August 29, 2026
Idaho Youth Soccer Association joined State Associations across the country in supporting a historic step to bring US Youth Soccer (USYS) closer to U.S. Soccer, creating greater alignment across the game and new opportunities to strengthen soccer at the local level.
USYS State Associations voted to approve the change during their Annual General Meeting, beginning a two-year integration process on September 1, 2026.
The decision brings USYS’s decades of experience and reach across youth soccer closer together with U.S. Soccer’s resources and national scale, creating an opportunity to build a stronger and more connected soccer system across the country.
“This is an exciting moment for soccer in Idaho and across the country,” said Kevin Ireland, IYSA Executive Director. “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 Idaho. U.S. 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 U.S. Soccer behind our shared goal of growing and improving the game.”
What the Integration Means
The integration begins a two-year process in which State Associations will work closely with U.S. Soccer and USYS to help shape the future of soccer in communities across 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 U.S. Soccer and the resources, expertise and opportunities available nationally.
What This Means for Idaho
For Idaho Youth Soccer, the future starts locally.
IYSA will continue building on the strong foundation established by our member clubs, leagues, coaches, referees, volunteers and communities across the state. The integration creates an opportunity to strengthen that foundation through greater connection to national resources, investment and expertise.
As the two-year process moves forward, IYSA will work alongside USYS and U.S. Soccer to help ensure the needs and opportunities of Idaho’s soccer community remain part of the conversation.
The potential impact reaches across the entire youth soccer ecosystem, including players, coaches, referees, clubs and families.
Looking Ahead
The integration is part of U.S. 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 IYSA, this next chapter is about continuing to invest in the work already happening throughout Idaho while exploring new opportunities to grow participation, strengthen development and better serve the soccer community.
Together, we look forward to building a stronger future for soccer in Idaho.
Read the full article and press release at USYS and US Soccer’s Webpages at https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/news/2026/08/29/u-s-soccer-and-us-youth-soccer-announce-historic-integration-to-strengthen-soccer-in-america/