Featured News

Inspiresport Partnership

Georgia State Soccer Association are excited to announce a partnership with inspiresport, a leading global sports tour operator for soccer experiences.

Global Headquarters in Manchester, England with North America Headquarters in Atlanta, G.A., inspiresport provide unrivalled soccer development tours to a range of elite clubs across UK and Europe including Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Valencia FC. The inspiresport brand, Generation adidas International, also provides opportunities for adidas affiliated clubs to train at a range of elite adidas clubs including the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and SL Benfica.

International Team Travel offers unique, all-encompassing experiences for players and teams including access to world-class soccer facilities, training with professional coaches, watching live professional matches, going behind-the-scenes on official stadium tours, playing friendlies against local opposition, or competing in international tournaments, sightseeing, and experiencing the local culture.

Coaches benefit from inspiresport’s unmatched network and travel expertise through coach education programs designed for coaches to continue their professional development journey, including completing UEFA coaching badges.

With this partnership, Georgia Soccer Association aims to further enhance its membership experience by offering unmatched travel opportunities for its own programs (ODP as one example) member clubs and coaches throughout the state. The partnership with inspiresport builds upon Georgia Soccer Association’s existing affiliation with sister company Sportsbreaks.com which was announced earlier this year. Sportsbreaks.com offer ticket inclusive fan travel packages to leading soccer clubs across the English Premier League and European leagues, plus other major sports including Formula One, tennis, golf, horse racing, rugby and more.

“This partnership not only opens doors to unparalleled team travel opportunities for our programs and our member clubs but also provides additional educational opportunities for our coaches. It solidifies our commitment to providing exceptional journeys and world class soccer experiences through our affiliation with inspiresport.” Said Laura Halfpenny, Georgia State Soccer Association, Executive Director.

Jeremy Parkins, Chief Operating Officer for inspiresport, and Sportsbreaks.com in North America, commented, “We want to thank Laura Halfpenny, Kostas Hatzikoutelis, and everyone at Georgia Soccer Association for the dedication and commitment to the partnership. We’re excited to begin working with Georgia Soccer Association and most importantly, for inspiresport and Sportsbreaks.com to be a valuable addition to offer industry leading international experiences to their membership ranging from their ODP programs to their club membership, coaches, players and families.”

To find out more about unrivalled youth soccer development tours to UK and Europe with inspiresport, please click HERE

Coaching Grant Initiative

Georgia Soccer announces Innovate to Grow Grant to increase the number of licensed coaches.

ATLANTA, GA – Georgia State Soccer Association has been awarded US Soccer Innovate to Grow Grant for Coaching Development.

Georgia State Soccer Association is proud to announce that it has been named the recipient of the US Soccer Innovate to Grow Grant. The grant will provide funding for coaching development and will fully fund 100 new coaches each year for the next two years. The grant will cover the cost of Grassroots and D licenses, as well as provide educational tools through our partner at Positive Coaching Alliance to assist in the development of these coaches.

The grant will focus on increasing the number of female coaches, our Spanish speaking communities and ODP players interested in Coaching as a career. We believe that investing in coaching development will have a positive impact on player development, and we are excited to offer this opportunity to our community.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant from US Soccer, which will allow us to further our mission of developing the game and the individuals who play it,” said Laura Halfpenny, Executive Director. “By investing in coaching development, we are investing in the future of soccer in our community.”

The Grassroots and D licenses are designed to provide coaches with the knowledge and skills they need to create a positive and fun learning environment for players. The educational tools provided by Positive Coaching Alliance will further support the development of these coaches and ensure that they are equipped to deliver the best possible experience to our players.

“We look forward to working with Georgia State Soccer Association to create the best possible sports experience for their athletes,” said Positive Coaching Alliance President Jason Sacks. “We appreciate the Association leadership making a positive youth sports experience a priority for all involved. When sports are done right, we know it can be an amazing opportunity not only to strive to win but more importantly, teach life lessons that will stay with our youth long after their playing days are over.”

