State Associations helped shape the decision and will play and even larger role in creating new opportunities to strengthen soccer in communities across the country.
August 31, 2026-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) has joined state associations across the country in supporting a historic step to make US Youth Soccer (USYS) part of US Soccer, bringing the organizations closer together to invest more in local soccer and create better experiences for players and families. Creating greater alignment across the game and new opportunities to strengthen soccer locally.
USYS State Associations voted to approve the change during their Annual General Meeting, which will begin a two-year integration process starting on September 1, 2026. The decision brings USYS’s decades of experience and reach across youth soccer closer together with US Soccer’s resources and national scale.
“This is an exciting moment for soccer in Eastern New York and across the country,” said ENYYSA President Richard Christiano. “We supported this decision because we believe we can accomplish more for the game by working together. Our clubs, leagues and communities have built an incredible foundation for soccer in Eastern New York. US Soccer has made a real commitment to investing more in the game locally, which gives us an opportunity to build on what we’ve created with greater resources, stronger connections and the full weight of US Soccer behind our shared goal of growing and improving the game.”
What This Means for Soccer in Eastern New York
The integration begins a two-year process in which State Associations will work closely with US Soccer and USYS to help shape the future of soccer in communities around the country.
The goal is to create a stronger and more connected soccer system that can:
- Bring more resources and investment to soccer locally.
- Strengthen State Associations and their ability to support and grow the game in their communities.
- Create more opportunities for people to play and stay in the game.
- Better support clubs, leagues, coaches and referees serving players every day.
- Make soccer easier for families to understand and navigate.
- Connect local communities more directly to US Soccer and the resources, expertise and opportunities available nationally.
The integration is part of US Soccer’s broader Pathways Strategy, which brings together members and stakeholders from across American soccer to create a more connected future for the game. For Eastern New York, that future starts locally building on the work already happening in our communities and creating the support, investment and opportunities to help soccer reach even more people across our state association.
With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border, east of Route 81. ENYYSA encourages the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of US Soccer and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/