News

State Associations helped shape this decision and will play an even larger role in creating new opportunities to strengthen soccer in communities across the country.

Westfield, Indiana (Aug. 29, 2026) – Today, Indiana Soccer joined State Associations across the country in supporting a historic step to make US Youth Soccer (USYS) part of U.S. Soccer, bringing the organizations closer together to invest more in local soccer and create better experiences for players and families, creating greater alignment across the game and new opportunities to strengthen soccer locally.

The 54 State Associations voted to approve the change during their Annual General Meeting, which will begin a two-year integration process on September 1, 2026. The decision brings the decades of experience held by the state associations and reach across youth soccer closer together with U.S. Soccer’s resources and national scale.

The integration will position U.S. Soccer and the state associations to align in a way that provides better service to the entire soccer family. “This is an exciting moment for soccer in Indiana and across the country,” said Dave Guthrie, Executive Director of Indiana Soccer. “We supported this decision because we believe we can accomplish more for the game by working together. Our clubs and communities have built an incredible foundation for soccer in Indiana. U.S. Soccer has made a real commitment to investing more in the game locally, which gives us an opportunity to build on what we’ve created with greater resources, stronger connections and the full weight of U.S. Soccer behind our shared goal of growing and improving the game.”

What This Means for Soccer in Indiana

The integration begins a two-year process in which State Associations will work closely with U.S. Soccer to help shape the future of soccer in communities around the country.

The goal is to create a stronger and more connected soccer system that can:

• Bring more resources and investment to soccer locally.
• Strengthen State Associations and their ability to support and grow the game in their communities.
• Create more opportunities for people to play and stay in the game.
• Better support clubs, leagues, coaches and referees serving players every day.
• Make soccer easier for families to understand and navigate.
• Connect local communities more directly to U.S. Soccer and the resources, expertise and opportunities available nationally.

The integration is part of U.S. Soccer’s broader Pathways Strategy, which brings together members and stakeholders from across American soccer to create a more connected future for the game. For the Indiana Soccer Association, that future starts locally, building on the work already happening in our communities and creating the support, investment, and opportunities to help soccer reach even more people across Indiana.

Adult soccer doesn’t have to mean committing to an entire season, rearranging your summer schedule, or worrying about letting your teammates down.

At Kunz Stadium in Indianapolis, women’s Adult Soccer is evolving to meet players where they are—creating opportunities to stay active, compete, socialize, and enjoy the game without the commitment of a traditional league.

Jody Toth, President of the Central Indiana Women’s Soccer League, has been part of that evolution and the effort to create an adult soccer experience that reflects the changing lifestyles and needs of today’s players.

Adapting to a Changing Game—and Changing Lifestyles

For years, the Women’s Adult program featured a traditional summer 7v7 league with established teams playing each week. The top division even included several college teams, providing college athletes with a terrific opportunity to stay in shape, sharpen their skills, and get back on the ball in a fun and competitive environment.

But the landscape began to change.

The NCAA Division I calendar gradually moved the date when coaches could reconnect with their players and bring them back to campus earlier into the summer. At the same time, more college programs introduced summer training programs and workouts. While these activities may technically be voluntary, players often felt pressure to participate if they wanted to compete for playing time.

The college teams gradually disappeared from the summer league.

Then another reality became increasingly apparent: adult players wanted flexibility.

Vacations, concerts, travel, family commitments and other summer activities made it difficult for players to commit to playing every week for an entire summer.

The traditional league format became a constant challenge. Players would be unavailable, managers had to track attendance, and teams often had more substitutes than regular players. Managers were spending considerable time trying to figure out who was coming and finding enough players to make the games work.

Instead of fighting those changes, the program decided to embrace them.

The goal became simple: Think outside the box and create soccer that works with players’ lifestyles.

Show Up When You Can

The result is a flexible format that puts the emphasis back where it belongs: playing soccer.

Players pay into a pool and, if they want to play that night, they simply show up by 7 p.m.

The players who arrive are divided into balanced teams, typically Black and White, and play a series of short games—generally around 30 minutes each. Results are tracked tournament-style through wins, losses, goals for and goals against, with a champion crowned at the end of the night.

And yes, there is a championship celebration.

The winners get their picture taken and posted on the program’s Facebook page. Some teams have a little fun with their championship photos, adding personality and plenty of smiles to the evening.

