August 2026 Full Circle

FULL CIRCLE USYS

PREVIEW WHAT’S INSIDE!

+ U.S. SOCCER, USYS INTEGRATE + RECOGNITION LUNCHEON + LANDMARK WEEK IN DALLAS + MORE!

AUGUST 2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE ASSIST

A series from New York Life

Ever wonder how some of soccer’s biggest stars became the players they are today?

FEATURES U.S. Soccer and US Youth Soccer Announce Historic Integration...

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Award Winners Recognized at Luncheon...

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Landmark Week in Dallas Wraps Up...

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ODP Girls Regional Teams...

ODP Boys Regional Teams...

Watch The Assist—a series from New York Life that tells the story of three members of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team and the people who believed in them, stood by them, and helped make their dream a reality.

Watch THE ASSIST

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MATT TURNER USMNT Goalkeeper USYS Alum

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LATEST NEWS U.S. SOCCER AND US YOUTH SOCCER ANNOUNCE HISTORIC INTEGRATION TO STRENGTHEN SOCCER IN AMERICA +HIGHLIGHT Two-year integration process will start on September 1

U.S. Soccer and US Youth Soccer (USYS) announced a historic step toward bringing USYS into U.S. Soccer, creating greater alignment across the soccer landscape and a stronger connection between U.S. Soccer and soccer in communities across the country.

The decision was made with the support of USYS State Associations, which voted to approve the change during their Annual General Meeting on August 29. Together, U.S. Soccer, USYS, and State Associations will shape the future of soccer in America by working to bring more resources, investment, and support closer to where people play and experience the game every day.

“This is a defining moment for the future of soccer in America,” stated JT Batson, CEO and Secretary General, U.S. Soccer. “For decades, USYS and its State Associations have helped make the game happen in communities across the country, and they will continue to be integral in how we bring the resources of U.S. Soccer closer to those communities so that we can help more kids play and support the coaches, referees, clubs and leagues who make the game possible.”

Beginning September 1, U.S. Soccer and USYS will start a two-year integration process that brings together USYS’s decades of experience, relationships and reach across youth soccer with U.S. Soccer’s resources and national scale. As part of the agreement, U.S. Soccer will become the sole voting member of USYS while the organizations work toward full operational integration.

“US Youth Soccer has spent more than 50 years creating opportunities for millions of players to find their place in the game,” said Tom Condone, CEO, US Youth Soccer. “This next chapter gives us an opportunity to build on that legacy. By bringing US Youth Soccer and U.S. Soccer closer together, we can better connect the people and organizations serving the game and create stronger opportunities for players, families, clubs and communities across the country.”

The move marks a major milestone in U.S. Soccer’s broader effort to bring the soccer community together around a shared vision for the future of the game that makes soccer easier to access and navigate, creates more personalized opportunities to participate and develop, and better supports the people and organizations making soccer happen in communities across America.

“USYS and the State Associations bring the game to life every day at the local level,” stated Cindy Parlow Cone, President, U.S. Soccer. “They know their communities, and by working closer together we can create better experiences and more opportunities for players, families, coaches and referees across the country. We’re looking forward to this next chapter and shaping the future of youth soccer together.”

What This Means for the Game No matter where a player or family lives or where they are in their soccer journey, this integration will create easier ways to find, play and stay in the game.

Over time, greater alignment between U.S. Soccer, USYS, State Associations and the broader soccer community will: • • • • • • •

Create more access to play through investments in growing the game in communities across the country.

Make soccer easier to navigate so families can find the experience that is right for them.

Bring more resources to local soccer and the organizations serving players every day.

Better support coaches, referees, clubs and leagues with the tools and resources they need to deliver great soccer experiences.

Create clearer opportunities for players to develop and reach their potential in the game.

Better connect the organizations across American soccer so more time and resources can be focused on serving and growing the game.

State Associations will be central to bringing this work to life. Their local knowledge, relationships and experience will help U.S. Soccer better understand what communities need and where greater resources and investment can have the most impact.

“USYS members took a historic step today to make the game more affordable and accessible to kids and their families across the country, said Tina Rincon, Chair of the Board, US Youth Soccer. “I am excited that State Associations will have an even larger role in growing the game and changing the soccer landscape to serve youth in the U.S. more effectively alongside U.S. Soccer.”

The integration is an important part of U.S. Soccer’s broader Pathways Strategy, which brings together members and stakeholders from across the soccer community to create a more connected future for the game and will build on the extraordinary foundation that exists today invest more in the game locally, and create a soccer system capable of reaching and serving more people than ever before.

Read more at USYouthSoccer.org P. 4

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Throughout a nearly 30-year career, Mulliner’s work transformed the way coaching courses are delivered by ensuring his peers possessed the ability to teach and mentor others.

