Alexandria, Virginia — Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) and Alexandria Soccer Association (ASA), in partnership with Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), were recently awarded an Innovate to Grow grant from US Soccer. Funded for three years and beginning this fall, ASA and VYSA will launch “Soccer IN School” — the program will bring a two week soccer unit to every second grade physical education (PE) class in the ACPS district. For the coming year, all 1,360 second grade students will participate in this groundbreaking program which includes:
- Soccer training with professional U.S. Soccer licensed coaches
- Introduction to referees and rules of the game by U.S. soccer referees
- Professional player appearances
- PE Teacher training by US Soccer coaching educators
- A “Soccer Skills Challenge” take home packet including a soccer ball and jersey
ASA’s Outreach & School Programs Manager Johnatan Nunez partnered with the ACPS Health & PE Instructional Specialist, Kristin Donley, to develop the program. Soccer IN School integrates U.S. Soccer curriculum with the Physical Education Standards of Learning for second grade students in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The goals are to improve school day attendance and test scores, foster a love for the game, and get kids involved in soccer outside of school. Donley notes, “This partnership will be a valuable asset, supporting skill-focused instruction in the PE setting where both teachers and students reap benefits. Anytime you can enhance a unit of instruction by bringing in experts it increases student engagement and makes learning the unit more fun. Additionally, this program will foster a social emotional perspective as students learn how to show good sportsmanship and work as a team.”
Last year the Innovate to Grow grant funded 27 programs benefiting 762,398 players, coaches and referees across the U.S. Soccer ecosystem. The Innovate to Grow Fund was established in 2017 to help U.S. Soccer member organizations launch new and innovative programs designed to grow participation.
Don Rawson, Executive Director of VYSA said, “VYSA is proud to partner with the Alexandria Soccer Association on this initiative. The club is known for innovative approaches to supporting the local community through the sport of soccer. This exciting Soccer IN School program would not be as successful without the significant investment and support of U.S. Soccer. As this program is launched, it will be fun to see the smiles on children’s faces—especially with the World Cup coming to the United States in 2026.”
VYSA, ASA and ACPS see firsthand the urgent need to get kids active, engaged and away from screens. Soccer IN School will have a significant impact, introducing kids to sport in a unique way, empowering them to play at home and with friends, engaging them with positive role models, and offering opportunities to transition to out-of-school time participation on a team.
Tommy Park, ASA’s Executive Director, said, “Our team is proud that U.S. Soccer selected the City of Alexandria, through VYSA & ASA, to innovate and build on our Access4All project. Combating the national trend of the decline in youth sports is achieved by working tirelessly to inspire young people to PLAY, join a team, have FUN and develop long lasting friendships. We accept the challenge and are driven to broaden our partnership with the schools, teachers, community partners and parents!”
This program will fall within ASA’s Access4All Programming and will be managed by Johnatan Nunez. Questions can be directed to: jnunez@alexandria-soccer.org
