How Are Youth Organizations Increasing Access to Soccer? Boys & Girls Clubs of America and its Partners Tackle Barriers and Turn Growing Demand for Soccer into Opportunities to Play

Press Release

ATLANTA–As the “summer of soccer” heats up nationwide, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is expanding efforts to meet rising interest in the sport by improving youth soccer access and tackling persistent barriers to participation.

Across the U.S., families and communities are asking how to make soccer more accessible, and how more kids can participate in youth sports regardless of cost or location. The 2026 State of Soccer report, from the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative, identified key barriers to youth soccer participation and outlined priorities to expand access. Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s soccer initiative, with support from key partnerships, is making progress across each area of opportunity:

• Reducing Cost Barriers to Youth Soccer Participation
• Investing in Soccer Infrastructure to Expand Safe Places to Play
• Training, Supporting and Developing Youth Soccer Coaches
• Increasing Participation and Retention for Girls in Soccer
• Shifting Youth Soccer from ‘Pressure’ to ‘Play’

“The next generation of soccer players, fans and leaders are already out there in communities across America — they just need the opportunity to step onto the field,” said Matt Turner, goalkeeper for the U.S. Men’s National Team. “Boys & Girls Clubs of America is helping open those doors for young people who may not otherwise have access to the sport, and that’s how we preserve the game’s legacy.”

Sports help young people build lifelong skills like teamwork, confidence and resilience, while creating an on-ramp for Clubs to engage them in broader youth development opportunities. To ensure more kids benefit from sports, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is committed to increasing access, including standing alongside other leaders and organizations as a member of the Aspen Institute’s Project Play 63X30 Roundtable, contributing to a national effort to increase youth sports participation to 63% by 2030.

At Boys & Girls Clubs, sports are part of a whole-child approach that fuels physical, social and emotional growth. According to Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Youth Right Now survey, 80% of Club youth report they can manage stress effectively, 94% have a trusted adult to turn to, and Club kids exceed national fitness benchmarks.

“We see every day how sports can help young people build confidence, develop meaningful relationships and discover their potential,” said Jim Clark, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Research from Boys & Girls Clubs of America shows that youth who regularly participate in Club programs like soccer are significantly more likely to stay on track academically, with 73% of regularly attending members reporting mostly A’s and B’s. They are also more likely to develop leadership habits, with 51% volunteering in their neighborhood, school or community at least once a month. Soccer has a unique ability to bring people together, and alongside our partners, we’re working to ensure every young person can participate, grow and thrive through the game.”

Reducing Cost Barriers to Youth Soccer Participation

Cost remains one of the largest barriers to participation, limiting youth soccer access and underscoring the need for more affordable youth sports options. The State of Soccer report found that nearly one-third (32%) of youth soccer players cite expensive team fees as a major barrier to participation, rising to 41% among low-income families. The report also highlights transportation challenges: while 86% of players from high-income households are driven to practices, only 21% of players from low-income households have the same access.

At Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, more than 91,000 Club kids currently participate in youth soccer programming at little to no cost to families, and the organization intends to double participation to 180,000. By embedding soccer into afterschool programming, Clubs help remove transportation barriers and make participation more accessible for families.

Through support from key partners, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is expanding soccer access, providing equipment, offering training programs and soccer clinics, and creating engaging events that introduce kids to the game.

• New York Life Foundation is marking an expanded commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the power of youth sports through a new strategic focus area, Coaching the Future. This three-year effort will support Boys & Girls Clubs to increase participation and access to soccer.
• Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation, cofounder of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s ALL STARS program, advances youth sports through multisport play days that spark movement, teamwork, and belonging.
• Bank of America is providing select Clubs with soccer equipment, leadership-focused soccer training, and referee officials’ opportunities, building workforce opportunities for teens and stronger coaches.
• The partnership with U.S. Soccer Foundation provides its free, evidence-based Soccer for Success program and equipment, embedding soccer in Boys & Girls Clubs’ afterschool sports programs to increase access, regardless of income or location.

