VIRGINIA YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION
TOUCHLINE WHAT'S INSIDE THIS ISSUE?
• PRESIDENTS CUP TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE & BRACKETS • VYSA COACH DEVELOPMENT SERIES IS HERE
• NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR USYS ''OF THE YEAR'' AWARDS
OCTOBER 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HIGHLIGHTED STORIES Pg.4
The Game Is Evolving. So Is Coach Development: VYSA Club Development Series By Paul Shaw
Virginia's District ODP Program Is Having a Moment
Pg.6
By Gordon Miller
Nominations for USYS "Of the Year" Awards
Pg.7-8
Presidents Cup Schedule & Bracket
Pg.14
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LATEST NEWS The Game Is Evolving. So Is Coach Development: VYSA Club Development Series By Paul Shaw, VYSA Assistant Technical Director
Every topic in this year's series was shaped by three things: direct feedback from VYSA Member Technical Directors, the trends we're seeing in how clubs and coaches across the country are developing the game, and — fresh off this summer — trends from the FIFA Men's World Cup. When the game evolves, coach development has to evolve with it. That's the heart of our philosophy: player-centered development is a living conversation. The format stays the same — clubs request a session, and VYSA comes to you. On the field: Defending as a Team: The Mid-Block and Collective Pressure, Breaking Lines in the Attacking Third, and The Finishing Toolkit, a ready-to-use library of game-like finishing activities. We're especially excited about Feedback to Your Coaches in Real Time, where we will observe your coaches live and deliver Growth Mindset Coaching feedback in the moment — supporting both coaches who've come up through the formal U.S. Soccer coaching pathway and those who simply want more time on the pitch.
Build a Stronger Technical Foundation Last fall and winter, the VYSA Technical Team ran more than 42 clinics with clubs across the Commonwealth. We sat in classrooms with technical directors, walked fields with club coaches, and watched firsthand what's working, what's missing, and what our coaches need to take their teams — and their own craft — further. That work is the foundation of something new this year: the VYSA Club Development Series.
In the classroom: Building Your Club's Blueprint and DNA, which can also be delivered on the field, and Performance Analysis, which helps coaches build an observational structure for evaluating a game, a practice, or a player — including how to build out Individual Development Plans. Real World Periodization gives coaches tools to monitor player load while accounting for demands outside a coach's control, and our Recreation Coach's Introductory Clinic, now available on the field or in the classroom, focuses on keeping players in the game season after season. Every club is different, and this series is designed with that in mind. Once you request a session, a member of our Technical Team will talk through it with you first — so the time we spend with your coaches reflects your club's culture and environment. Clubs can request any Field or Classroom session in the series directly. [Request a Club Development Series session here] We can't wait to get back out on the field with you.
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Virginia's District ODP Program Is Having a Moment By Gordon Miller, VYSA Technical Director
The numbers are moving The West Central and the Northern Districts in particular have felt the growth pressure — Northern Virginia's sheer density of clubs and players means the talent pool feeding into tryouts there was already the deepest in the state and suggests that pool is still expanding rather than plateauing. That growth isn't happening by accident. VYSA has spent the past cycle removing friction that used to cap participation: · Tryout fee cut · District training fee cut · Session count cut from six nights down to four, specifically to stop pitting ODP against club team commitments Fewer nights, lower cost, less scheduling conflict — that's a program actively lowering the bar to entry at the same time demand is rising on the other side. That combination is usually what produces a real jump in numbers rather than a one-year blip. We listened to our club’s technical leadership. By reducing the cost (a national talking point right now) and limiting the number of club conflicts, has allowed the talent level to swell. The harder point now becomes identifying those district players, within the limited number of sessions, and allowing that talent to properly flow into the state pool.
Quality is climbing alongside quantity Every fall, hundreds and hundreds of Virginia kids born roughly between 2009 and 2015 show up to try out for a shot at the state's highest level of identification and development soccer. Virginia's Olympic Development Program runs through five districts — North, West, West Central, Southeast, and Central — feeding into a state pool, then East Region camps, then a shot at national team exposure. That pathway has existed for years. What's different right now is the trajectory: District ODP is growing, both in who's showing up and in what they're getting once they do — and nowhere is that more visible than in Northern Virginia and Charlottesville.
The bigger the player pool feeding into tryouts, the more competitive — and by extension sharper — the sessions that follow tend to get. More depth at tryouts means district coaches can be more selective, which raises the level of every training night for the kids who do make it in.
What Now? Players are being scouted and added into the district pools all the time. Because player development must be built on a player’s current form, room must be left for that growth to happen. And thus the fluidity of pools. Once the district training is complete, the top players will meet at the state training center in Fredericksburg for the chance to get selected for the state pool would be clearer.
