Interview by Mike Woitalla Ben Gucciardi is the founder of Soccer Without Borders, which isentering its second decade of providing soccer programs for under-served youth in the USA and abroad. Also known as Futbol Sin Fronteras, SWB started in Oakland, California, and its year-roundprograms in the USA serve more than 1,000 children in Oakland, Baltimore, […]
youth girls
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
A major schism: U.S. Youth Soccer strikes back at Washington state for seeking sole USSF registration
By Mike Woitalla In response to Washington Youth Soccer announcing its quest to register its players solely with the U.S. Soccer Federation, U.S. Youth Soccer announced that ithas “formally accepted WYSA’s resignation from U.S. Youth Soccer effective as of January 1, 2017″ — a move WYSA states it has not taken. The Dec. 15 USYS memo […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Unseeded USA faces tough path to U-17 World Cup
By Mike Woitalla Failing to earn a seed at the Concacaf U-17 Championship that will determine the region’s four qualifiers for the 2017 U-17 World Cup in India, the USA facesstiff competition in its first-round group at the Panama-hosted tournament April 21-May 7. To advance to the second round, the USA needs to finish inthe […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. Soccer holds girls striker-keeper camp
U.S. Soccer is holding its first striker-goalkeeper camp for U-15, U-16 and U-17 girls national team players. The Dec. 14-17 camp in Carson, California, gathers 22 attackers and seven keepers born in2000, 2001 and 2002 and is headed by Technical Director April Heinrichs, Development Coach and U-15 girls national team coach Mark Carr and U.S. […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Roster: U.S. U-18s women finish cycle with final camp of 2016
The U.S. U-18 women’s national team, coached by Jitka Klimkova, is holding its seventh and final camp of 2016 is Dec. 10-17 in Carson, California, before moving into the U-20age group. The squad is comprised of 14 collegians and 12 youth club players. Twenty of the players were born in 1998, the age cut-off year […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Roster: U.S. U-16 girls wrap up with California camp
The U-16 girls national team, coached by Jaime Frias, held its sixth and final training camp of 2016 with a 24-player squad Dec. 3-10 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in ChulaVista, California. The camp completes a two-year cycle for this age group, which becomes the U-18s and then the U-20s with the aim of […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2017 U17WC Draw: USA grouped with Mexico
The USA, which has qualified for 15 of the 16 boys U-17 World Cups, will face two-time world champion Mexico in group play of the Concacaf U-17 Championship in April that will determine theregion’s four qualifiers for the 2017 U-17 World Cup in India. 2017CONCACAF U-17 Championship Groups:Group A: *Panama, Honduras, Curacao, HaitiGroup B: *Costa […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Boston seeks unity to grapple with big-city youth soccer challenges
By Aiden Teplitzky Dobens Kids who want to play youth soccer within the city of Boston face a calamitous and disjointed mess. With 3 million registered youth soccerplayers in the USA in 2014 representing an 89 percent increase since 1990, the sport is progressing rapidly, and yet the city of Boston is being left behind. […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Tab Ramos: Current U-20s are a more consistent group
By Mike Woitalla In just over two months, Tab Ramos will aim to steer the U.S. U-20 men to the U-20 World Cup for the third time of his tenure. In 2013,Ramos’ team was eliminated in the first round, but tied eventual champion France, for whom Paul Pogba played, in a group that included eventual […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Coaching: New NSCAA course on LGBT Inclusion
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) has launched a free online course to help educate coaches about the inclusion and support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)athletes. The course, “LGBT: Diversity and Inclusion,” is freeand takes about 10 minutes. “Camaraderie, compassion, and collaboration are key to asuccessful team in any sport,” said […]