Positive Coaching Alliance is proud to share information on sports participation for disabled youth from National Partner American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), the oldest and most established youth soccer organization in the world with over 500,000 participants.

In this article, AYSO outlines their VIP (Very Important Person) program. They explain how they introduce students with disabilities to the sport of soccer and how the program benefits more than just participants. The program gives “individuals with disabilities experience the thrill of belonging to a team, wearing uniforms, and making new friends.They learn new skills and develop physical fitness while enjoying the game of soccer.” With obvious benefits to disabled youth athletes, AYSO explains how programs for the disabled also benefit friends, families, and ‘buddies’ as “they learn to understand and appreciate players who have disabilities.”

To learn more about the VIP program where “Everyone Plays”, click the link below, and consider how you can use this in your youth sports organization.