PATHWAYS STRATEGY
To everyone who loves this game – players, parents, coaches, administrators, referees, volunteers, and fans – we want to share how excited we are about the Pathways Strategy and what it means for the future of soccer in the United States. We believe this work will be truly transformational for the sport by providing organizations, players, families, referees, and coaches with a clearer and more understandable path to success.
We hear from families all the time that the game can feel confusing, expensive, or hard to navigate. The Pathways Strategy is our commitment to making soccer easier to navigate, more accessible, and more enjoyable for everyone – while helping every participant reach their full potential and strengthening our success at home and on the world stage. It’s focused on three simple things: reducing costs, opening doors for more people to play, and improving the experiences of everyone involved in soccer.
This isn’t about one organization or one operating model. It’s about bringing the entire soccer community together to build something better – a child kicking a ball for the first time, a volunteer coach leading their local team on the weekend, or a parent trying to understand the options and avenues available to them.
We’re incredibly grateful to the leaders and organizations across the country who have helped shape this work so far. Their passion and dedication to the game is what makes this effort possible, and they’ll continue to be essential partners as we move forward.
We’ll keep you updated on our progress, the milestones we hit, and the ways you can stay involved. We truly believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a stronger, more connected soccer experience – and we’re thrilled to be building it with all of you.
With appreciation,
Cindy Parlow Cone
President, U.S. Soccer
JT Batson
CEO, U.S. Soccer
Your insights will help us build a better soccer experience for everyone.
The United States is entering a generational moment for our sport. With major global tournaments coming to our country — including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the LA 2028 Olympic Games, and the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup — we have an unprecedented opportunity to shape the future of soccer in America.
Across the country, millions of people pour their time, energy, and passion into the game every day. Soccer is growing faster than ever, but for many players and families, the experience can still feel fragmented, expensive, and difficult to navigate. Questions like "Where do we start?" and "What comes next?" are still too common.
The U.S. Way is U.S. Soccer's player-first vision for the future of the game in America. It starts with a simple belief: if we create better environments for players, success at every level of the game will follow.
Pathways is one way that vision comes to life. It is U.S. Soccer's commitment to creating a more connected system that is easier to navigate, more accessible, and better aligned around the needs of players and participants. The goal is simple: help more people find the right environment for them, stay in the game longer, and reach their full potential — wherever their soccer journey begins.
In early June, leaders from State Associations and organizations across the U.S. Soccer ecosystem gathered at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center to begin designing a new local model. Over two days, State Associations helped lead discussions on how to better support soccer in local communities and shape a more connected future for the game. This video captures highlights from those conversations and reflections from leaders across the ecosystem on the opportunity ahead.
For years, organizations across the country have worked tirelessly to create opportunities for people to play, coach, referee, and participate in the game. Now, with the world's attention turning to the United States, we have an opportunity to build on that work and create a better experience for the people who matter most: the participants.
This work is guided by the U.S. Way, U.S. Soccer's player-first vision for the future of the game in America. The U.S. Way starts with a simple belief: if we create better environments for players and participants, success at every level of the game will follow.
Pathways is one way that vision comes to life. The strategy focuses on three simple goals:
At its core, this work is about making soccer easier to join, easier to navigate, and easier to stay connected to throughout a lifetime. And by creating better environments for more people to play, develop, and thrive, we can help build stronger national teams and compete for more World Cups in the years ahead.
At U.S. Soccer we want everyone to feel ownership of soccer’s future in the U.S.
Whether your child is playing for the first time, dreaming of being on the national team, or simply looking for a fun, safe place to learn, we want every family and player to have a clear sense of what comes next. At U.S. Soccer, as part of the U.S. Way, we are working to define each stage of your soccer journey – recreational, competitive, pre-professional, and beyond – so you can make informed choices and feel confident that your player is in the right environment, supported by the right infrastructure.
For coaches and referees, this work will help us create better education pathways, clearer expectations, and more consistent support across the country as part of our professional development program.
For every participant, it means a stronger, more connected, and more welcoming soccer community with a clear path forward.
For every fan, it means developing the talent and systems to win more World Cups and feel an even deeper sense of pride in our national teams.
The U.S. Way is U.S. Soccer's player-first vision for the future of the game in America. It starts with a simple belief: if we create better environments for players, success at every level of the game will follow.