Want to host a course? Contact Kostas at Kostas@georgiasoccer.org

Are you a female coach? Apply for the Grant here

About Georgia Soccer

Georgia Soccer is the authorized state youth and adult association for Georgia within the United States Adult Soccer Association, United States Youth Soccer Association, and through them is part of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Also, Georgia Soccer serves as the official National State Association of USSF making it responsible to act on behalf of USSF and provide licensing courses for coaches and certification courses for referees. In turn, the United States Soccer Federation is the recognized national soccer association within the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA), the worldwide governing body for soccer. Essentially, we serve affiliated member organizations throughout Georgia in both program and administrative support activities.

CaptainU offers free recruiting profile

CaptainU teams up with Georgia State Soccer Association to Expand College Sports Recruiting Efforts

Plano, TX, June 3, 2022—Georgia State Soccer Association— the official National State Association of USSF, as well as the recognized national soccer association within the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA), the worldwide governing body for soccer — announced today a new partner in CaptainU, powered by Stack Sports, to help more athletes find college opportunities. CaptainU a self-managed recruiting software tool that connects high school athletes and college coaches across the country, is the best way to connect with college coaches and get recruited. This 3 year partnership allows Georgia Soccer athletes and parents, instant access to every college soccer coach in the country, while increasing CaptainU’s huge reach for college soccer coaches.

“We couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to work with CaptainU and discover innovative ways to improve college soccer recruiting in the state of Georgia,” said Laura Halfpenny, Executive Director of Georgia Soccer. “This partnership will provide our athletes, parents, coaches, and teams access to expert recruiting tools. Expanding our Partnership with Stack Sports to provide additional resources to our members was an easy choice for us after the service we receive from them over the last decade.” Through this partnership, Georgia Soccer athletes will receive a free recruiting profileand highly discounted upgraded plans, coaches are eligible for free CaptainU College accounts, teams are eligible for a free CaptainU Teams accounts, and more.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Georgia Soccer and providing them with innovative tools and resources to enhance their already great program,” said Brandon Hollmann, General Manager of CaptainU. “Our mission has always been to assist college coaches, teams, and athletes throughout the recruiting process, and by teaming up with Georgia Soccer, we’re doing just that.”

About Georgia Soccer Georgia Soccer is the authorized state youth and adult association for Georgia within the United States Adult Soccer Association, United States Youth Soccer Association, and through them is part of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Also, Georgia Soccerserves as the official National State Association of USSF making it responsible to act on behalf of USSF and provide licensing courses for coaches and certification courses for referees. In turn, the United States Soccer Federation is the recognized national soccer association within the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA),the worldwide governing body for soccer. Essentially, we serve affiliated member organizations throughout Georgia in both program and administrative support activities.

About CaptainU CaptainU empowers athletes to take their game to the next level through recruiting and discovery tools to connect with clubs, events and colleges. More than3 million high school athletes, college coaches, club coaches and tournament directors have used CaptainU tools to network, build relationships, and build championship teams. CaptainU was founded in 2008 and now powers the recruiting journey for partners like AAU, USA Gymnastics, Georgia Soccer, and US Rowing. To learn more about CaptainU, visit CaptainU.com .

About Stack Sports With nearly 50 million users in 35 countries, Stack Sports is a global technology leader in SaaS platform offerings for the sports industry. The company provides world-class software and services to support national governing bodies, youth sports associations, leagues, clubs, parents, coaches, and athletes. Some of the largest and most prominent sports organizations including the U.S. Soccer Federation, Little League Baseball and Softball, and Pop Warner Little Scholars rely on Stack Sports technology to run and manage their organizations. Stack Sports is headquartered in Dallas and is leading the industry one team at a time focusing on four key pillars — Grassroots Engagement, Participation Growth, Recruiting Pathways, and Elite Player Development. To learn more about how Stack Sports is transforming the sports experience, please visitwww.stacksports.com.

Fundraising Opportunity

We’re excited to announce the partnership between US Youth Soccer / Georgia Soccer and Little Caesars Fundraising to help offset your soccer expenses and support grassroots initiatives including, player and referee development.

