The US Youth Soccer National League tournament is for the nation's top boys and girls teams in the 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U, 18U, and 19U age divisions. The 14U through 18U categories have up to 32 teams per gender age group, while the 19U category has up to 16 teams per gender. Teams play a series of games within their division with the goal of reaching the National Quarterfinals before moving on to the National Semifinals and finally the National Championship.
The top two teams from each division at the end of the season become eligible for the U-14 Boys/Girls National Championships, which take place in late June or early July depending on the weather. The third-place team from each division will also go to the national tournament. Teams that do not make the cut are eligible to enter a lower division championship.
The objective is for players to learn the game by playing it under the supervision of experienced coaches. Practices are held on a daily basis during the fall and spring seasons. Games are played on weekends throughout the year except for certain holidays such as Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Independence Day.
There are several factors that determine where a player will play. It usually depends on the number of players available for selection. If there are more players than spots, they will be split up between the teams. If there are less players than spots, those who want to continue playing can apply to be placed on a reserve list.
National Championship Series (NCS) The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country's most prestigious national youth soccer event, allowing roughly 185,000 youngsters from over 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer State Associations to display their soccer abilities against the top competition in the world. The NCS consists of four events: the US Youth Soccer National Championships, which are held in January; the Regional Finals, which are held throughout the United States during May and June; the International Children's Games, which are held in July; and the Super-Youth World Cup, which is held in October.
The National Champions are determined by who finishes first in Regionals. Regionals are small local tournaments that provide the opportunity for all eligible teams in a state or region to compete for a spot in the National Championship Tournament. There are 12 regions across the United States. California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and New York City each have more than one region.
At the end of the season, the team with the most points obtained from winning matches is declared as the National Champion. If there is a tie between two or more clubs, then the order in which they appear on a list of champions prepared by the organizing committee will determine who wins the title.
There is also an award given out called the President's Award. This award is given to a player who has shown exceptional talent but is not yet old enough to enter professional play.
(7) "Team" refers to a group of soccer players who play on the same side in a soccer game. (8) "USYSA" is an abbreviation for the United States Youth Soccer Association, Inc. (9) A "youth player" is defined as an amateur player who has not attained the age of 20 by December 31 of the current season. Section two. Definitions.
The USYSA requires that all youth players on organized teams be registered with USYSA. Teams can register their players with USYSA by completing a registration form at www.usysoccer.org. The deadline to register your player is five days before the first game of the year. If a team misses this deadline they must wait until after their first game to register their players.
Players under the age of 13 cannot join a team that will compete in USYSA-affiliated events (i.e., local club teams, regional qualifying leagues, and state tournaments). Such players should instead participate in non-competitive activities such as training with adult players or developing their skills in recreational settings like backyards or vacant lots.
Players from 14 to 17 years old can join any number of teams including both juvenile and adult teams. Players aged 18 and 19 can only join adult teams.
A "juvenile team" is a term used by the USYSA to describe groups of younger children's players on the same team. These teams are usually defined by age ranges rather than actual player ages.
Each squad should have a total of five players. At the U8 level, both boys and girls will play 5 v 5. The optimal squad size is seven or eight players, with a maximum of ten. U9 and U10 teams compete in 7-on-7 games. The optimal team size is 10 to 12, with a maximum of 14. Boys at the U11 and U12 levels continue playing 7-on-7 but now use an age-specific game ball. The U11 boys' game uses the kickball while the U12 boys' game uses a futsal ball.
At all ages, it is important for young players to learn proper sportsmanship. Young athletes should be allowed to take part in the game even if they are not able to keep up with the others yet. It is important that they know they can always join in later.
Young players who show an interest in the game should be encouraged to play. If a child sees himself/herself as too small or too slow to participate in adult soccer, then someone else's child may feel otherwise. Asking children to wait their turn shows that everyone's ability to grow and develop is important, which is a good thing for the sport.
Parents should also understand that younger players need more time to warm up before playing a full game. This allows them enough time to get the feeling of the ball under their feet and gets their blood circulating.
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