The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) was
established in the Los Angeles area in 1964 with nine
teams. It was the dream of a group of devoted soccer
enthusiasts who started the organization in a garage.
Today, AYSO has more than 50,000 teams and more than
650,000 players. It also employs 50 people at its
National Support and Training Center in Hawthorne,
California.
Over the years, AYSO has created many valuable programs
and concepts. Most notably, AYSO revolutionized youth
sports with its "Everyone Plays" and "Balanced Teams"
philosophies. In AYSO, each child who registers is
guaranteed to play at least half of every game. To help
create evenly matched games, all AYSO players are placed
on new or "balanced" teams each year. These decisions
are made based on each player's skill level and the
overall ability of the team.
Since its establishment, AYSO has continued to grow and
offer its membership relevant programs.
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In 1971, two
San Fernando Valley residents developed AYSO's first
girls program. Today, a corporate sponsor has joined
with AYSO as the organization's first official
sponsor of its national girl's initiative.
Currently, 40 percent of AYSO's players are girls.
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In the mid 70s,
an AYSO coach chartered new territory as he welcomed
the organization's first player with Down Syndrome.
As a result of this landmark union, soccer was
introduced into the Special Olympics. Today, AYSO
offers its membership the Very Important Player
(VIP) program for kids with special needs. VIP
boasts 75 programs and 1,500 players.
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In 1995, two
AYSO parents established the first AYSO program in
Moscow. Today, the Moscow program has almost 500
registered players. In addition, an AYSO program was
started in Puerto Rico in the spring of 1998 and
another in American Samoa in 1999.
AYSO is supported by more than 250,000 volunteers.
Parents donate their time as coaches, referees, team
parents, administrators or sponsors. In 1998, AYSO
unveiled its new Coach Certification and Safe Haven
programs. Each was designed to strengthen the
organization's role in child protection. Although AYSO
is primarily a youth sports organization, it realizes
the importance of providing a safe and healthy
atmosphere for children. AYSO is continually working to
improve the education of its volunteers in the fields of
child development, human behavior, and sports
psychology. A strong emphasis is placed on ethics and
sportsmanship and the development of the whole child.
AYSO is a National Association of the United States
Soccer Federation. Through the years, the organization
has also maintained relations with organizations such as
the National Council of Youth Sports, Girls Scouts USA,
the National Association for Sports and Physical
Education, People to People, Optimists International,
Police Athletic Leagues, the National Alliance for Youth
Sports, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, YMCA, the
United States Soccer Federation, and the Character
Counts program. In addition, AYSO works closely with 20
corporations that are part of the organization's
National Team of Sponsors.
AYSO has been the leader in establishing groundbreaking
youth soccer programs in the United States. The
organization is proud to have paved the road for youth
soccer and looks forward to meeting the challenges of
the 21st century.
