FRISCO, Texas (May 3, 2022) — The US Youth Soccer National League is excited to announce the next five boys clubs and seven girls clubs that will compete as inaugural members of Elite 64.

Boys CDA Slammers FC (CA) Coppermine SC (MD) IMG Academy (FL) Laguna United FC (CA) Tigres FC (TX)

Girls Bayside FC (RI) CDA Slammers FC (CA) Coppermine SC (MD) FC Premier (CA) Liverpool International Academy Central Florida (FL) Match Fit (NJ) Strikers FC North (CA)

Each of these Elite 64 clubs share a collective vision and are dedicated to providing an unmatched gameday experience, in addition to maintaining the highest standards, both on and off the field, to maximize the opportunities available to their players.

“The inaugural group of Elite 64 clubs is nearly finalized, and these latest additions will further strengthen the robust collection of top-class organizations set to compete in Elite 64 in the upcoming season,” said Simon Collins, USYS National League Commissioner. “We are exciting to work with these clubs and look forward to moving Elite 64 forward in a common direction that focuses on the putting the players in the best positions to reach their full potential and achieve their athletic and individual goals.”

The newly-announced elite performance tier of the National League, Elite 64 will begin play this fall and feature club-based competition for the nation’s top boys and girls players in the 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 18/19U age groups. The 64 clubs in each gender will be geographically positioned into eight groups of eight clubs. Teams play a 14-game league season and have access to two national showcases (alongside National League P.R.O.) and the Elite 64 national finals.

Each of the inaugural Elite 64 clubs will benefit from world-class performance analysis from ProScore and new USYS partner STATSports, which will provide Elite 64 clubs with unparalleled access to the world’s most advanced performance wearable technology. All data and analysis collected will be shared with college coaches and professional scouts — making every Elite 64 game or training session a recruitable moment.

Acceptance into Elite 64 guarantees each club a minimum three-year involvement in the competition, with 18-month evaluations of every club taking place to ensure standards are met and Elite 64 maintains the highest possible level of competitive balance across the platform.

View the Club Directory to see all the inaugural Elite 64 clubs that have been announced to this point and continue to check back as more are announced.

Hear from the club leaders…

BAYSIDE FC (Elite 64 – Girls)
“Bayside FC is delighted to be a part of Elite 64 as we continue to provide our players with opportunities to play at the highest level. Elite 64 does that by providing our players the opportunity to compete and showcase their talents consistently on the regional and national levels. Elite 64's integration of STATSports and ProScore allows for our players to have actionable data at their fingertips. The resources provided through Elite 64 will assist our coaches and players as they develop and determine areas to improve. For these same resources to be available to college coaches and pro scouts is fantastic exposure for our players. We are looking forward to challenging and pushing ourselves against the country's top talent this coming fall.”
Chris Clarke, Director of Coaching – Girls

CDA SLAMMERS FC (Elite 64 – Boys and Girls)
“On behalf of CDA Slammers FC, we are excited to be part of the Elite 64 national platform to enhance our boys and girls programs through true performance data and analytics, and also high-level competition with maximum exposure to college coaches and professional scouts. This pathway will provide the structure to continue to elevate soccer excellence through player development and competition.”
Alex Camargo, Executive Director

COPPERMINE SC (Elite 64 – Boys and Girls)
“Our club is in full support of Elite 64 and is humbled to be selected as one of the top 64 clubs in the country on both the boys’ and girls’ side. Having the league backed and supported by USYS, the largest youth affiliate in U.S. Soccer, we are excited to be part of this newly invigorated league and format. Elite 64 will bring our players and families one of the highest levels of competition in the country without sacrificing sensible travel and affordability. We are committed to introducing this new league to the next generation of soccer player in our area and thrilled at the opportunity and pathway for our players to compete at the highest level. Elite 64’s level of clubs and players will attract some of the top colleges and universities in the country with this new competition format. More meaningful soccer through E64 will give us better developmental goals for our players and bring more structure to the shifting landscape of youth soccer. STATSports and ProScore working in tandem is going to help to showcase our players in such a unique way within our club development methods and through college recruitment. Being able to track their stats and use this technology will be bring our players’ development to a new level and give college scouts and coaches a unique perspective on our players going through this process.”
Andrew Bulls, Club President

