State Associations helped shape the decision, and will play an even larger role in creating new opportunities to strengthen soccer in communities across the country.
Tennessee State Soccer Association 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, creating greater alignment across the game and new opportunities to strengthen soccer locally.
USYS State Associations voted to approve the change during their Annual General Meeting, which will begin a two-year integration process on September 1. The decision brings USYS’s decades of experience and reach across youth soccer closer together with U.S. Soccer’s resources and national scale.
“TN State Soccer’s staff and Board of Directors supported this important step and look forward to continuing the work with U.S. Soccer to help move the game forward and make soccer accessible to everyone. There are still details to work through, but this vote marks meaningful progress toward that goal,” said Hans Hobson, CEO of Tennessee State Soccer Association.
What This Means for Soccer in Tennessee
The integration begins a two-year process in which 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 to create a stronger and 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 American soccer to create a more connected future for the game. For TSSA 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 people across Tennessee.