The St Louis Youth Soccer Association (SLYSA) has joined Illinois Youth Soccer as its newest member competitive league.   As a member of Illinois Youth Soccer, Illinois teams can now compete in SLYSA while keeping their eligibility for Illinois Youth Soccer member events such as Illinois State Cup, Sports Authority Presidents Cup, Wintrust Illinois Cup and more.

“We are very excited to add SLYSA as a member competitive league,” Mary Jane Bender, Executive Director of Illinois Youth Soccer said. “SLYSA’s dedication to creating a safe, competitive and fun atmosphere on the Illinois/Missouri border will offer teams in the southern part of the state tremendous opportunity to grow the game.”

The St. Louis Youth Soccer Association was founded in 1975 and incorporated as a non profit organization in 1976. SLYSA operates competitive soccer leagues for boys and girls, ages 8 to 18, regardless of race, color, or creed. The major objective of the organization is to develop, promote, and provide top level competition for YOUTH Soccer in the greater St. Louis area.

The league has grown from 500 youth players, U8 through U19 to over 12000 boys and girls representing close to 800 teams.

“We are always looking to service our teams better. Joining the Illinois Youth Soccer simplifies the registration process for Illinois-based teams and allows them to continue to play in Illinois Youth Soccer events such as State Cup,” explains Johann Arnason, Executive Director of SLYSA. “We will offer teams based in Southern Illinois the option to play in one of the largest and most competitive select soccer leagues in the United States. We are excited about the partnership with Illinois Youth Soccer and have no doubt that it will help the league continue to grow."