The U.S. Way
As part of the U.S. Way strategy, and in partnership with our members and clubs, U.S. Soccer is scaling how we identify and develop talent for our pre-professional / professional environments and our 27 National Teams.
To be the best, you need to train and play alongside the best. That’s why the U.S. Way emphasizes the need for players to gain early and repeated exposure to National Team environments. In partnership with their clubs, we want to provide young talent with more opportunities to shine and prepare for both professional club and National Team environments.
U.S. Soccer takes pride in investing in the future of all 27 National Teams and is committed to scaling investment in our Deaf, Cerebral Palsy (CP), and Power National Teams. We want to ensure these teams have the resources, infrastructure, and support needed to compete and win on the international stage.
U.S. Soccer takes pride in investing in the future of all 27 National Teams, and as such, are committed to ensuring that our Beach and Futsal National Teams continue to develop as world-class programs. The U.S. Way unites all national teams as one family, reinforcing our shared values and commitment to excellence.
We look forward to welcoming you to the brand-new home of soccer in America: the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Atlanta, located just 20 minutes south of the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
On schedule to be completed in the spring of 2026, this center is more than a cutting-edge training facility for our 27 National Teams, technical education and referee programs. It’s a symbol of our sport in America, and a space that exists in service to you, our members.
The U.S. Way digital platform will provide 24-7 access to the philosophies and key qualities that define the U.S. Way. It also introduces advanced tools already used by our National Teams to clubs, coaches, and players, in order to support talent ID and player development at an unprecedented scale.
In support of the Shared & Scaled Infrastructure pillar of our U.S. Way strategy, U.S. Soccer is establishing a 2-year, rolling youth domestic calendar in collaboration with our member organizations. We want young players to participate in both key club events and U.S. Soccer YNT or Talent ID camps, gaining valuable experience and benefits from both.
At U.S. Soccer, we celebrate the members, coaches, referees, technical staff, and leaders who shape the game at every level across the country. It is our mission to provide the tens of thousands of soccer participants with the skills and development they need to reach their full potential.
For decades, college soccer has been one of the most important player development platforms in the United States, producing generations of players, coaches, referees, and administrators. U.S. Soccer and the NextGen College Soccer Committee have outlined a modernization strategy with recommendations to strengthen student-athlete well-being, improve program financial sustainability, and strengthen elite pathways.
The U.S. Way is a shared philosophy, a strategy and a practical toolkit to enable excellence at every level of the game and for us to win.
95% of player development happens within our club system, making those environments critical for podium finishes for our Pro Leagues or National Teams. The U.S. Way is intended to work in partnership between the club and National Team environment to cultivate the next generation of talent.
The U.S. Way ultimately applies to players at all ages and skill levels, but it will be a multiyear journey to bring it to life across the landscape. Feedback from our ecosystem review has led to our initial focus being on the professional and pre-professional segments, but we look forward to working with all members to realize the full potential of the U.S. Way.
Working with stakeholders across the ecosystem, we have identified three focus areas, with current examples:
While each player's journey is personal to them, a cohesive approach at every level of the game is vital for the future development of the next generation of players. We are working with our ecosystem on how to bring the U.S. Way to life under the Pathways Strategy. See here for the latest information on this legacy-defining effort.