US Youth Soccer experienced significant growth in 2014

FRISCO, Texas (Via US Youth Soccer) — US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sports organization in the country, has reported a 9 percent increase in its membership over the past year — a figure the association believes is indicative of the growing interest in soccer across the United States and the excitement generated by the 2014 FIFA World Cup in addition to improved programs for associations.

In 2014, US Youth Soccer saw its annual registration grow to 3,055,148, meaning that more than 4 percent of the U.S. population 18 years old and younger played US Youth Soccer. The growth included new players and players returning to the association. The year featured added awareness of the game through a highly talked about FIFA World Cup, the continued expansion of MLS and 82 live broadcasts from the US Youth Soccer National Championships.

“More parents are seeing the game of soccer, along with the teamwork and fitness involved, and kids see the fun, which translates into more active youth,” said US Youth Soccer Director of Marketing and Communications Todd Roby. “Last year marked our 40th Anniversary, and we are obviously delighted with the growth seen by our strong national association, which continues to feature best-in-class events, programs and educational opportunities for our membership. As we begin 2015, we expect it will be another exciting year for our game.”