What is the Player Development Initiative?

AYSO has an historic commitment to player development. It is stated within our core principles and embodied in everything we do. We play small sided games and mandate minimum playing time, with an emphasis of playing over winning. However, within the US soccer community, there has been a growing concern that our programs and players could and should do a better job of player development. Our governing body, the US Soccer Federation (USSF) has therefore created the Player Development Initiative and published guidelines and standards for all US soccer clubs, which includes AYSO.

USSF has written:

"The current landscape is inconsistent and not as successful as it could be when it comes to player development. Through these initiatives, U.S. Soccer aims to develop players with more game understanding, individual skill, intelligence, creativity and confidence. These changes also provide a consistent approach across the country while challenging the status quo of our soccer landscape by focusing on the development of the individual versus the success of a team. Parents can also have a better understanding of exactly what they should expect from a soccer program for their children." 

More can be learned about the Player Development Initiative from the USSF website