U.S. Soccer grants total more than $1 million

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Feb 10, 2019

U.S. Soccer's board of directors approved more than $1,173,311 in 2019 Innovate to Grow Fund grants to programs that help build soccer at the grassroots level.

In their grant proposals, programs were required to meet certain criteria, including:

-- They must be new and different from current efforts.
-- They must demonstrate capability to grow participation.
-- They must demonstrate potential to scale in other markets.
-- They must align with U.S. Soccer player development initiatives.
-- Federation members must also be financially invested in the program.

Seventeen members received grants:

AYSO. Increasing the number and quality of referees in grassroots youth soccer by investing in referee recruitment and training.
Cal South (Joint). Introducing a new league with multiple age groups in a currently unserved area to reach 3,000 new players.
Eastern New York (Youth). Staging soccer-themed festivals in targeted, underserved markets to introduce the sport in a fun and engaging way.
Eastern Pennsylvania (Youth). Increasing access to participation in underserved and rural communities across the State by delivering coaching, refereeing and administrator education.
Georgia (Joint). Getting more adults directly involved in the game via a new, walking soccer program.
Georgia (Joint). Increasing teen player participation by delivering a low-cost, easy to access league.
Illinois (Youth). Providing coaching education courses to 300 previously unlicensed coaches in unaffiliated programs.
Indiana (Joint). Partnership between the State association, Ball State university, and a local soccer club to provide a holistic, player-centered environment aimed at increasing retention among youth players.
Massachusetts (Youth). Initiative to deliver soccer programming to underserved areas with a transportable playing surface.
Mississippi (Joint). Creating a new, urban futsal league to deliver small-sided competition and increase participation in urban areas.
Nevada (Youth). A program aimed at eliminating barriers to participation by providing youth players with an after-school soccer competition that includes transportation, academic tutoring, and healthy snacks.
New Jersey (Youth). Increasing youth participation by training local, multi-sport organizations across the State on how to organize, build and grow soccer programs.  A focused effort to target multi-sport organizations in key markets to increase player participation.
Ohio South (Adult). A program aimed at increasing adult participation by introducing soccer in a relaxed, non-competitive environment, focusing on developing fundamental skills and a basic understanding of the game for those who have little to no soccer experience.
SAY Soccer. Increasing participation by introducing new programming in rural, underserved, and majority-minority communities.
Tennessee (Joint). Street Soccer initiative aimed at introducing soccer to 5,000 inner city and underserved youth.
Washington (Youth). Delivering a new soccer program to a large Hispanic community in a rural area.
Wyoming (Joint). Introducing a new futsal league to keep players engaged after the Fall outdoor season.