FC PREMIER (Elite 64 – Girls)
“FC Premier is very excited and honored to be recognized as one of the inaugural members of the USYS National League Elite 64. Elite 64 will further enhance our player pathway and development model at the club. The league’s innovative and unique ways of identifying talent objectively will create opportunities for our athletes to play at a higher level. Elite 64 is steadfast in finding the best possible ways to develop talent and more importantly position this talent to reach newer heights. They are quickly raising the bar and setting the standard of creating a competitive atmosphere with a player-first focus. Utilizing new technology with STATSports and ProScore will take our player evaluation to whole new level. It is with the utmost confidence that we accept the offer for our girls to compete in Elite 64.”
Dave Sabet, Executive Director

IMG ACADEMY (Elite 64 – Boys)
“IMG Academy is excited to join the USYS Elite 64 pathway for our boys soccer programing. This new platform will challenge our players not only in league and showcase play but also through the potential to participate in national and international competitions. At IMG Academy Soccer, we focus on the holistic development for each of our players on the training field, in the performance center and in the classroom. Elite 64, along with MLS Next and Sunshine Conference Academy Division competitive platforms, gives our entire IMG Academy player pool fantastic opportunities to compete in well-organized and player-centric game models.”
Don Cameron, Director of Soccer

LAGUNA UNITED FC (Elite 64 – Boys)
“LUFC is excited to be part of Elite 64 under USYS. We are impressed with the direction, detail and opportunity this provides players and teams across our club. The partnership with STATSports and ProScore adds a further detailed approach to player development and analysis that will only elevate our players and teams. Furthermore, the national competition and collaboration unifies a structured club model that balances competition, development, and schedules with a clear player pathway in its vision.”
Sam Nicholson, Director of Coaching

LIVERPOOL INT’L ACADEMY CENTRAL FLORIDA (Elite 64 – Girls)
“What excites us about Elite 64 is the list of clubs and the high-level competition they bring. Challenging ourselves against the best in the nation is a primary goal of the club and our programs. Having teams in Elite 64 adds a level to the top of our player development pathway for college exposure, as well as contributes to the competitive environment that is needed for developing high-performance student-athletes.”
Rob Morton, Director of Operations

MATCH FIT ACADEMY (Elite 64 – Girls)
“When we learned about the Elite 64 program, and the platform US Youth Soccer was creating for the youth soccer landscape, it was an easy decision for us to apply. With the decorated history of the Match Fit Academy program and our focus on player development, combined with USYS and National League’s focus on the player through a supportive infrastructure and environment, we feel that this is an incredible partnership and opportunity for us to be able to provide to our female athletes. The exclusivity, quality of competition, and infrastructure calls for the qualities of our program that are at the focal point of our player development model. In order to succeed in this league, we will need to focus on the elements of our program that have led us to this point on our history. This is clear with the league’s dedication to current player performance and proactive opportunities at the collegiate level with the integration of STATSports and ProScore for our athletes, providing access to proven technologies within the game. We are excited for, appreciate, and accept the opportunity to be a part of the girls’ Elite 64.”
Ryan Tetro, Technical Director

STRIKERS FC NORTH (Elite 64 – Girls)*
“Strikers FC is excited and honored to be selected to participate in the USYS Elite 64. USYS and the National League have been the pinnacle of youth soccer for many years, and we are thrilled to provide this opportunity to our players and coaches. Competing with the best clubs in our region and across the country aligns seamlessly with our vision and mission of excellence at Strikers FC. Utilizing STATSports and ProScore as part of our training and games provides our club and coaches with the most advanced wearable technology on the market, which will be sharable with college coaches and professional scouts across the country. Elite 64 will maximize our professional recruitment and will give our players and coaching staff the ideal platform to continue to develop top-level talent. National showcases will enable our players to gain college exposure and help our athletes reach their highest desired level of play.”
Rob Fisher, Executive Director

*Announced previously as an Elite 64 boys club

TIGRES FC (Elite 64 – Boys)
“We are honored and proud to be joining this new platform — Elite 64. It will be instrumental in the continuous personal and soccer skills development of our players, teams and coaches. Some of our teams already compete in USYS competitions — the Frontier Conference, National League P.R.O., USYS National Championships — and know first-hand the quality of the competition, organization and exposure offered to our players. Joining E64 is our natural and logic next step to bring the rest of our teams to the same level of diverse and quality competition with a clear advancement path to regional and national events based on performance. The technology offered by E64 will allow us to track individual and collective performances to fine tune our training sessions to support the further development of our playing style.”
Javier Saavedra, Director of Coaching