Youth soccer on the rise in United States

Youth soccer participation

Source: U.S. Youth Soccer

When Ken Baldeosingh arrived in Huber Heights from Trinidad in 1973 to work for General Motors, he was struck by the lack of organized youth soccer in his new town.

He helped organize a program, beginning a 37-year association with soccer in the area as a coach, referee and administrator during which time he has helped the sport become a major player locally.

“It has grown a thousand-fold,” said Baldeosingh, executive director of the Miami Valley Youth Soccer Association.

That growth is highlighted this weekend with the arrival of the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II Championships, the final step before the national tournament. Since the 1970s, as participation in U.S. Youth Soccer has grown by nearly 2,900 percent to about 3.1 million participants, the MVYSA has boosted its numbers from a handful of teams to more than 400.

In doing so, soccer has become another in a growing list of options for youth athletes. From traditional stalwarts such as baseball and basketball to still-growing sports such as softball, volleyball and lacrosse, players can only spend their time on so many activities.

Soccer and baseball remain near the top on the preferred list of sports for kids, who are becoming increasingly serious about athletics at earlier ages.

“Everything has kind of upgraded itself,” said Jeff Reboulet, a Dayton native and former 12-year major-leaguer who now runs a local youth baseball organization, the Dayton Dodgers. “The better players want to be at a high level.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.