Chapter Four: The Founding of US Youth Soccer (with Skip Gilbert and Thom Meredith)

Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America. Despite the existence of other youth soccer organizations, US Youth Soccer’s formation in 1974 helped organize and cultivate pathways for youth soccer players in America. The approach USYS took to coordinating state, regional and national competition gave structure to a previously localized competitive landscape.  The organization’s connection to US Soccer, and the formation of the Olympic Development Program (better known as ODP) offered clear pathways for youth players to reach the national team. Over the years USYS has served a critical function in fueling the one constant in American soccer’s efforts to be relevant – mass youth participation. USYS CEO Skip Gilbert is our guest. He has been at the helm of US Youth Soccer since 2020 and shared some outstanding insights on the evolution of the youth game and his plans for the future.  Former US Soccer execut...