Since the soccer initiative launched this spring, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is making progress against its goals:

• The organization has distributed 500 soccer kits to Clubs, engaging 50,000 youth to play soccer, many for the first time.
• Club kids have participated in over 50 soccer tournaments at more than 450 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide.
• Boys & Girls Clubs are hosting a variety of events to introduce more kids to the sport, including soccer fests that celebrate the sport, watch parties, soccer clinics and soccer jamborees featuring informal, small-sided games.
• Boys & Girls Clubs have trained nearly 1,000 coaches to date and 100 teen referees with more trainings planned this fall, increasing access to soccer programs in communities nationwide.

Investing in Soccer Infrastructure to Expand Safe Places to Play

Access to safe and welcoming places to play is essential for growing the game and expanding youth soccer access nationwide. The State of Soccer report shows demand is outpacing access to quality playing spaces, particularly in densely populated and under-resourced communities, and spontaneous pick-up play is declining as children’s activities become more structured overall.

Boys & Girls Clubs are bringing mini-pitches, futsal courts and soccer spaces at Clubs in communities across the country. Partners are critical to expanding safe places to play and addressing infrastructure gaps that limit youth soccer access in underserved communities.

• In 2026, New York Life Foundation is providing select Clubs in Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Pequannock and Seattle with soccer pitches and sports equipment creating a lasting legacy and ensuring more young people experience the joy and benefits of sport.
• This July, The Home Depot Foundation will mobilize 100 Team Depot volunteers at Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach to enhance soccer and outdoor recreation areas, building furniture, landscaping and beautifying the space for Club kids to enjoy.
• The partnership with U.S. Soccer Foundation also expands access to safe places to play through the installation of mini-pitches at Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide.

These investments are creating more opportunities for daily play, free community programming, and youth engagement in neighborhoods across the country.

Training, Supporting and Developing Youth Soccer Coaches

Positive coaching experiences are critical to keeping kids engaged and reducing barriers to participation in youth sports. Today’s coaches play a critical role in sports skill development as well as supporting young people’s confidence, character-development, and overall well-being. There’s a need to replace one-time certifications with ongoing training, support and development for coaches, and breaking down cost and time barriers for volunteer coaches, according to the State of Soccer report.

Through strategic partnerships, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is equipping staff, coaches and volunteers with youth development training, trauma-informed resources and soccer-specific education to create environments where all kids can thrive. By strengthening coaching quality and embedding mentorship and social-emotional development into sports programming, Clubs are contributing to the overall soccer ecosystem and helping young people build confidence on and off the field.

• New York Life Foundation is leveraging Coaching the Future, to further their core value of trusted human guidance into support for young people nationwide, strengthening the quality and consistency of youth coaching. Over the next three years, the Foundation will support Boys & Girls Clubs training experiences, expanding mentorship, and increase inclusive access to play for youth of all abilities.
• Through the Coca-Cola Future Careers (FC) Academy, Club teens are participating in online sports marketing modules through a new digital platform offering career overviews, in sports, entry level career resources, and experiences with Coca-Cola system bottlers. FC Academy unlocks pathways to sports marketing jobs and referee certifications, supporting overall workforce readiness.
• Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) partnership provides youth sports coaches at Clubs with research-based, positive youth development training, at no cost.
• The Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) partnership equips Club professionals with trauma-informed, healing-centered strategies that foster resilience and positive youth development through sport. Through trainings and tailored resources, CHJS supports Clubs in building inclusive environments where young people can thrive, on and off the field.
• The U.S. Soccer Foundation partnership provides their free Coach-Mentor Training to train coaches to serve as mentors and equips coaches with youth development strategies that help young people build confidence, connection, and a sense of belonging.

Increasing Participation and Retention for Girls in Soccer

The State of Soccer report highlights the need to improve retention among girls, who represent 45% of high school soccer players nationally.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America helps more girls overcome barriers and develop a lasting love of soccer by creating welcoming, supportive environments where they can build confidence, skills and connection. Boys & Girls Clubs of America aims to increase girls’ participation in soccer by 25%. Through recreational leagues, after-school programming, futsal clinics, camps and free play, Boys & Girls Clubs make soccer more accessible and engaging for girls at every stage of participation, fostering belonging, mentorship and growth through sport, so female athletes to stay involved and thrive both on and off the field.

