the goal of helping the disenfranchised youth soccer teams that participated in U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy, US Youth Soccer steps up. On April 15, 2020, U.S. Soccer shut the DA citing the financial impact of COVID-19 as one of the reasons.
The wake of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to close the country’s elite youth soccer player development, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, left a void. While the MLS has stepped up with an option, and US Club‘s ECNL has provided a home for several of America’s top clubs, US Youth Soccer also has announced a solution.
Read: MLS TO THE RESCUE WITH NEW ELITE COMPETITION AFTER U.S. SOCCER SHUTS DA, and TOP SO CAL BOYS TEAMS MOVE TO ECNL IN ANTICIPATION OF DA DEMISE
Dr. Pete Zopfi – USYS Chair and Skip Gilbert – USYS CEO released a letter on April 15, 2020, to All US Soccer Federation Members, Clubs and Staff
US Youth Soccer Letter:
Given today’s U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and Major League Soccer (MLS) announcements, US Youth Soccer affirms that it has been actively working with leadership, member clubs and outside partner organizations to enhance our existing programming to meet the needs of our partners.
Through our elite youth soccer competitions and Olympic Development Program (ODP), we have elevated the playing environment for club teams and players. We are more confident than ever that we have the leadership, vision, staff and soccer eco-system to collaborate with all US Soccer members as well as any future MLS competitive platform.
For those USSF DA Clubs who are now disenfranchised, we are excited to invite you to join the conversation.
Please contact us to learn more about how you can play a role in developing a new unified and comprehensive structure that develops world-class players through an elite competitive pathway.
For any USSF staff impacted by today’s announcements, we invite you to talk with us to learn more about US Youth Soccer and our organization. Many of you may know us from the past, but we encourage you to get to know us for the future.
US Youth Soccer has the leadership, organization, financial strength and flexibility to collaborate, design and execute national programming that will set the standard for elite youth play and allow young athletes to reach their full potential.
Because of our extensive relationships with leading thinkers and partners we have actively developed plans to integrate with others to meet the needs of developing players through high quality coaching, professionalized environments, enhanced player identification, and competitions created specifically to address the development of players with professional aspirations.
“US Youth Soccer is the largest youth organization in the world and keeping the best players in the same environment keeps our National team healthy.”
Dr. Robert Contiguglia, former President of the US Soccer Federation (1998-2006) and past President of US Youth Soccer
We are excited to engage with the entire US soccer community given the extensive changes in the American youth soccer landscape. We hope you join us and help drive forward the game we all love.
We are a family committed to helping every player reach their full potential. We Are Youth Soccer!
