We are dedicated volunteers committed to a healthy competitive atmosphere for youth soccer players and work towards developing responsible young people by following these principals:
	EVERYONE PLAYS
	We want kids to play soccer - so we mandate that every player on every team must play at least half of every game.
	BALANCED TEAMS
	We require every region at the start of each season to set up teams as evenly as possible. It's more fun when teams are of equal ability.
	OPEN REGISTRATION
	Our programs are open to all children ages 5-18 who want to play soccer. Interest and enthusiasm are the only requirements for playing.
	POSITIVE COACHING
	We train and encourage our coaches to make the extra effort to understand and offer positive help to our players, rather than use negative criticism. This approach builds a positive team spirit.
	GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP
	We create a positive environment based upon mutual respect, rather than a win-at-all-costs attitude. All of our programs are designed to instill good sportsmanship in our kids and our volunteers.
AYSO is founded upon community involvement:
	The basic community program is the Region and the volunteer staff members are encouraged to organize their regions to best suit the needs of their community. Each Region is headed by a Regional Commissioner (RC) who, with the help of a Regional Board, conducts the region within the framework of AYSO's Five Philosophies, Rules and Regulations, and By-laws.
	Several bordering regions comprise an Area headed by an Area Director (AD) who is responsible for the performance and growth of the Area. ADs report to Section Directors.
	Several bordering areas comprise a Section headed by a Section Director (SD) who is responsible for the general welfare and administration of a Section. A Section may cover several states, an entire state or a portion of a state. There are no such things as "state associations" in AYSO.
	Governing the overall organization is the National Board of Directors (NBOD). RCs, ADs, SDs and National Board Members serve as executive members with voting rights.
	The AYSO National Support Center & Training Center (NSTC) in Hawthorne, California (near Los Angeles) works closely with all executive members, sections, areas and regions providing many vital services.