This is a great opportunity for every player, parent, referee, and coach to raise money by selling Little Caesars Pizza and Bread Kits, Cookie Dough, and In-Store Meal Deals.

What’s in a Kit? View the Little Caesars Fundraising product lineup here.

$5 for every item you sell through the fundraiser will go directly back to you, and an additional $1 will benefit our both our national and state associations.

When you’re ready to register and start selling:

Click https://bit.ly/RegisterUSYS-GA to create your account and register your fundraiser. Registration ends on October 2^nd.
Share your unique selling link with your friends & family across the country. Kits are shipped directly to your buyers via FedEx.
Your fundraiser will end 4 weeks from your date of registration and your profit check will be sent directly to you within 2-4 weeks!

Your participation will make a big difference!

Be sure to follow us on social media for more information, exciting updates, and start raising big dough today!

If you have any questions about the fundraiser, please contact Little Caesars directly at Fundraising@LittleCaesarsFundraising.com.

SPORTSBREAKS.COM is an Official Fan Travel Partner of Georgia Soccer

Georgia Soccer and Sportsbreaks.com are excited to announce a partnership, becoming the Official Fan Travel Partner of the association.

An award-winning sports fan travel provider, Sportsbreaks.com offer ticket-inclusive packages to many of the world’s top sporting events including European soccer, Formula One races around the world, Rugby, Cricket, Golf, Tennis and much more.

Have you ever wanted to see Barcelona play at Camp Nou, or Manchester United play at historic Old Trafford or Real Madrid at the Bernabéu? Sportsbreaks.com provides an official match ticket and hotel break package for many of the biggest clubs across Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Primeira Liga.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Sportsbreaks.com has now launched in the United States with an office and staff based in Atlanta, Georgia.

As part of the multi-year partnership, Sportsbreaks.com will offer all Georgia Soccer Association members with ticket-inclusive packages to sporting events globally, beginning with the 2023-2024 Premier League Schedule release on June 15th.

Laura Halfpenny, Georgia State Soccer Association, Executive Director, commented,

“We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Sportsbreaks. This partnership will provide our valued members with sports travel experiences and even more unforgettable moments at the world’s most iconic soccer events across the Globe.”

Chief Operating Officer for Sportsbreaks.com in North America, Jeremy Parkins, commented,

“We’re excited to announce a long-term partnership with Georgia Soccer Association. Providing their membership with a trusted local source for global sports ticket and hotel packages, and specifically, Soccer matches worldwide. Our multi-year agreement is an exciting addition to our existing partnerships, we look forward to working with everyone at the association.”

Visit Sportsbreaks.com to access ticket-inclusive packages for a range of unforgettable sports experiences.

Click here for detailed information or call our Atlanta based staff at 404-465-3561.

GIPPER is the official Social Media Partner Education of Georgia Soccer

Today Gipper Media, Inc. (Gipper) the leading social media content creation and management platform for sub-professional sports, and Georgia State Soccer Association (GSSA), the authorized state youth and adult soccer association for Georgia, announced a partnership to provide clubs with tools and resources to streamline their social media.

With access to a wide range of ready-made templates that can be customized in seconds, on any device, and without needing any design experience, program administrators and coaches will be able to create and share more social media content than ever. As part of the partnership, GSSA member clubs will receive professional development from the Gipper team in an effort to educate them about social media best practices and will be provided affordable access to all Gipper plans. Clubs will be able to leverage Gipper to help drive participation, engage their community and fans, amplify their athletes, and drive revenue through sponsors.

“We are thrilled to announce that we are taking steps to enhance our digital marketing strategies and provide even greater support to our member clubs.” said Laura Halfpenny, Executive Director of Georgia State Soccer Association “By partnering with Gipper, we are equipping our clubs and leagues with the latest tools and services to take their digital presence to the next level. This investment in our clubs’ and leagues success is a testament to our ongoing commitment to their growth and development.”

