Soccer Start is designed to introduce the sport of soccer to youngsters living in communities not yet served by existing clubs and leagues. Focused on making soccer available to lower-income children in underserved communities, Soccer Start provides soccer training and administrative guidance to players and organizations who might otherwise not be exposed to the sport. Soccer Start also helps new programs find the funding and equipment to begin and then to expand their activities. In the past several years, US Youth Soccer has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial and material support to programs across the United States.

Targeted Youth

Soccer Start targets disadvantaged at-risk children, boys and girls from the ages of 6 to 18 years of age. These children may be classified at-risk due to:

Ø                  Low household income
Ø                  Exposure to crime and drugs
Ø                  Language and cultural barriers (soccer Start is an excellent means of             assimilating children of 1^st generation Americans into the mainstream             culture)
Ø                  Children of single parent homes
Ø                  Children with learning disabilities
Ø                  Children without any organized after school supervision (latchkey)
Ø                  Children who score low in school and need additional motivation to excel in             school    learn more...