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LATEST NEWS
Nominate a US Youth Soccer “Of the Year” Award Winner 26' Young Male Referee Award Winner
Help recognize the outstanding individuals who make a difference in youth soccer by submitting a nomination for the US Youth Soccer Of the Year Awards. Award categories include coaches, referees, TOPSoccer volunteers, administrators, and other dedicated members of the soccer community. Nominees will have the opportunity to be recognized at both the VYSA and US Youth Soccer levels. VYSA award winners will be honored at the VYSA Annual Awards Gala on February 6 at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, celebrating their contributions to youth soccer across Virginia. Each national US Youth Soccer award winner will receive an engraved award, recognition across US Youth Soccer and State Association social media channels, and a special gift delivered to their door. National winners will also be able to choose one of the following award benefits: A $3,500 equipment grant for their local soccer club Four tickets and lodging to an MLS, NWSL, or lower-division match of their choice A $3,500 donation made in their name to the charity of their choice A $3,500 college scholarship for winners currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program The deadline to submit nominations is November 16, 2026.
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GOOD LUCK AT WAGS!
The WAGS Rael Vodicka Memorial Tournament returns this fall, October 10-12, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1975. Created to provide girls with the opportunity to compete against top teams from across the country and Canada, WAGS has grown into one of the longest-running and most recognized girls’ soccer tournaments in the region. This year, 38 VYSA member clubs will have teams competing in the tournament, showcasing the strength and reach of youth soccer across the Commonwealth. And the VYSA connection gets even closer for the tournament’s oldest age groups. U16–U19 teams will head to Fredericksburg, with matches taking place at the Publix Virginia Soccer Training Center. We’re excited to welcome WAGS players, coaches, families and college coaches to Fredericksburg for a weekend of high-level competition while celebrating the continued growth of the girls’ game in Virginia. We look forward to welcoming WAGS once again to the home of Virginia Youth Soccer!
MEMBER NEWS
VYSA MEMBER BENEFITS!
VYSA is committed to providing value to our members both on and off the field. Our new Member Benefits page brings together exclusive offers, services, resources, and opportunities available through VYSA partnerships—all in one convenient location. Be sure to explore some of our newest partnerships, including Enterprise Holdings and Trace, offering benefits such as exclusive rental car savings and special access to Trace’s game-filming technology for VYSA members and teams. As we continue to grow, VYSA is actively building new relationships with organizations that can provide meaningful benefits to our clubs, coaches, players, families, and the greater Virginia soccer community. Visit the Member Benefits page to explore what’s available today and check back often as new partnerships and benefits are added!
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VYSA NEWS
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RECENT EVENT RECAP
Female U-13 National Finalist
D.C. United
WASHINGTON SPIRIT
VIRGINIA DC SOCCER
Leadership Event
YOUTH SOCCER FEST
HALL OF FAME GOLF TOURNAMENT
VYSA joined youth soccer leaders & Coaches from across Virginia at Audi Field for the D.C. United Youth Soccer Leadership Event. Club leaders and coaches connected with D.C. United staff, learned more about available resources and opportunities, and got a behind-the-scenes look at a team training session.
VYSA had a great time connecting with families and young soccer fans at Washington Spirit’s Youth SoccerFest ahead of the Spirit’s match against Angel City FC! We handed out VYSA goodies, shared information about programs and opportunities across Virginia, and enjoyed a fun day celebrating the game.
VYSA was proud to be part of the 2026 Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame Annual Golf Tournament at Pleasant Valley Golf Club. The event brought members of the soccer community together for a great day on the course while raising funds to support the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame and this year’s youth beneficiary, VYSA TOPSoccer.
ACCESS ACCEPTED TEAMS LIST
VYSA NEWS
VYSA NEWS
PRESIDENTS CUP SCHEDULES & BRACKETS View Schedules by Age Group Female U-13 National Finalist
VYSA NEWS ACCESS ACCEPTED TEAMS LIST
COACHING NEWS
RECENT 7V7 COURSE HOSTED BY THE POWHATAN FURY
CURRENT B LICENSE COURSE
FIND OUT HOW YOUR CLUB CAN HOST AN UPCOMING COACHING COURSE!
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COACHING NEWS CURRENT B LICENSE COURSE
VYSA TO HOST U.S. SOCCER B LICENSE COURSE
IN 2027
An advanced coaching education opportunity is coming to Virginia.
WHAT IS A B LICENSE? The U.S. Soccer B License prepares coaches to work with youth (U13+) or senior teams in a performance environment.
WHO SHOULD PREPARE
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have held a U.S. Soccer C License for at least one year, have three or more years of coaching experience, and have access to an 11v11 U13+ team for the duration of the course.
COURSE DETAILS & REGISTRATION COMING SOON LEARN MORE ON COACHING EDUCATION
COACHING NEWS
REGISTRATION CLOSING SOON !
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