Partnership creates youth soccer enthusiast pipeline

Soccer Shots, a children’s soccer program with a focus on character development, recently announced that it has been named the official 2-to 5-year-old soccer program of U.S. Youth Soccer – the largest youth sports organization in the country with more than 6,000 local clubs in 55 state associations.

This new partnership enables local Soccer Shots operators and local member clubs to form alliances and share resources to create a participant pipeline that begins with Soccer Shots’ curriculum-based program, organizers said.

Once participants age out of Soccer Shots – which currently has more than 110 franchise operators across nearly 40 states and Canada – they can move on to the club level for more competitive play.

“Soccer Shots is thrilled to partner with U.S. Youth Soccer and be endorsed as the official provider of soccer programming for children ages 2 to 5 years old, an age group we’ve served since our founding in 1998,” commented Soccer Shots CEO Justin Bredeman.

“This mutually beneficial partnership will offer our operators an opportunity to build their existing programs or launch new ones, and help build USYS (U.S. Youth Soccer) club membership,” he said.

“Most importantly, this partnership lays the foundation to increase participation in the sport among young children across the country,” Bredeman said.

U.S. Youth Soccer selected Soccer Shots to be the official provider of programming for this age group due to its curriculum-driven program that focuses on both skill building and character development.

Soccer Shots’ program aims to impact children’s lives on and off the field through best-in-class coaching, communication and age-appropriate curriculum designed by childhood education experts.

Ninety percent of Soccer Shots participants are within the 2-to 5-year-old age group.