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AYSO, American Youth Soccer Organization

(en Español)

AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) was founded in 1964 in Torrance, California (near Los Angeles) with about 125 enthusiastic players. Over the past 37 years, we've become a vibrant national organization with more than 700,000 players, ages 4½-18, and 250,000 volunteer coaches, referees and administrators and a staff of 50.

Vision Statement:
To provide world class youth soccer programs that enrich children's lives.

Mission Statement:
To develop and deliver quality youth soccer programs which promote a fun, family environment based on the five AYSO philosophies (EBOPS):

  • EVERYONE PLAYS
    We want kids to play soccer - so we mandate that every player on every team must play at least half of every game.
  • BALANCED TEAMS
    We require every region at the start of each season to set up teams as evenly as possible. It's more fun when teams are of equal ability.
  • OPEN REGISTRATION
    Our programs are open to all children ages 4½-18 who want to play soccer. Interest and enthusiasm are the only requirements for playing.
  • POSITIVE COACHING
    We train and encourage our coaches to make the extra effort to understand and offer positive, instructional, encouraging help to our players, rather than use negative criticism. This approach builds a positive team spirit.
  • GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP
    We want to create a positive environment based upon mutual respect, rather than a win-at-all-costs attitude. All of our programs are designed to instill good sportsmanship in our kids and our volunteers (win and lose with grace).

    AYSO Experience:

  • grow the AYSO culture
  • provide achievable, progressive goals
  • communicate expectations
  • be a proper role model
  • impart knowledge and skill
  • ensure success

    The basic community program is the Region and the volunteer staff members are encouraged to organize their regions to best suit the needs of their community. Each of the over 1,000 Regions are headed by a Regional Commissioner (RC) who, with the help of a Regional Board (a minimum of a RC, Safety Director, Treasurer, Coach Administrator (CA), Referee Administrator (RA) and a Child & Volunteer Protection Advocate (CVPA)), conducts the region within the framework of AYSO's Five Philosophies, Rules and Regulations, and By-laws. A Region may have as few as 200 players or as many as 5,000 players grouped into girls and boys divisions based on age.

    Several bordering regions comprise an Area headed by an Area Director (AD) who is responsible for the performance and growth of the Area. The AD provides support for each Region in the Area, including by facilitating the training of coach and referee volunteers, and by assisting the AYSO Regions in their mutual activities, for example, by the scheduling of inter-regional travel games. The AD's responsibilities also include oversight functions to make certain each Region does not violate AYSO's core principles, By-Laws, National Policy Statements and governing Rules & Regulations.

    Area 3T is a relatively small area in physical size containing 19 regions. The Area includes Westchester County, Putnam County and West Point, New York.

    AD's report to Section Directors. Several bordering AYSO areas comprise a Section headed by a Section Director (SD) who is responsible for the general welfare and administration of an AYSO Section. An AYSO Section may cover several states, an entire state or a portion of a state. There are no such things as "state associations" in AYSO. AYSO Section 3 includes New York, northern New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, with 44,000 players, playing in 8 areas with 100 regions.

    Governing the overall organization is the National Board of Directors (NBOD). RC's of chartered AYSO Regions, AD's, SD's and National Board Members serve as executive members with voting rights.

    The AYSO National Support Center & Training Center (NSTC) in Hawthorne, California (near Los Angeles) works closely with all executive members, sections, areas and regions, and assists participating members (including RC's of pilot regions which have not yet become chartered regions, regional board members, players, coaches, referees and other volunteer parents) by, among other things, providing many vital services: computerized registration, training of field and administrative staff, liability and accident insurance, organization-wide communications, annual section meeting support, including education courses and skills sessions and much more.

    What to expect from your Region:

  • A fun soccer experience for your child during games and practices.
  • Coaches and referees who understand and support the AYSO Philosophies.
  • Technical training for coaches and referees.
  • Caring volunteers who manage the "business" of the Region.
  • A national organization for support and guidance.
  • Fiscal responsibility via a financial statement published yearly.

    Last updated 3/2/2003
    © 2002-2005 AYSO Area 3T. All rights reserved
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