Reds star Jamie Carragher officially launched his new young people's charity in Liverpool.
The Liverpool defender set up The 23 Foundation earlier this year to provide grants to young people on Merseyside.
The 23 Foundation, which takes its name from Carragher's team shirt number, aims to give children a better chance in life. Click to continue reading...

A friend of mine, L.E. Eisenmenger who writes for SoccerLens and the Examiner wrote a very interesting piece on the idea of youth transfer fees in the US? The article talks about how youth clubs should be given part of the transfer fee if a player was developed by a youth club, then picked up by an MLS youth club or MLS Academy team, and eventually sold to a foreign club.

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US soccer has progressed to the level where like the rest of the world, MLS clubs should considering paying modest youth transfer fees to local clubs that develop the young players they select for their U16 and U18 academy teams.

Reimbursement in the form of scholarships would encourage local clubs to develop complete players instead of focusing on wins and also to invest in low-income players, further improving the vision of youth player development in the US.

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The Chicago Fire is the first Major League Soccer club to have a fully integrated youth program running from Under-8 to an Under-23 squad playing in the Premier Development League, and now the club is expanding its reach by selling the Fire brand to youth clubs in Mississippi and Louisiana. The incentive for MLS clubs to increase their youth talent pool is spurred by the "homegrown" policy that allows a club to put young players. Click to continue reading...

The Women's Professional Soccer League has not generated much interest from the casual sports fan, let alone the average soccer fan. Soccer America's Mike Woitalla examines what problems lie within trying to develop a women's professional soccer league.
The first season of the Women's Professional Soccer league produced smaller crowds and bigger financial losses than anticipated. Click to continue reading...

UNITED Supporters,
Today Thursday September 10th was another terrific day in South Korea!
United coach Kim Un Bong and I met with Korean Football Association (aka KFA) officials Kim, Young Kyun Youth Football Association Vice President, and Ki Heung, Yoo of the Korean National League at a Seoul hotel. Click to continue reading...

In an effort to expand St Leo University's recruiting into both Canada and internationally, the school has added Quebec native Annie Hamel. A graduate of the University of Maine, Hamel has also served as a graduate assistant at her Alma mater for a season after her 2004 graduation. Her other coaching experience includes a stint with the W-League's Ottawa Fury U-20 team. Click to continue reading...

The WPS Championship game is Saturday at Home Depot Center.

It's the subject of today's column.

Call 877-4-SOL-TIX for more info.

BTW, Marta, midfielder McCall Zerboni and defenders Johanna Frisk and Sharolta Nonen will hold a clinic for several youth clubs and sign autographs for fans at the Puma store on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade from 2 p.

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The United States National Soccer Team Players Association is proud to be associated with the B+ Foundation, created by the family of Andrew McDonough. Andrew was a soccer player from Delaware who turned tragedy into inspiration through his battle with Leukemia, the life he led on and off the field, and the example he set for numerous people who followed his story. Click to continue reading...

Disclaimer: this information is not medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, or treatment. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CALL 911 OR YOUR PHYSICIAN. If you believe you have any other health problem, or if you have any questions regarding your health or a medical condition, you should promptly consult your physician or other healthcare provider. Click to continue reading...

Chelsea Football Club announced today the start of an unprecedented initiative to partner with Americas top youth football clubs.
Chelsea is beginning to build a network of top youth clubs across America to develop Chelsea Soccer Schools, a new Tournament called the Chelsea Sevens, coaching clinics and exchange programmes. Click to continue reading...

First of all, Rob Hues, it's Grahame, not Graeme. Also, I'd like to offer my own thoughts on what California offers soccer.
I mean, I'm not sure that I even understand the point of the recent article - is it that California allowed Jurgen to relax and Beckham to smile? That's all one can put together about the state and soccer? Click to continue reading...

While facts and rumors on the professional transfer season continue to hold the attention of many soccer fans, the world's largest soccer tournament starts today in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Gothia Cup, a youth tournament, drew 1,551 teams last year with over 33,000 boys and girls in categories from U-12 to U-18, scoring over 22,000 goals. Click to continue reading...

As I'm typing, the first Development Academy finals are kicking off in Carson, Calif. This is the much-ballyhooed effort to get the top youth clubs to play in a more structured environment with competitive games. Several MLS clubs have entered their youth squads, and ESPN's networks will broadcast the last games.

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Chelsea FC have announced their plan to build a network of top youth clubs across America to develop Chelsea Soccer Schools, a new Tournament called the Chelsea Sevens, coaching clinics and exchange programmes. Chelsea FC Chief Executive Peter Kenyon: "Our new Chelsea youth super club network is the latest of many strategic projects Chelsea have [. Click to continue reading...

Name: Stéphane Grichting Date of Birth: 30th March 1979 Place of Birth: Sierre, Switzerland (MY TOWN! :) sorry about that) Height: 1m84 Position: Right-back Current Club: Auxerre, Number 4 Club History: 1986-1993 Chalais, 1993-1996 FC Sion (youth clubs), 1996-2002 FC Sion (114 App, 6 Goals), 2002-onwards Auxerre (149 App, 1 Goal) Switzerland Stats: 18 Appearances, Click to continue reading...

Name: Christoph Spycher Date of Birth: March 30th 1978 Place of Birth: Wolhusen, Switzerland Height: 1m74 Position: Left Back Current Club: Eintrach Frankfurt, Number 16 Club History: 1986-1992 FC Sternenberg, 1992-1997 SC Bumpliz 78, 1997-1999 FC Munsigen (Youth Clubs), 1999-2001 FC Luzern (66 Appearances), 2001-2005 Grasshoppers (103 App, 6 Goals), 2005-onwards Eintracht Frankfurt (83 Appearances) Switzerland Click to continue reading...

Name: Philipp Degen Date of Birth: 15th February 1983 Place of Birth: Holstein, Switzerland Height: 1m84 Position: Right-Back Current Club: Liverpool FC Club History: 1990-1996 FC Oberdorf, 1996-2001 FC Basel (youth clubs), 2001-2005 FC Basel (71 App, 4 Goals), 2005-2008 Borussia Dortmund (68 App, 1 Goal), 2008-onwards Liverpool FC Switzerland Stats: 30 Appearances, Number 23. Click to continue reading...

Jeff Cooper of St. Louis Soccer United (SLSU) doesn't have a MLS team yet but he is already working on youth development. He did this by bringing the three main your soccer organizations in the area together to form one club that will be affiliated with the MLS team.
"These three clubs represent the cream of the crop in St. Louis soccer," Cooper said. Click to continue reading...