New York State West Youth Soccer Association is the state association for youth soccer in Western and Central New York, and our region’s home for US Soccer at the state level.
We serve over 200 member clubs from the shores of Lake Erie through Central New York. Players, coaches, referees, families and volunteers are why we exist. Our job is to help them get on the field and grow in the game.
“USYS and the State Associations bring the game to life every day at the local level.”
Cindy Parlow Cone, President, U.S. Soccer, August 29, 2026. Read the U.S. Soccer announcement
What we do
- For players: the Olympic Development Program (ODP) and Pre-ODP, the NYW Academy, State Cup and the Excelsior League.
- For coaches: coaching education at every level. We host US Soccer licensing courses across our region all year, from first-time coaches to advanced licenses. See coaching education.
- For referees: a path into refereeing with our partner, the Western New York State Referees Association. Become a referee.
- For clubs: support you can use. Player development comes first, led by our Technical Director and Assistant Technical Directors in every region. We also help with the logistics, administration and organization of running a club, so your volunteers can spend more time on the game.
Where we are
Our member clubs are organized into six districts: Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, Southern Tier and Twin Tiers. Find a club near you or see the district map.
Our history
New York State West has served youth soccer in our region since 1982. Read our history.
Hall of Fame
Some of the biggest names in American soccer started on fields across our region. Our Hall of Fame honors them, along with the coaches and volunteers who built the game here.
Abby Wambach
Two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, and one of the all-time leading goal scorers in international soccer. Her journey began in New York State West, where she developed through ODP and played for the Rochester Spirit. Read more
Brian Bliss
Grew up in Webster Soccer Association and earned 44 caps for the US, playing in the 1988 Olympics and the 1990 World Cup. Read more
Tommy Tanner
Captained the Rochester Rhinos to A-League titles and the 1999 U.S. Open Cup. Read more
Dema Kovalenko
Won the 1998 NCAA title at Indiana, then played in MLS with the Chicago Fire and D.C. United. Read more
Yuri Lavrynenko
Starred at Gates Chili, won two NCAA titles at Indiana and played for the Chicago Fire and the Rochester Rhinos. Read more
Jeff Knittel
Three-time NSCAA All American and the 1994 National High School Player of the Year. Read more
Dick Beal
The 2005 US Youth Soccer Boys National Coach of the Year, who coached Rochester teams for decades. Read more
Get in touch
Email marcomms@nyswysa.org and we’ll point you to the right person, or meet our staff.