The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has expanded its relationship with US Youth Soccer, which is the largest affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation, the national governing body for the sport of soccer. US Youth Soccer consists of more than 3 million registered youth soccer players and over 600,000 volunteers and 300,000 coaches. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission will host two (2) US Youth Soccer national events this month, which shapes The Palm Beaches as a predominant youth sports destination. US Youth Soccer will bring its Olympic Development Program (ODP) Girls Winter Interregional on November 22-28 and National League Girls 14U Championship on November 24-27 to The Palm Beaches.
The Olympic Development Program (ODP) Girls Winter Interregional will take place at the Spanish River Athletic Complex and Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. This is an extremely competitive tournament, which consists of 20 teams (5 regional teams in 4 age divisions). These regional teams are comprised of the most skilled soccer players in the nation. The age divisions are: 14u, 15u, 16u, 17u, & 18u. US Youth Soccer divides its teams into the following regions: midwest, west, northeast, and southern. These elite athletes had to endure an extensive tryout and selection process to earn a spot on a regional team.
The Olympic Development Program (ODP) Girls Winter Interregional has taken place in Palm Beach County for 9 consecutive years. This marquee event is a stage for future Olympians. Palm Beach County has witnessed many of the nation’s greatest soccer players due to the partnership with US Youth Soccer.
The National League Girls 14U Fall Championship will take place at the newly developed Gardens North County District Park. This event represents the premier competition for the nation’s top US Youth Soccer teams in the 14U age group. A total of 32 teams, featuring 640 athletes, will compete over the 4-day event.
This November represents the first US Youth Soccer National League Championship to take place in Palm Beach County. The National League is a main platform for US Youth Soccer and includes championships per gender and for the 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U, 18U, and 19U age groups.
In addition to featuring an array of thrilling soccer games, these two (2) US Youth Soccer events will generate significant economic benefits. Combined, these tournaments will attract over 1,000 youth soccer players while generating nearly 3,000 hotel room nights and $2 million in visitor spending.
