Youth Soccer

Some of the best years of your life and most cherished moments are the ones spent with the teammates who become your second family throughout the ups and downs that the game of football can throw at you.

There's nothing better than spending multiple days a week with a group of girls that share the same passion and love for the game as you. From the exciting moments of winning a state cup and national title to the tears being shed knowing your time will eventually come to an end, these are all a part of the club team experience.

While Americans are still cooped up inside wondering when they'll be able to leave their homes and enjoy some fresh air, other countries are easing back into normalcy. 

This past weekend, Spain allowed children under the age of 14 to go outside and play for the first time in six weeks — with some restrictions of course. Children must be wearing masks and obeying social distancing rules, as well as being accompanied by one parent for one hour of play.  

A letter released on Monday from Kevin Payne, CEO/Executive Director of US Club Soccer, sets May 18 as the earliest possible return date of youth soccer in America. Obviously this date is subject to change as the coronavirus situation evolves, but it does give us an idea for when youth soccer will resume.

US Club Soccer also put out a tweet with a link to the letter on Monday afternoon.

The U.S. Soccer Federation said on Wednesday it was shutting down its youth development academy permanently due to the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

U.S. Soccer, the sport's governing body in the United States, said in a statement the decision to shutter the academy, which it founded in 2007 and included competitions across five age groups, was effective immediately. 

ZURICH — The age limit for the Tokyo Olympics men's football tournament could be raised so that players who were eligible in 2020 will not miss out following the postponement of the Games until the following year, FIFA said on Friday.

Olympic football is usually restricted to under-23 teams for the men's tournament, with three overage players allowed per team.

Australia coach Graham Arnold has called for the age limit at the Tokyo Olympics football tournament to be raised to ensure that players who helped their country qualify remain eligible if the Games are postponed to 2021. The Olympic men's tournament is largely a youth affair, with squads allowed only three players above the age of 23. 

The coronavirus pandemic has brought a halt to football around the globe, but it’s also deprived us of one of the most fascinating developments slated for March — Youssoufa Moukoko’s debut for Germany’s U-19 team and his transition into training with Borussia Dortmund’s senior side.

Major League Soccer: suspended. NBA and NHL: suspended. NCAA March Madness: canceled. Broadway: going dark. Disneyland: shutting its doors. Champions League, Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and countless more leagues: suspended, delayed or canceled. 

But what about youth soccer?

It really shouldn’t be any surprise D'Margio Wright-Phillips is turning into a great footballer. Just look at his family.

His father, Shaun Wright-Phillips, was a 13-year veteran of the English Premier League, winning the league with Chelsea in 2006 to go with 36 England caps. His uncle, Bradley Wright-Phillips, followed a career in England by scoring more than 100 goals with New York Red Bulls before joining LAFC in 2020. His granddaddy, Ian Wright, is Arsenal’s second-best all-time goal scorer and a Premier League winner in 1998.