As US Youth Soccer State Championships come to a close, what were more than 10,000 teams in contention will soon be paired down to just over 900 at the seccond leg of the US Youth Soccer National Championships Series, the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships.

Each of these teams are seeking to be the final team standing in their respective region to represent at the US Youth Soccer National Championships where the final four teams will meet to determine the national champion. In all, 48 teams will travel to Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, to meet for the national finals, the final leg of the Series, this July 24-29.

Known for its history, elite level of competition and great play, US Youth Soccer, the nations largest youth sports organization, annually hosts the regional and national championships of youth soccer for boys and girls.

The U.S. Soccer Federation initiated youth championships with the James P. McGuire Cup (Under-19 Boys) in 1935. Since its creation in 1974, US Youth Soccer has added 11 divisions to the National Championship tournament, most recently with the Under-14 and Under-15 Boys and Girls divisions in 2001 to create the series current format.

From east to west, America’s youth continue competing for a chance to advance from state to region and ultimately the national championships of youth soccer.

Overall, the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides teams the opportunity to test their skills against the highest level of competition in the nation while simultaneously stressing teamwork, discipline, fitness and fair play.

Annually the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation’s top collegiate coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country. In 2006, over 500 coaches attended the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships including the majority of the top 25 men’s and women’s programs based on the final 2006 NSCAA/adidas National Rankings for NCAA Division I schools.

The chronological dates and locations for the 2007 US Youth Soccer Regional Championships and the 2007 US Youth Soccer National Championships are:

2007 US Youth Soccer Region IV (West) Regional Championships
Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex and Kellogg Zaher Sports Complex – Las Vegas, NV
June 18-24, 2007

2007 US Youth Soccer Region II (Midwest) Regional Championships
James W. Cownie Soccer Park and Hidden Valley – Des Moines, IA
June 22-27, 2007

2007 US Youth Soccer Region I (East) Regional Championships
Bowdoin College, Falmouth Park and Falmouth High School – Portland, ME
June 28-July 3, 2007

2007 US Youth Soccer Region III (South) Regional Championships
South Lakes Soccer Complex – Oklahoma City, OK
June 28-July 4, 2007

2007 US Youth Soccer National Championships
Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, TX
July 24-29, 2007

To learn more about the US Youth Soccer log on to www.USYouthSoccer.org, for more about the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series log on to http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org, the online home for the Series, providing the latest in news, information, photos, video and more. New features to http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org include cell phone scoring, a few blog/journals from various participants, an Insider for regionals as well as national news and The Wire with coverage from all events.