Youth Soccer Report Highlights How Summer Tournaments Drive Change in Ultracompetitive Kids Sports Across New York and North Jersey

The Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative has released a new report examining youth soccer in New York City and North Jersey, positioning the upcoming 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup as a catalyst for transforming an overly competitive youth sports culture into one centered on fun, accessibility, and child well-being.

Released on April 21, 2026, the “State of Soccer New York City/North Jersey” report is the first sports-specific analysis from Project Play’s community report series. Commissioned by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund as part of its Play to Thrive initiative, the study surveyed nearly 700 youth soccer players and gathered input from local leaders, policymakers, coaches, and parents through focus groups and a regional community summit.

According to the findings, children participate in soccer primarily for social and recreational reasons: 48% cited playing with friends as a top motivation, 46% emphasized having fun, and 45% valued skill-building. In contrast, only 23% said winning was a major factor, and just 13% mentioned pursuing college scholarships as a key reason for playing.

Jon Solomon, research director for the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, noted that while children consistently express a desire for enjoyment and camaraderie in sports, the current youth soccer system often prioritizes competitive outcomes and college recruitment over those intrinsic motivations.

“We’ve created this system by adults that is more about a highly competitive, commercialized structure, when a vast majority of children are clearly saying that’s not why they play or why they want to play,” Solomon said in an interview with USA TODAY Sports.

The report also identified cost as a significant barrier to participation. Nearly one-third of all surveyed players (32%) listed expensive team fees as a major issue, with that figure rising to 41% among children from low-income households. Although community organizations and public agencies are working to expand access, limited resources continue to prevent many children from playing.

Field availability versus demand was another focus of the study. Researchers conducted a data analysis of local soccer facilities to assess whether supply meets the needs of participating families, particularly in underserved neighborhoods where access to safe, well-maintained playing spaces remains inconsistent.

With the 2026 World Cup set to begin in June and conclude with the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Project Play sees the tournament as a unique moment to leverage national attention on soccer to drive systemic change. The organization hopes the event will inspire collaboration among leagues, policymakers, coaches, philanthropists, and private partners to rebuild youth soccer as a more equitable, accessible, and youth-centered experience.

“What if the legacy of this World Cup is that we shift the soccer culture from all this pressure to play?” Solomon said. “The World Cup offers this unique opportunity for any leagues or policymakers or coaches and philanthropists and private partners to collaboratively address systemic challenges within their community.”

The report is part of Project Play’s broader mission to build healthy communities through sports and increase youth participation, which currently stands at a national average of about 55 percent. By centering children’s voices in the evaluation of local sports ecosystems, the initiative aims to help communities align their programs with what young players actually value.

As the World Cup approaches, the findings from New York City and North Jersey serve as a localized example of a national conversation about how major sporting events can influence grassroots sports culture—not just in terms of excitement and engagement, but in reshaping priorities around inclusion, affordability, and the fundamental joy of play.