US Club Soccer
| CONCACAF | |
|---|---|
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| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina |
| CONCACAF affiliation | US Soccer |
| President | Phil Wright |
| Website | usclubsoccer.org |
US Club Soccer is a national organization and member of the United States Soccer Federation that aims to advance soccer in the United States through the development and support of soccer clubs for all ages and genders. The organization sanctions clubs, leagues and tournaments for youth and adults, with a focus on high-level competitive play.
Founded in 2001 as the National Association of Competitive Soccer Clubs (NACSC), US Club Soccer’s stated goal is “To create, develop, and grow the best USSF-sanctioned organization to foster the growth and development of club soccer programs throughout the United States. The result of which will be to improve the level of play of the competitive soccer player, and thereby the U.S. National Teams and professional leagues.”
The organization’s philosophy is that clubs are the primary vehicle for player development. Thus, there is a focus on flexibility in areas such as roster rules, which empowers members to build programs that are in the best interests of their players. US Club Soccer also aims to create a “members for life” culture within its clubs, where players can be developed from childhood through the adult level.
US Club Soccer boasts a membership from all 50 states, and the organization sanctions well over 400 tournaments per year. Its headquarters are split between two locations in South Carolina: an executive office in Charleston and administrative office in Myrtle Beach. Membership is organized into four geographic regions, each of which holds two seats on the organization's board of directors.
US Club Soccer’s offerings include league- and cup-based competition, player identification and development programs, and additional programs geared toward club support and coaching education.
League-based programming includes the National Premier Leagues (NPL) and Premier Leagues, a collection of US Club Soccer’s top leagues from around the country. Champions of the various NPLs advance to the NPL Finals, the organization’s annual league-based national championship competition. In addition, US Club Soccer sanctions local competitive leagues, recreational programs and adult leagues.
Cup-based programming includes state championship events and US Club Soccer’s second national championship, the National Cup, which is open to all members and encompasses a series of regional and state competitions. In Southern California, Cal South Youth and Adult Soccer Division hosts the state tournament for top teams to compete in. The champion team of the Cal South National Cup is a representative of Southern California in the Far West Regionals division and in the National Championship. Age bracket requirements for boys and girls in the Cal South National Cup and Far West Regionals Championship are U12-19 and in the National Championship U13-U19. Also a definitive feature of Cal South National Cup is that it also hosts a College Showcase for boys and girls of the U15, U16, U17 age brackets. This is during the final weekend of round two in the tournament and allows college coaches to see teams in each division play two full length games. In 2016, it was noted that over one hundred college coaches attended the showcase to scout players. This Cal South initiative is to give players the opportunity to continue their passion for soccer at a college level, as it allows for them to be exposed to top college coaches and to also be potentially recruited.
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