American Youth Soccer Organization

AYSO is a non-profit organization that provides youth soccer programs for participants all over the United States and internationally in the Virgin Islands and Trinidad and Tobago. Consisting of over 50,000 teams and 500,000 players nationwide, AYSO is one of the leading youth soccer organizations in the world. It is often called “the biggest soccer club in the world.”

How we started

The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is the oldest national youth soccer program in the United States. AYSO was established with only nine teams by a handful of soccer enthusiasts in 1964 out of a garage in Torrance, Calif. They wanted to make sure American kids were introduced to the beautiful game. Five decades later, AYSO has thriving programs in nearly 900 communities all over the country, over six million AYSO alumni and a logo that’s recognized nationwide. Great soccer starts here!

Our Vision

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

Our Mission

To develop and deliver quality youth soccer programs which promote a fun, family environment based on our Six Philosophies:

Open Registration. Our programs are open to all children between the ages of 5 and 15 who want to register and play soccer. Interest and enthusiasm are the only criteria for playing. There is a set time period for the open registration period though.
Balanced Teams. At the start of each season teams are set up as evenly balanced as possible - because it's more fun when teams of equal ability play.
Everyone Plays. Our goal is for kids to play soccer. For children who are registered to play, AYSO mandates that every player on every team must play at least half of every game, assuming they show up before the game starts.
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 a members of a team, in order to maximize their enjoyment of the game.
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.

What makes us different

AYSO is a soccer program for the entire family. AYSO’s goal is for every girl and boy stepping on a soccer field to learn soccer and have a fun, fair and safe experience. But it’s also to ensure that the whole family can be involved creating memories that last a lifetime. AYSO's kid-first approach makes us a leader in player development. Everybody likes to win, but developing successful players and people is what's fundamental. We also create a terrific experience for parents who can be involved with their child as a coach or referee. Training is important to ensure that excellent experience, but it’s easy and usually free. We want to make sure it’s as much fun for mom and dad as it is for your players! With player development in mind, AYSO makes sure that no kid signs up to play soccer and ends up only riding the bench! That’s not how you learn the game. In AYSO, every player on every team plays at least 50 percent of every game.

Volunteer Power

AYSO runs on volunteer power. Nearly 150,000 registered volunteers run the local AYSO programs all over the country. Every coach, referee, Regional Commissioner – the list goes on – is a volunteer. Even the National Board of Directors and National President are AYSO volunteers. If it wasn’t for the thousands of volunteers throughout the U.S. donating their time every season, AYSO wouldn’t be as successful and far-reaching as it is today.