AYSO's Six Philosophies

AYSO is not just a sports program for kids—it’s a child development program which happens to use soccer. We subscribe to six basic tenets which, we feel, separates us from other sports programs: Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship, Player Development.

Everyone Plays
Everyone Plays means every child, regardless of ability, plays at least one-half of every game. In AYSO everyone plays because children learn skills, teamwork, sportsmanship, and develop self-confidence and self-esteem by playing, not by watching from the bench.

Balanced Teams

Each year we form new teams as evenly balanced as possible because it’s more fun and a better learning experience when teams of similar ability play.  It allows for each player to gain the experience of a wide variety of teammates of different skill levels.  Balanced teams still means competitive games, but ones that are fair to all the players.

Open Registration
Our program is open to all children between 4 and 18 years of age who want to register and play soccer.  Interest and enthusiasm are the only criteria for playing. There are no elimination try-outs and nobody gets cut.

Positive Coaching
Positive coaching is the glue that holds together the AYSO philosophies and gives them meaning for AYSO players. Positive Coaching means instructing without condemning, praising the individual but correcting the group, displaying good sportsmanship and, in general, setting a good example for AYSO kids. Positive Coaching may require patience, but mostly it just requires a lot of love for kids. And that’s something AYSO volunteers have in great supply.

Good Sportsmanship
Good Sportsmanship is one of the most important lessons an AYSO player can learn from this program, and it is one that will prove valuable in every facet of their lives. We strive to create a positive environment based on mutual respect rather than a win-at-all-costs attitude, and our program is designed to instill good sportsmanship in every facet of AYSO.

Player Development
We believe that all players should be able to develop their soccer skills and knowledge to the best of their abilities, both individually and as members of a team, in order to maximize their enjoyment of the game.