Key Takeaways
- U.S. Soccer and Bank of America launched Soccer at Schools, aiming to bring soccer to every U.S. school by 2030 through the Soccer Forward Foundation.
- The initiative targets three gaps: facility access (67% of parks and rec departments lack enough space), volunteer coaching shortages (82% of agencies report this), and youth inactivity (71% of school-aged kids miss recommended activity levels).
- Schools and community organizations will receive starter kits, PE activities, advocacy tools, training and equipment through U.S. Soccer’s 120-member network across all 50 states.
- The first activation took place in Altadena, Calif., a community impacted by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, with appearances from David Beckham and Angel City FC’s Sydney Leroux.
- An official platform for schools, clubs and community organizations to access support will go live this summer, with additional activations planned in Atlanta, Charlotte and Chicago.
A National Push Tied to the 2026 World Cup
U.S. Soccer, through the Soccer Forward Foundation and in partnership with Bank of America, officially launched Soccer at Schools on March 23. The initiative is designed to expand access to the sport at the school level by providing educators, state soccer associations and community organizations with equipment, training and programming resources.
The timing is tied directly to the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026, which the U.S. is co-hosting. U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson framed the effort as a way to convert World Cup momentum into long-term participation, calling the federation “uniquely positioned to connect schools, educators and community leaders” through its national network.
Soccer at Schools is positioned as one of the largest youth access investments connected to the tournament’s domestic legacy.
Targeting Measurable Gaps in Youth Access
The initiative is built around three data points that outline the current state of youth sports infrastructure in the U.S.
First, 67% of parks and recreation departments say they lack adequate field and facility space to meet demand. Second, 82% of community sports agencies identify volunteer coach shortages as a top operational challenge. Third, roughly 1 in 5 U.S. school-aged children are classified as obese, and 71% do not meet recommended physical activity levels.
Soccer at Schools is designed to address each of those gaps through a resource distribution model. Schools and organizations will receive starter kits, PE curriculum support, coach and volunteer training materials, and advocacy tools. The program leans on U.S. Soccer’s existing infrastructure of 120 member organizations across all 50 states to distribute those resources.
Launch Activations and What Comes Next
The first event took place at Odyssey Charter in Altadena, Calif., a community directly affected by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. The activation featured a soccer clinic with 500 students, an equipment donation, and appearances from Bank of America global sports ambassador David Beckham and Angel City FC forward Sydney Leroux.
Additional activations are planned in Atlanta (alongside U.S. Men’s National Team sendoff matches), Charlotte and Chicago. The official digital platform where schools, clubs and community organizations can sign up for direct support is expected to launch this summer.
The partnership aligns with Bank of America’s Sports with Us platform, which focuses on using sports as a vehicle for community investment.
A Scalable Model for Youth Sports Growth
Soccer at Schools represents a structured attempt to use the World Cup as a catalyst for participation growth at the grassroots level. The model focuses on meeting students in schools, equipping educators with practical tools, and building early touchpoints that can feed into after-school programs, local leagues and community clubs.
Soccer Forward Foundation Executive Director Lex Chalat described the approach as “meeting students where they are,” with an emphasis on making the sport easier for educators and communities to deliver. Whether the initiative can scale across all 50 states by 2030 will depend on execution, but the infrastructure and funding commitments suggest this is more than a one-off activation.
Source: U.S. Soccer, March 23, 2026
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