Player Luncheon Kicks Off 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championships
Soccer News: The 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championships officially began Monday as more than 2,800 players, coaches, referees, officials and administrators gathered for the player luncheon at the Cox Business Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ninety-six teams from the across the country are competing for national crowns in Under-13 through Under-19 Boys and Girls age groups at the Mohawk Soccer Complex in Tulsa, and the week of competition began by honoring their accomplishments to this point.
US Youth Soccer President John Sutter welcomed the players, coaches and fans to the National Championships and talked about the opportunity the players have in front of them.
“This time of year is so special. It is the end of a season, but the beginning of a week that you will remember for the rest of your lives,” Sutter said. “On behalf of US Youth Soccer, I want to congratulate you, your teammates, your coaches, those behind the scenes that get everything organized, and especially your parents.”
The National Championships Player Luncheon peaked with excitement as the audience watched a highlight video tracking the teams’ successes at the Regional Championships and in the US Youth Soccer National League.
The final ascent to the National Championship for these teams begins with round robin play Tuesday, July 21 with games at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Preliminary games continue Wednesday and Thursday. After a day off on Friday, Under-14 through Under-18 teams will play semifinals on the morning of Saturday, July 25, before the first champions are decided when Under-13 and Under-19 sides compete in their final matches that night. The Under-14 through Under-18 National champions will be crowned on Sunday, July 26.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the James P. McGuire Cup, which is awarded to the Under-19 Boys National Champion.
“Each of the four teams here in Tulsa competing for the storied McGuire Cup have a core group of players who have been together since their earliest youth soccer days,” Sutter said. “That’s not always the case with the Under-19 age group — with many players already a year into college — but these four have stuck together and provide a great example of the bond between players that is present in any great team and exists with every team here today.”
Live broadcasts will be available for select games during group play and semifinals, as well as all 14 National Championship finals.
The Regional highlight videos are available on the event’s official website. In addition to a video highlight of today’s player luncheon, the site will feature daily video clips, including game footage and interviews.
The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing over 185,000 players on more than 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer’s 55 State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
The tournament consists of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the U-13 through U-19 Boys and Girls age groups, as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the Under-14 through Under-18 Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 96 teams.
Each year brings about new challenges and highlights the motivation and commitment of these youth players as they continue pursuing their dreams of being one of the best youth soccer teams in the country.
The National Championships are the final step of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series and open to any US Youth Soccer member. The U.S. Soccer Federation initiated the open youth championships with the James P. McGuire Cup (Under-19 Boys), the oldest trophy in youth sports, in 1935. Since its creation in 1974, US Youth Soccer has added 13 divisions to the national championship tournament, with the U-13 Boys and Girls divisions added in 2013 to reach the current format.
Annually, the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation’s top collegiate coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country.
Live broadcasts of more than 80 games, daily highlight videos, photos, reports and complete results from the tournament.
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