US Youth Soccer South Atlantic Conference announces expansion for 2022-23

FRISCO, Texas — The US Youth Soccer South Atlantic Conference, managed by EDP Soccer, will introduce a new competitive format in the 2022-2023 soccer year. It will feature an innovative blend of Club vs. Club and Team vs. Team competition.

The format will be based on creating divisions in which clubs can register to compete in a Club vs. Club component, and individual teams can register to compete in a Team vs. Team component — all within one standings table. All the teams in the Club vs. Club component and all the teams in the Team vs. Team component will play each other over the course of the soccer year in a South Atlantic Conference division — either Premier I or Premier II — and with all games counting in the standings. To take into consideration high school soccer seasons, which differ from state to state, South Atlantic Conference schedules will include opportunities to play over nine months, from September to May.

Currently, eight clubs have already committed to supporting the Club vs. Club component in the South Atlantic Conference at the Premier I level for the 2022-2023 soccer year:

They will join teams that have competed successfully in the existing South Atlantic Conference Team vs. Team format. In the Spring 2022 season, these teams represent the following clubs: A3 Soccer, Alliance Soccer Club, Arundel Soccer Association, Aspen Hill Soccer Club, Baltimore Celtic Soccer Club, Baltimore Crew, Baltimore Union Soccer Club, Barcelona USA MD, Benfica Soccer School DC, Bethesda SC, Bowie Youth SA, Brausa United FC, Broadneck SC, BRYC Elite Academy, Burke AC, Calvert SA, Capital Area SA, Central Carroll SC, Cerritos SA, Columbia SC, Coppermine SC, DC Soccer Club, DeMatha SA, DMV FC, DORADUS FC, East Penn SC, Ellicott City SC, EPIC SC, FC Charles 1658, FC USA, FCGB, Fredericksburg FC, Freedom SC, Freestate SA, Future SC, Go Premier Soccer, Great Falls Reston SC, Hereford SC, Hydro FC, Keystone FC, Lancaster Elite, Laurel Soccer Club, Liverpool FCIA MD, Loudoun SC, LTSC, Manassas United, Maryland International SC, Maryland Rush, Maryland Rush Montgomery, Maryland United FC, Matrix SA, McLean YS, Metro United, Montgomery Soccer, Next Level Soccer, North Chesapeake FC, Northwest SC, NPC, Old Line FC, OBGC, Pachuca FC USA, Paragon FA, Penn FC Youth , Pennsylvania SA, Player Progression Academy, Pipeline SC, Players SA, Potomac SA, Premier AC, Salisbury United SC, Severna Park, Shore FC, SAC, SCPSA, SYC, St. Mary’s Soccer, Sterling SC, Takoma Park SC, Team America, SDFC, Thunder SC, Total FC, Touch Kings FC, Towson United, TSJ FC Virginia, United Elite Soccer, Villarreal Virginia Academy, Virginia Revolution SC, Washington Capital United, and World Class Premier.

Additional clubs and teams are invited to participate, and a full field of competitors will be announced following the close of the application and registration period. Additional details on conference registration, as well as information on team eligibility and the pathway into the USYS South Atlantic Conference, can be found on the conference homepage.

As one of 13 Conferences in the USYS National League, the South Atlantic Conference provides a competitive league platform for teams and clubs from a number of USYS State Associations, primarily: Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland (including Washington, D.C.), Virginia, and West Virginia. The Conference offers competition in the 13U through 19U Boys and Girls age groups.

The South Atlantic Conference’s top division (Premier I) offers its teams an opportunity to qualify for the US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships, which are held annually each summer. In addition, Conference teams have the chance to earn their way into National League P.R.O., which is an additional competitive platform for top performing National League teams.

“The South Atlantic Conference is excited to have the opportunity to offer an innovative format that provides for both Club vs. Club and Team vs. Team competition in single competitive divisions providing a consistently high level of play for all involved,” said South Atlantic Conference manager Jen Marcella. “Team vs. Team play is already established in the Conference. Now, as in other USYS National League Conferences, Club vs. Club play will be introduced. Since all teams in a division will play each other, there will be a wide variety of opponents for each participating team, regardless of whether they register for the Club vs. Club or Team vs. Team component.”

“The South Atlantic Conference area has a long history of producing quality teams and tremendous players. We’re thrilled to complement the well-established Team vs. Team component of the conference by also providing a Club vs. Club component for those clubs and their teams that enjoy the club-based experience but also want the opportunity to play other high-level teams,” USYS National League Commissioner Simon Collins said. “The multiple pathways from conference to regional to national competition based on on-the-field performance offered by the USYS National League system is unparalleled in youth soccer.”

Tommy Park, Alexandria SA Executive Director, previewed the 2022/2023 soccer year with the following comments: “Alexandria SA is thrilled to introduce a new annual National League schedule for our boys’ and girls’ teams that blends the positive attributes of both club-based and team-based competition structures. The unique platform, customized for the South Atlantic Conference area, is highlighted by a wide variety of competitive opportunities featuring teams from 100 top clubs, reduced travel, promotion/relegation, established showcase competitions and the chance for the most advanced teams to compete for the USYS National Championship.”

Bo Eskay, FC Frederick Executive Director, added: “FC Frederick is excited to help launch the nation’s first hybrid Club v Club plus Team v Team youth soccer league. This remarkable innovation combines the unique benefits of both competitive formats with a USYS National Championship pathway through the USYS National League South Atlantic Conference. Special thanks to US Youth Soccer, Maryland State Youth Soccer Association, and Virginia Youth Soccer Association for supporting the clubs and teams whose players will benefit from this new approach!”