The Evelyn Gill Leadership Award was created to highlight members of the US Youth Soccer family that have demonstrated strong leadership, community service, and a commitment to development and organization growth of youth soccer throughout the United States. Both of this year’s recipients, Kathy Robinson and Meg Munson, spent more than two decades bettering their State Associations.

Robinson’s longtime efforts with the North Carolina Youth Soccer Association transformed the sport’s landscape in her home state. She saw player participation rise from 18,000 to more than 72,000 and helped launch Dribbling Across North Carolina, a program that provides instruction for children ages three to six.

Robinson was also a founding member of the National Strategic Planning Committee and a multi-year state representative for the US Youth Soccer Regional and National Championships.

Munson regularly provided leadership and stability for the Vermont Soccer Association and its 10,000 players, often developing close relationships with its local clubs. She was a longtime state representative and regional committee member for the Eastern Regional Championships that contributed to the success of its annual events.

US YOUTH SOCCER HONORS AWARD WINNERS AT RECOGNITION LUNCHEON

Egan, Hoffman, Krieger and Motta became the latest individuals inducted into the US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame, which now stands at more than 50 members since it was started in 2008. Click here to learn more about each of the inductees.

Krieger and Robinson were unable to attend the Luncheon, but photos of all other honorees can be found here.

US Youth Soccer formally recognized its award winners and Hall of Fame inductees during its Recognition Luncheon on August 29 in Dallas.

Among those to receive an accolade were Ian Mulliner, Kathy Robinson, Meg Munson, and Hall of Fame inductees Flo Egan, Steve Hoffman, Ali Krieger, and John Motta. Each of the honorees were gathered alongside friends, family, and longtime peers to celebrate their achievements.

The Dr. Thomas Fleck Award was first given in 2005 with the goal of recognizing an individual who made extensive contributions to the education of youth soccer coaches in America while displaying integrity, honor, humor and humility.

Ian Mulliner, this year’s recipient, has always been known for his innovative approach to coaching development.

He created age-specific seasonal training plans and coaching resources that aligned with U.S. Soccer methodology, which went on to become a model for coaching education nationwide and were made freely available to grassroots coaches throughout the world.

Mulliner was also selected by U.S. Soccer to lead the Education Network and Educator Development Program, establishing a clear pathway for identifying, training, assessing, and supporting coach educators at every level of the game.

Read more at USYouthSoccer.org P. 8

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LATEST NEWS LANDMARK WEEK FOR SOCCER WRAPS UP IN DALLAS From August 27-29, more than 500 leaders joined US Youth Soccer (USYS) in Dallas for the 2026 Grassroots Symposium. The event — presented in collaboration with Common Goal and U.S. Soccer’s Soccer Forward — --centered on a theme of Moving Legacy Forward, as participants developed a better understanding of how to grow the sport in their communities after three days of group discussions, breakouts, and workshops.

Those in attendance kicked off the symposium with an Opening Plenary led by former United States National Team players Charlie Davies and Danielle Slaton, longtime MLS player Kelyn Rowe, and Common Goal’s Mary Connor.

Select attendees were also able to attend the first-ever Soccer at Schools workshop to continue growing the U.S. Soccer (USSF) and Soccer Forward initiative. Soccer Forward’s Director of Impact Programs, Nora Dooley, talked about their goal of making soccer accessible everywhere and to everyone. “…It’s the game we want to grow, which is inclusive, fun, and accessible,” Dooley said. “It’s impact-focused – all the beautiful things we know that soccer can be, but not relying on rolling a ball and hoping magic happens.

It’s really intentional. It’s about how we can support coaches, soccer leaders, teachers, and schools from all over the country to bring soccer into their school day in a really innovative, impactful, fun, and joyful way so that kids fall in love with the game at school and they stay in love with the game for the rest of their lives.”

Symposium attendees spent Thursday evening at Oak Cliff’s Puede Network, where they were treated to music, dancing, food, and pick-up games at the community-driven, youth empowerment organization’s facility.

Following the conclusion of the Grassroots Symposium sessions on Saturday, those in Dallas had the opportunity able to attend US Youth Soccer’s Recognition Luncheon, where it honored the recipients of the Dr. Thomas Fleck Award, Evelyn Gill Leadership Award, and its annual Hall of Fame inductees.

Saturday also featured USYS’ Annual General Meeting (AGM). At the AGM, U.S. Soccer and US Youth Soccer took a historic step toward integrating USYS into USSF with the goal of creating greater alignment across the soccer landscape and creating a stronger relationship with soccer communities across the country. To read more about the landmark event, click here.

Read more at USYouthSoccer.org P. 12

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