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The World of Youth Soccer
FIFA (World) The Soccer Chain-of-Command begins at the top with FIFA. FIFA stands for Federation Internationale de Football Association, and is the governing body for soccer world-wide.
USSF (United States) Soccer in the United States is governed by the USSF, which stands for United States Soccer Federation. The USSF has many organizations under it such as Major League Soccer (MLS), U.S. Youth Soccer Assoc. (USYSA), and others. Also under the USSF are 55 State Youth Soccer Associations. Several of the states have large enough associations that they are split into two states.
OYSAN (Ohio-North) Ohio is one of those states large enough in numbers of youth soccer players which is split into Ohio Youth Soccer Association - North (OYSAN) and Ohio South Youth Soccer Association (OSYSA). OYSAN had 57,334 registered youth soccer players during the 2005-06 soccer year. The state soccer organization (OYSAN) consists of many member leagues and clubs.
PREMIER SOCCER (Cleveland Area) "Premier Soccer" clubs (aka Select Soccer) are not community based. They recruit the best players from many communities within a region or area to compete against other Premier Teams. Some examples of Cleveland area Premier Clubs are the Cleveland Whitecaps, Ohio Premier, Cleveland FC, Everest, Internationals, and many others. These Premier Teams participate in the Cleveland Alliance Soccer Association (CASA).
TRAVEL SOCCER - OASL & NOGSL (Cleveland Area - Travel) "Travel Soccer" clubs (aka Competitive Soccer) are "community-based" programs. Community-based teams are those which roster players from only their town/city/school district. They do not recruit players from other communities. Travel soccer teams travel to, and compete against other community-based teams. The Ohio Amateur Soccer League (OASL) facilitates play for youth soccer players on the East-side of Cleveland. The AASL facilitates play for youth soccer players on the West-side of Cleveland. The Northern Ohio Girls Soccer League (NOGSL) organizes play for girls in the Cleveland area.
TWINSBURG AC - Travel
The Twinsburg Youth Soccer program was established in 1993 and was the first organized youth program to develop and promote the game of soccer in the city of Twinsburg. In 1995, the program was affiliated with AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization), a national organization who’s mission is to promote a quality youth soccer program where everyone builds positive character and skills through participation in a fun, family-oriented soccer environment. AYSO’s five philosophies: Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching and Good Sportsmanship. For more information regarding the Twinsburg AYSO program, you can visit their website at http://www.twinsburgsoccer.com
TWINSBURG AC + AYSO While Twinsburg's AYSO soccer program and Twinsburg AC Soccer are not under the same organization, the respective Boards cooperate and work to provide a seamless view of youth soccer for the community of Twinsburg. The combined goals of these organizations are to provide the children of the community of Twinsburg a positive experience learning the fundamentals of the game of soccer, and a path for those who desire to expand their soccer skills to play in a more competitive environment.
TWINSBURG SCHOOLS The Twinsburg School Soccer Program is part of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA).
The graphic below displays the percentage breakdown, within the OYSAN, of how many players are registered at each level.
Note: The 53% Recreation does not include the AYSO programs in Ohio.
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