The format has proven to be competitive, social and, most importantly, low commitment.

If you can play, come play.

If you can’t, that’s okay.

If something comes up at the last minute, there is no team left scrambling for a replacement.

Players aren’t letting their team down because there isn’t a permanent team to let down.

Tuesday & Wednesday Nights Have Their Own Personality

Tuesday nights tend to attract more of the players who participate in the program’s 11v11 league, while Wednesday nights are open to everyone. Some players participate both nights.

The evenings have become as much about community as they are about competition.

And the summer schedule is intentional.

Games don’t begin until 7 p.m., allowing players to avoid the hottest part of the day. By that time, the sun is beginning to wane and temperatures are generally more comfortable for playing.

It’s another small adjustment designed around the players.

Everyone Is a Winner

The weekly champions may get the bragging rights, but the program’s philosophy is that everyone who comes out to play is a winner.

Consider the Week Two Wednesday night champions. They went undefeated for the evening, but everyone who stepped onto the field made an investment in their health and fitness. Several players even stayed afterward for an additional 20-minute pickup game.

Soccer provides a tremendous full-body workout while offering benefits that extend well beyond the field.

Cardiovascular Fitness: Soccer combines aerobic running with bursts of anaerobic sprinting, providing an effective cardiovascular workout.

Bone & Muscle Strength: Running, jumping and kicking are weight-bearing activities that help support bone strength while building lean muscle.

Coordination & Balance: Constantly changing direction, dribbling and reacting to opponents challenges the body’s coordination and neuromuscular control.

Mental Well-being: Exercise and the social connection of playing with others can help reduce stress and support overall mental well-being.

But soccer isn’t just a workout for the body.

Soccer Is a Running Game of Chess

The Tuesday night Week Three champions went undefeated for the evening—and while they earned the night’s championship, every player who came out also exercised something else: their mind.

Soccer has often been described as a running game of chess.

Every player has strengths and limitations, and success requires a constant balance between attacking and defending. When one team attacks, the other must immediately transition into defense.

Players are constantly scanning the field, anticipating where the ball, available space and opposing players will be during the next moment of play. Just like a chess player studies the board and anticipates an opponent’s next move, soccer players must read the game and make decisions in real time.

And just like chess, soccer demands adaptability.

An opponent makes an unexpected move? Adjust.

Space suddenly opens? Exploit it.

A teammate makes a run? Recognize it.

The game requires players to constantly process information, make decisions and adapt their strategy.

So, hats off to all the players who came out on Tuesday night.

They didn’t just exercise their bodies—they sharpened their minds, too.

A Different Kind of Adult Soccer Experience

The evolution of women’s adult soccer at Kunz Stadium is ultimately a story about listening to players and adapting to their lives.

The traditional model worked for a long time. But as the lives and commitments of players changed, the program had to change with them.

Rather than asking players to organize their lives around soccer, the program flipped the equation:

Let’s create soccer that fits into their lives.

The result is an environment where women can come out when they are available, compete at a level that challenges them, get a great workout, meet other players and simply enjoy being on the field.

Whether you’re chasing the night’s championship, staying after for one more pickup game, getting your weekly workout or just looking for a fun way to reconnect with soccer, there is a place for you.

Because at the end of the night, the biggest victory isn’t always the score.

It’s staying active. Staying connected. Staying healthy. And continuing to love the game.

We’re excited to announce an exclusive new partnership between Indiana Soccer and SogilityGO—a cutting-edge home training solution designed to help you take your soccer skills to the next level, right from your own home.

What is Save 20 % with SogilityGO? 

SogilityGO “The Peloton of Soccer” is a new home training solution that includes an interactive app—available on the Apple App Store and Google Play—and a smart rebounder, designed to improve players’ passing, first touch, dribbling, vision, and agility. Whether you’re supplementing your training with us or want to stay sharp between games, SogilityGO fits seamlessly into your schedule and skill goals.

Here’s what you get with SogilityGO:

• An assessment to see your skill level  
• A virtual coach via the SogilityGO app to guide every session
• Progress tracking so you can see your improvement over time

Special Offer for Indiana Soccer Players

To help you get started, all Indiana Soccer members can enjoy 20% OFF when you order a SogilityGO smart rebounder system with the code: INDIANASOCCER10