American Youth Soccer Organization

Not to be confused with United States Youth Soccer Association.

American Youth Soccer Organization
Founded
  • September 15, 1964 (1964-09-15)
  • (60 years ago)
FoundersBill Hughes, Hans Stierle, Steve Erdos, Ralph Acosta, Ted McLain
Type501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity
Focuschild-first and child-focused youth soccer organization
Location
Coordinates33°51′07″N 118°17′26″W / 33.852002°N 118.2904967°W / 33.852002; -118.2904967
Area served
United States (primarily)
Methodregional youth soccer programs, coaching and referee training programs, administrative training and operating systems to support volunteers.
Members
400,000 children, 250,000 volunteers, 800 leagues (Regions) [1][2]
OwnerAmerican Youth Soccer Organization
Key people
Doug Ryan (National President)
TBA (National Treasurer)
Dan Howald (National Vice President)[3]
Revenue
$72,650,598[4][5][6]
Employees
20[1]
Volunteers
250,000[1]
Websitewww.ayso.org

The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is one of the two main national organizations in youth soccer in the United States for children aged 4 through 19.[7] AYSO was established as a non-profit soccer organization in Torrance (a suburb of Los Angeles, California) at Jefferson Elementary School in 1964[8] with nine teams. Today the organization claims membership of over 50,000 teams, with over 630,000 participants.[9][10]

AYSO is Headquartered in Torrance, California and has developed local programs known as "Regions" in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago. The organization is run primarily by volunteers 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, Carlos Bocanegra, Julie Foudy, Eric Wynalda, Shannon Boxx, Brian Ching, Alex Morgan, Kristen Graczyk, Natasha Kai, and Amy Rodriguez.[11]

  1. ^ a b c [1] Archived 2014-03-17 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved on 20 June 2018
  2. ^ "Soccer America magazine, July 2009". Soccer America, Wilton, CT. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  3. ^ "National Board of Directors".
  4. ^ "AYSO Financials Jan 2014". American Youth Soccer Organization. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  5. ^ "IRS Form 990 Revenue June 2012". Charity Navigator, Glen Rock, NJ. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  6. ^ "IRS Form 990 Revenue June 2012". GuideStar Nonprofit Directory. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  7. ^ Borde, Sam (2009). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Soccer Basics. New York, New York, USA: Penguin. pp. Chapter 2, Page 13. ISBN 978-1-59-257830-6.
  8. ^ Fortanasce, Vincent (2001). The Official American Youth Soccer Organization Handbook. New York, New York, USA: Fireside. p. 225. ISBN 1-45-160351-7.
  9. ^ Provey, Joe (2005). The Parent's Complete Guide to Soccer. USA: Globe Pequot. pp. 29. ISBN 1-59-228852-9.
  10. ^ "History of AYSO". American Youth Soccer Organization. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  11. ^ "AYSO Notable Alumni". American Youth Soccer Organization. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.