US Youth Soccer National League solidifies first set of Elite 64 member clubs

FRISCO, Texas — The US Youth Soccer National League announced the first eight boys and girls clubs that will compete as inaugural members of Elite 64.

Featuring six age groups (13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 18/19U), Elite 64 will feature year-round competition for 64 boys clubs and 64 girls clubs.

The initial group of Elite 64 clubs have been identified by USYS as organizations which: “share a collective vision and are dedicated to providing an elite gameday experience, in addition to maintaining the highest standards, both on and off the field, to maximize the opportunities available to their players.”

Elite 64 – The First 8 Clubs

“We are thrilled to welcome these first-class clubs as inaugural members of Elite 64,”  They each have a proven record of developing great players, and they understand the needs of players looking to compete at the highest level,” said Simon Collins, USYS National League Commissioner. “We look forward to working with the leaders of each of these clubs to provide a great experience for the players competing in Elite 64 and a clear development pathway for every level of athlete within their clubs.”

The newly-announced elite performance tier of the National League, Elite 64 will begin play this fall and feature club-based competition for the nation’s top boys and girls players in the 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 18/19U age groups. The 64 clubs in each gender will be geographically positioned into eight groups of eight clubs. Teams play a 14-game league season and have access to two national showcases (alongside National League P.R.O.) and the Elite 64 national finals.

Each of the inaugural Elite 64 clubs will benefit from performance analysis from ProScore and new USYS partner STATSports, which will provide Elite 64 clubs with access to advanced performance wearable technology. All data and analysis collected will be shared with college coaches and professional scouts — making every Elite 64 game or training session a recruitable moment.

Acceptance into Elite 64 guarantees each club a minimum three-year involvement in the competition, with 18-month evaluations of every club taking place to ensure standards are met and Elite 64 maintains a highly competitive balance across the platform.

To view quotes from representatives for each of the initial member clubs, click here.