US Youth Soccer is proud to announce that Barboursville and Charleston, W.Va., in addition to the West Virginia Soccer Association (WVSA), will host the 2019 US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships, as well as the 2019 and 2020 US Youth Soccer Eastern Presidents Cup. Games will take place at the Barboursville Soccer Complex and Shawnee Park Sports Complex.
“The US Youth Soccer East Region family looks forward to working with the great people of West Virginia to provide the highest quality experience possible for the thousands of elite players who will earn the right to participate in these 2019 and 2020 US Youth Soccer events,” said Dr. Greg Smith, US Youth Soccer East Region General Manager. “Every player, coach, family member and spectator in attendance will be exposed to high-level soccer on great fields and in a place of the country that makes you feel as if it is almost heaven.”
The Eastern Regional Championships, a part of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, will feature approximately 225 Boys and Girls teams in the 12U through 19U age groups. Regional winners in the 13U through 19U age groups will earn a berth to the US Youth Soccer National Championships.
The Eastern Presidents Cup, which is part of the US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup competition, will feature approximately 112 Boys and Girls teams in the 12U through 18U age groups. Regional winners in the 13U through 18U age groups will earn a berth to the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup.
“The West Virginia Soccer Association is excited to once again host these prestigious US Youth Soccer regional events,” WVSA President Len Rogers said. “We appreciate the repeated confidence that US Youth Soccer and the East Region have in our association to host a well-managed event of this size. We are very excited to showcase the new Shawnee Park Sports Complex and the many improvements to the Barboursville Soccer Complex to the thousands of players, coaches, referees and parents from the East Region that will attend.”
With the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau leading the bid process, and in coordination with the Kanawha County Commission, Barboursville, Charleston and Huntington, the area was able to secure these highly sought-after events.
The Barboursville Soccer Complex is a familiar location for US Youth Soccer, as it has successfully held both events in Barboursville in recent years. The Eastern Regional Championships last came to Barboursville in back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016, while the Eastern Presidents Cup took place in Barboursville in 2017 and will return to the complex June 16-18 for this year’s event.
“We are thrilled to be awarded these tournaments and look forward to the many players and families that will be visiting Barboursville,” Barboursville Mayor Chris Tatum said. “We love rolling out the red carpet for our visitors and look forward to continuing our long standing relationship with US Youth Soccer and the West Virginia Soccer Association.”
The upcoming tournaments in 2019 and 2020 are expected to make use of the new Shawnee Park Sports Complex that is near Charleston, W.Va. Semifinal and final matches are anticipated to take place at Shawnee Park.
“The Kanawha County Commission is excited to partner with Barboursville, US Youth Soccer, and WVSA in bringing these major tournaments to West Virginia,” Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango said. “The Eastern Presidents Cup and the Eastern Regional Championships will bring thousands of youth athletes, coaches and families to our area. Moreover, these tournaments will provide a combined $32 million economic impact for the Kanawha Valley.
“The Shawnee Park Sports Complex was designed as a premier facility that would attract the very best events in youth sports, and I want to sincerely thank US Youth Soccer for selecting it to host the Eastern Regional Championships and Eastern Presidents Cup.”
The US Youth Soccer East Region includes 15 State Associations (Connecticut, Delaware, Eastern New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York West, Pennsylvania West, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia).
About the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series: The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country’s oldest and most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing approximately 185,000 players on more than 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
The Eastern Regional Championships are part of the second leg of the series, which concludes with the US Youth Soccer National Championships — capping a yearlong series of competitions for boys and girls teams in multiple age brackets.
About the US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup: The US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup is designed for those teams seeking additional challenges to play against teams of similar abilities for a national title. Each US Youth Soccer State Association determines the path through which its state teams advance to the regional competitions.
The cup provides a progressive, competitive experience to teams that might not otherwise get the opportunity to participate in a series of unique experiences highlighting competition, camaraderie and community from the state to regional to national levels of US Youth Soccer.
About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer): US Youth Soccer – "The Game for ALL Kids!®" is the largest youth sports organization in the country and largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, and over 900,000 administrators, coaches and volunteers in 55 member State Associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. For more information, visit www.USYouthSoccer.org.
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