HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER
Where Players, Citizens and Communities Grow Together
JOAO( JOHN) BARATA Chair | United Soccer Coaches High School Coaches Community
In the broader soccer landscape, the conversation often leans toward academies, ECNL, MLS NEXT, NWSL and the college recruiting grind. That’ s fine because all those platforms matter. But if we lose sight of high school soccer in that discussion, we’ re missing one of the most powerful environments we have for developing not just players, but people and communities.
As Chair of the High School Coaches Community, I see it up close every day. Thousands of programs, tens of thousands of players, and communities that rally around a game that is so much more than a scoreboard. High school soccer is where the sport intersects directly with daily life: loud bells, classrooms, homework, bus rides, families in the stands, little kids watching in oversized hoodies and so much more!
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