State of SOCCER NEW YORK CITY/NORTHERN NEW JERSEY

For the first time, a Project Play community State of Play report is tackling a specific sport – soccer. State of Soccer New York City/Northern New Jersey, our 18th community report, will analyze the local youth soccer ecosystem to understand the challenges and opportunities for more children to play soccer.

Project Play supports children playing many different sports. In partnership with the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, Project Play is focusing this work on soccer to culminate the report’s release around the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup final at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York City. The World Cup offers opportunities to grow the game of soccer among kids.

State of Soccer New York City/Northern New Jersey will offer findings and recommendations for Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx in New York City, and Essex, Union, Paterson and Whippany counties in New Jersey. Some topics that will be explored in the report include:

• Barriers for girls to play soccer and potential solutions

• Incorporation of youth voice into soccer program design and delivery

• Pickup soccer and free play

• Encouraging sport sampling beyond just soccer

• Recruitment, training and retention of soccer coaches

• ACL injuries in soccer, especially among girls

• Facilities and play spaces for youth soccer and their proximity to young people

State of Soccer New York City/Northern New Jersey will be guided by a local advisory group, which is holding its first meeting in March 2025. Project Play plans to hold a local soccer summit in fall 2025.

For more information on this project, contact Ruby Avila (ruby.avila@aspeninstitute.org) and Jon Solomon (jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org.)

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