Michigan State Youth Soccer Association
Which Michigan FC falls under the soccer across America program , Soccer Across America is designed to introduce the sport of soccer to youngsters living in communities not yet served by existing clubs and leagues. Focused on making soccer available to lower-income children in under-served communities, Michigan FC provides soccer training and administrative guidance to players and organizations that might otherwise not be exposed to the sport. Michigan FC also helps new programs find the funding and equipment to begin and then to expand their activities. In the past several years, US Youth Soccer has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial and material support to programs across the United States.
Why do we need a Soccer Across America Program in our community?
Soccer is the fastest growing sport in the United States. It has reached into communities from coast to coast and from north to south. Yet, soccer has not always served inner city and rural communities and all economic and ethnic groups. In order to insure that every child has the opportunity to play our beautiful game, US Youth Soccer founded the Soccer Across America program which Michigan FC is partner of.
Goals of Michigan FC / Soccer Across America
Reaching out to children in under-served and socioeconomically disadvantaged places in order to offer them an on-going program
Encouraging positive sports activities through soccer
Increasing participants self-esteem through participation in an organized and supportive program of team activities
Building positive social and life skills throughout the youth communities
Provide important exercise and increase awareness of one's own health through sports
Provide the players with positive, cooperative and enjoyable after school and spare time activities
Michigan FC Program
As a partner of Soccer Across America programs are run locally by existing clubs and leagues, by Boys and Girls Clubs and Y's, by neighborhood houses and Parks and Recreation Departments. There is no "one size fits all" model for Michigan FC.
Each program starts differently and is created locally to meet the needs and capabilities of the organization and of the players. Programs in the nation's biggest cities may include thousands of children and yet there are hundreds of small programs that focus on one or two teams, one group of kids in a single neighborhood or one corner of a rural farming community.
Programs may last as little as a few weeks in the fall to as much as full seasons in more than one part of the year. Many programs adopt traditional soccer rules with full-sized fields and full length games while others choose to introduce soccer through "small-sided games" on smaller fields. Soccer Across America can help your community decide how to get started by providing written information and hands-on technical assistance.
