Cal South Supports Historic Integration of US Youth Soccer and U.S. Soccer
State Associations helped shape the decision, and will play an even larger role in creating new opportunities to strengthen soccer in communities across the country.
ANAHEIM, Calif., August 29, 2026: Today, Cal South joined State Associations across the country in supporting a historic step to make US Youth Soccer (USYS) part of U.S. Soccer, bringing the organizations closer together to invest more in local soccer and create better experiences for players and families, and creating greater alignment across the game and new opportunities to strengthen soccer locally.
USYS State Associations voted to approve the change during their Annual General Meeting, which will begin a two-year integration process on September 1. The decision brings USYS’s decades of experience and reach across youth soccer closer together with U.S. Soccer’s resources and national scale.
"This is an exciting moment for soccer in Southern California and across the country," said Jeff Dyrek, CEO of Cal South. "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 Southern California. 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."
Jeff Dyrek, CEO of Cal SouthWhat This Means for Soccer in Southern California
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 around 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.
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 Cal South, that future starts locally — building on the work already happening in our communities and creating the support, investment and opportunities to help soccer reach even more people across California.