An emphasis on increasing girls’ participation is embedded in Boys & Girls Clubs soccer programming and throughout all the partnerships that make it possible. The partnership with U.S. Soccer Foundation supports girls’ confidence and participation through coach training and program design that emphasizes belonging, positive relationships and emotional safety — key factors in helping girls stay engaged in sports.

Dove and Boys & Girls Clubs of America will help keep girls confident while playing in the sports they love through their ongoing partnership. This summer, The Dove Self Esteem Project will host multiple experiences and activations with Boys & Girls Clubs. Programming will include workshops centered on Body Confident Sport, an evidence-based initiative co-developed with leading experts to help build body confidence and create positive experiences in sports for girls ages 11-17.

Shifting Youth Soccer from ‘Pressure’ to ‘Play’

There’s a growing imbalance in youth sports, where pressure to compete has begun to outweigh play, according to the State of Soccer report. As structured, high-pressure environments increase, the report shares that many young athletes face burnout and injury, despite most kids citing fun (46%), friendships (48%) and skill-building (45%) as their primary reasons for playing.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America is prioritizing fun, friendship and personal growth in the soccer experiences, grounded in the belief that fun is essential to positive youth development. Through free play, recreational programming and experiences that center joy and belonging, Clubs help young people build a lifelong love of the game while developing confidence, connections and essential life skills.

The organization aims to engage 1 million youth and families in soccer experiences. Together with partners, Clubs are bringing communities together through watch parties, tournaments, cultural celebrations and youth-led activities that make soccer accessible and welcoming.

• Club kids have the opportunity to attend games and participate in once-in-a-lifetime soccer experiences:
  • The Coca-Cola Company’s longstanding partnership and continued investment in providing opportunities for youth to explore soccer and sports marketing careers, select Club teens nationwide will serve as flag bearers at global soccer matches this summer.
  • Club kids are also attending local professional soccer games through local partnerships.
• Boys & Girls Clubs are taking part in Soccer Forward Fests, nationwide community celebrations powered by the Soccer Forward Foundation that expand access to the game and empower communities to be a part of the global soccer tournament’s legacy through free programming, youth engagement and local activations that bring people together and strengthen communities through soccer.
  • FOX Sports is delivering affordable, high-quality soccer programming to more than 26,000 Club kids across the country and bringing the excitement of the tournament through Soccer Forward Fests, engaging thousands of youth to promote access and connection through sport.
  • Walmart and Soccer Forward Foundation are teaming up to expand youth access to soccer nationwide through Soccer Forward Fests at Boys & Girls Clubs to help close the play gap and build sustainable community programs.
• New York Life Foundation is hosting Jamborees and community events alongside New York Life volunteers across the nation to encourage communities to see soccer as a sport that everyone can love, access, and play.
• Academy Sports + Outdoors is partnering with BGCA to create engaging soccer experiences that inspire young people through sport, teamwork, and play.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America is also tapping into soccer excitement by integrating it into youth development programming:
  • Lenovo is equipping Clubs with technology for “Screen to Scrimmage” esport soccer events, bringing STEM concepts to life through hands-on sports experiences and showing Club kids how the company uses AI-driven innovations during upcoming matches.
  • Carter’s and its Charitable Foundation partner with BGCA to elevate youth voices, tapping Club kids in four host cities as Carter’s Correspondents to capture the joy of soccer through young fans’ eyes.

Expanding Youth Soccer Access for the Next Generation

Boys & Girls Clubs of America and its partners are focused on ensuring that the legacy of soccer includes lasting opportunities for the next generation. Together, these efforts are expanding youth soccer access by reducing barriers to participation, increasing affordable youth sports opportunities and creating more safe places to play, ensuring more kids can experience the benefits of the game.

To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s sports programming and opportunities to get involved, visit www.bgca.org.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Over 5,500 Clubs serve more than 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. The national headquarters is located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and LinkedIn.

*The Aspen Institute’s Project Play 2026 State of Soccer report assessed the youth soccer ecosystem in NYC and North Jersey through a 10-month 2025–2026 study using interviews, convenings, field analysis, focus groups, and a survey of nearly 700 youth players.

Media Contacts 

Brittany Marya
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
904-540-9714
bmarya@bgca.org