Gipper provides access to a wide range of ready-made templates that can be customized in seconds, on any device, and without needing any design experience. GSSA affiliated clubs can now create and share more content than ever to promote their athletes and continue growing their programs.

“We are absolutely thrilled to sign this partnership with the Georgia State Soccer Association” said Matthew Glick, Founder & CEO of Gipper. “Social media offers a massive opportunity for sports clubs nationwide. However, clubs are often limited on time, resources, and expertise – which makes maximizing social media difficult. Gipper allows them to save time, while creating professional sports graphics to better grow their program’s brand, promote their athletes, showcase highlights, engage stakeholders, and drive revenue. We are excited to work with GSSA to expand our reach as the leading social media graphics solution platform in the industry.”

About Gipper:

Gipper supercharges digital storytelling for sports organizations of all sizes. Our platform helps athletic administrators and coaches create professional-looking sports graphics in seconds for use on social media, websites, and signage. Gipper empowers sports professionals to connect with their communities in a way that increases engagement, fosters brand affinity, fuels talent acquisition, and drives sponsorship opportunities.

About Georgia State Soccer Association:

In turn, the United States Soccer Federation is the recognized national soccer association within the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA), the worldwide governing body for soccer. Essentially, we serve affiliated member organizations throughout Georgia in both program and administrative support activities.

Georgia Soccer Member?
Promote with Gipper: Create high-quality, visual branded graphics for your club in seconds, on any device, without needing any design experience
https://www.gipper.com/partner/GSSA

The University; Log in to Learn

Georgia State Soccer Association US Youth Soccer Media Release

etrainu, alongside US Youth Soccer welcome Georgia State Soccer Association (Georgia Soccer), who have joined the USYS University.

The US Youth Soccer University is the first-ever gathering of educational resources designed to educate members on a multitude of subjects so they can perform better on and off the field of play.

Georgia Soccer are currently implementing their bespoke instance of the University and will make it available for members over the coming months. With a mission to promote, grow and develop soccer in Georgia, the USYS University will create educational pathways not only for youth soccer players but also for the people that impact them the most.

The University will bring together content from partners like TrueSport, Hospital for Special Surgery, Soccer Parenting, US Center for Safe Sport, Mojo and US Center for Mental Health and Sport. Alongside that, there will be a number of unique courses designed and developed by US Youth Soccer.

Georgia Soccer will leverage the national curriculum to offer a number of courses tailored to players, parents, coaches, administrators and officials.

The University has two subscription tiers, freemium which contains introductory courses and access to the platform, and premium, which also includes exclusive course content for $5 per annum. Learners will be able to sign up to the University and select the subscription model that best suits their needs.

VP Sales & Revenue at etrainu, Cameron O’Riordan said “we’re looking forward to the opportunity to work alongside Georgia State Soccer to help promote, grow and develop soccer. The resources being delivered through this partnership will help grow the game for generations to come.”

“Centralizing all the content from the USYS University along with what we create specifically for Georgia is a great value add for our member Clubs & Leagues. Now there is one hub for educational resources and content for all saving our members time” said Laura Halfpenny, Executive Director.

Georgia State Soccer will first promote the University to club administrators before expanding to coaches, players, parents and officials.

About etrainu

etrainu are global leaders in community education solutions. Through a sophisticated learning management system and engaging online courses, etrainu is building exceptional communities through education. With a number of industry leading integrations, etrainu has created an end-to-end solution for sports organizations.

etrainu’s education solutions are made easy through creativity, innovation and technology, and their commitment to their sports partners is reflected in the long-term relationships they have with them. etrainu have partnered with some of the largest sports organizations in the world, including US Youth Soccer, American Youth Soccer Organization, PGA Tour, National Lacrosse League, Surf Life Saving Australia, Gymnastics Australia, AusCycling and other national governing bodies.

About Georgia State Soccer Association

In turn, the USSF is the recognized national soccer association within the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA), the worldwide governing body for soccer. We serve affiliated member organizations throughout Georgia in both program and administrative support activities.