Before becoming Region 14 commissioner, I was a longtime AYSO coach and fellow parent, and I often found myself asking (and being asked) about the myriad of soccer programs available both inside and outside of AYSO. Confused early on by the alphabet soup of offerings across the landscape, my oldest son's soccer journey became our learning ground as my wife and I navigated him as a beginner when he was just four years old (he's now 12), and ultimately through the higher levels of AYSO and club soccer.
During that process, I discovered that AYSO has evolved tremendously over the decades to provide much more than an entry point into youth soccer, with now an extensive development path available for all of our players to grow at whatever pace is most suitable to each of them. That's awesome, but that evolution has also resulted in a fair amount of community confusion about these programs, in my opinion.
To alleviate that confusion, I thought many of you might appreciate a summary of the AYSO development pathway as you navigate your own youth soccer journeys... We're fortunate here in West Torrance to have the full range of AYSO programs for all skill levels, from casual recreational league play, to all-star level, and all the way to the upper echelons of club soccer. My personal journey as a soccer parent has shown me that there isn't another organization that can offer such a comprehensive, positive, safe and effective soccer learning environment, at a family-friendly and accessible cost structure, thanks in great part to the tireless effort, passion and community dedication of our AYSO volunteer coaches and administrators.
AYSO Player Development Pathway -
CORE: grassroots recreational soccer for a broad range of ability levels. Anyone who registers can play, regardless of experience, and teams are balanced through rigorous player assessments and/or prior coaching knowledge. This is the traditional AYSO program that has launched countless soccer journeys since AYSO was founded (right here in West Torrance) in 1964!
FYI - Registration for our upcoming 2025 Region 14 fall Core season opened this month and you can still grab the $50 early-bird April discount by signing up on our Region 14 website.
SELECT: (a.k.a. All-Stars) natural extension from the Core program where the most dedicated and accomplished players from the fall season are invited to join the first level of regional competitive teams, which then go on to play in tournaments and leagues during the subsequent winter and spring. We are just now winding down a very successful 2024-25 Select season (post fall 2024 Core) that included 10 boys & girls teams spanning age divisions 8U all the way up to 14U. And of note, as you read further below, most of these Select players/teams will soon be moving on even further to form EXTRA or Alliance teams this coming fall 2025.
EXTRA: tryout based, typically in early summer ahead of fall soccer season. Teams play in a separate (from Core) AYSO fall EXTRA league against teams from other AYSO regions across Southern CA. EXTRA teams also play in the AYSO tournament circuit, during fall preseason and the subsequent winter/spring.
Differentiating perhaps more clearly from Select, EXTRA teams are all-star teams formed prior to the fall season, who then play in a broader-geographic AYSO league in fall; whereas Select teams are formed after the Region 14 fall Core season from the top players who competed in Core at the West Torrance regional level.
Stay tuned to our Region 14 website as we will be holding EXTRA team tryouts in late May for specific age groups!
ALLIANCE: the top, all-volunteer program in AYSO, focused on developing the highest level of skill, awareness and overall ability through the most competitive environment available. AYSO Alliance is similar to EXTRA as it's also tryout based and intended to offer very high-level competition. But rather than playing in an AYSO-only EXTRA league, Alliance teams play in the Coast Soccer League, a major Southern CA club-soccer circuit, and in club-soccer tournaments throughout the year. This program is where AYSO volunteerism meets club soccer, to give players and families the best of both worlds.
Once again, stay tuned to our website as we will also be holding Alliance team tryouts in late May for specific age groups.
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Other Development Opportunities -
To supplement the development pathway detailed above, Region 14 has recently partnered with several professional trainers in the area to deliver top-class Skills Clinics for field players and goalies. These opportunities super charge skill uptake by allowing your daughters and sons to learn the right technique at the right time in their development, in a safe and challenging environment alongside friends and peers, in accordance with AYSO philosophies. You can still sign up for our ongoing
Spring Skills Clinics; and Region 14 summer training offerings are coming soon as well, to provide your child with a terrific way to spend their free time out of school, along with a head start and leg up in their development as we head into fall soccer this year.
Our Kids, Our Soccer Community, Our AYSO. Go West Torrance, where we are always and forever, stronger together!!
Very sincerely yours,
Jamal