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US Youth Soccer has distributed a letter to all U.S. Soccer Federation members, clubs and staff, confirming that USYS is working closely with all parties during the massive changes happening in the youth soccer landscape.

Citing the strength of its existing programming, including the Olympic Development Program (ODP), USYS leadership extended an open invitation to all clubs that are now disenfranchised following the closure of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

In addition, the letter from USYS Chair Dr. Pete Zopfi and CEO Skip Gilbert stated that the organization’s ongoing expansion of its regional and national programs – and its financial strength – are among the key factors that will help the world’s largest youth organization play a leading role in the reorganization of American soccer moving forward.

See below for the full letter:

April 15, 2020
To: All US Soccer Federation Members, Clubs and Staff
From: Dr. Pete Zopfi – USYS Chair Skip Gilbert – USYS CEO

Given today’s U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and Major League Soccer (MLS) announcements, US Youth Soccer affirms that it has been actively working with leadership, member clubs and outside partner organizations to enhance our existing programming to meet the needs of our partners. Through our elite youth soccer competitions and Olympic Development Program, we have elevated the playing environment for club teams and players. We are more confident than ever that we have the leadership, vision, staff and soccer eco-system to collaborate with all US Soccer members as well as any future MLS competitive platform.

For those USSF DA Clubs who are now disenfranchised, we are excited to invite you to join the conversation. Please contact us to learn more about how you can play a role in developing a new unified and comprehensive structure that develops world-class players through an elite competitive pathway.

For any USSF staff impacted by today’s announcements, we invite you to talk with us to learn more about US Youth Soccer and our organization. Many of you may know us from the past, but we encourage you to get to know us for the future.

US Youth Soccer has the leadership, organization, financial strength and flexibility to collaborate, design and execute national programming that will set the standard for elite youth play and allow young athletes to reach their full potential. Because of our extensive relationships with leading thinkers and partners we have actively developed plans to integrate with others to meet the needs of developing players through high quality coaching, professionalized environments, enhanced player identification, and competitions created specifically to address the development of players with professional aspirations.

“US Youth Soccer is the largest youth organization in the world and keeping the best players in the same environment keeps our National team healthy”, said Dr. Robert Contiguglia, former President of the US Soccer Federation (1998-2006) and past President of US Youth Soccer.

We are excited to engage with the entire US soccer community given the extensive changes in the American youth soccer landscape. We hope you join us and help drive forward the game we all love. We are a family committed to helping every player reach their full potential. We Are Youth Soccer!

I don't have any inside information but we know where this is all going. The DA clubs, now empowered by a half-hearted US Soccer mandate will no doubt be announcing a new "elite" league that will be (__fill in hyperbolic adjective here___) that will cost $5k but be paid off the sweat of Tier 3 players everywhere.

In spite of that depressing intro, would anyone care to guess what super-acronym they dream up to market it to parents near and... I guess near now?

Will "elite" be victorious over 'premier"? Will "academy" be discarded like yesterday's newspaper in lieu of a more modern work that vaguely represents education such as "cohort"? The premier soccer cohort of so call girls elite academy institute of scholarship fishing? I mean this could go in so many directions.

offer your suggestion and the Winner will receive two all-expense-paid vacations to beautiful Wuhan, China was you can enjoy fresh meat that may or may not contain a virus but be assured no bats were harmed in its making. Second place gets a set of steak knives.

I love it

if this becomes a pro/rel part of the USYS National League then maybe it isnt such a bad thing. WHo knows. The clubs have to find somewhere to play and the kids shouldnt be frozen out.