SN Staff

"AYSO believes in promoting soccer and the enjoyment of the sport.  If your family is interested in a less competiive soccer environment, AYSO may be the perfect solution.   Their coaches are dedicated and their program highly admired." says Diane Scavuzzo of SN.  "After all, Landon Donovan benefited from AYSO!"

The American Youth Soccer Organization, otherwise known as AYSO, has grown leaps and bounds since its inception in 1964. What once was a Southern California organization of only nine teams has now grown nationwide to include nearly 1,000 local leagues, 50,000 teams and more than 650,000 players.

In order to provide a world class, child-first, child focused soccer organization AYSO set itself apart by implementing six philosophies of which are Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship and Player Development.

AYSO is most recognizable for its “Everyone Plays” and “Balanced Teams” philosophies. It’s a waste of the players’ time and parents’ money for a child to join a soccer team and ride the bench for the majority of the season. For that reason, AYSO mandates that every player on every team must play at least 50 percent of every game. Each year new teams are also formed to evenly balance out talent as much as possible because it’s a better learning experience when teams of similar ability play one another. It also allows each player to gain a variety of exposure to teammates of different skill levels.


For more information on AYSO or your local AYSO league, click here.