Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SHAPE America Announces Partnership With U.S. Soccer Foundation to Advance Health, PE and Youth Development Through Soccer
RESTON, VA, October 2, 2025 — SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators is proud to announce a new partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, uniting the two organizations in their shared mission to support educators and empower youth through the power of play using the world’s most popular sport.
Through this new collaboration, SHAPE America and the U.S. Soccer Foundation will work hand-in-hand to advance health and physical education, empower educators and inspire the next generation of healthy, confident youth.
To kick off the partnership, SHAPE America and the U.S. Soccer Foundation collaborated to provide physical educators with access to the Foundation’s Soccer for Success in School curriculum and training opportunities. Launched in 2021, the Soccer for Success in School curriculum is fully aligned with SHAPE America’s National Physical Education Standards and gives physical educators everything they need to bring high-quality soccer instruction to grades K-12. The program includes ready-to-use lesson plans packed with engaging activities, plus soccer equipment and training to make implementation simple and effective. Since its inception, more than 3,000 educators have been trained and engaged in the program, reaching more than 1.2 million students nationwide.
“For more than three decades, we’ve seen the tremendous health and behavioral outcomes through our work in the after-school space,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “That’s why we developed that same type of program to meet kids where they are — in school — and to provide educators with the tools, training and equipment needed to help their students reap the benefits of soccer and develop a love for our game. This partnership allows us to connect with thousands of physical education professionals who are on the front lines of shaping healthy futures for kids. We’re excited to continue working with SHAPE America to bring soccer and its benefits into even more schools and classrooms across the country.”
“Health and PE teachers play such a vital role in shaping the lives of our nation’s youth,” said Stephanie Morris, CEO of SHAPE America. “By partnering with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, we are equipping educators with new tools, training and inspiration to help every student experience the joy and confidence that come from movement and play.”
Another focus of the partnership is the Foundation’s Yes, Coach!™ initiative, launched with Stand Together Foundation to recruit, train and support 100,000 coach-mentors by 2030, positively impacting the lives of 3 million youth across the country. Through an online hub, Yes, Coach! provides community-based mentors with evidence-informed training in emotional well-being and youth mentorship, helping coaches build meaningful relationships with the young people they serve — both on and off the field.
As a Yes, Coach! program partner, SHAPE America will help amplify the initiative by featuring it on our Coach’s Toolbox and across our educator network throughout the year.
This partnership will also be showcased through a strong presence at the 2026 SHAPE America National Convention & Expo in Kansas City (March 17-21), where the U.S. Soccer Foundation will:
- Host a pre-convention Soccer for Success Training on Monday, March 16, 2026, at the Kansas City Current training facility, offering a free, hands-on experience for up to 100 educators. Participants will learn directly from Foundation trainers through classroom and on-the-pitch activities, receive soccer equipment and curriculum aligned with SHAPE America’s National Physical Education Standards, and leave ready to bring Soccer for Success back to their schools.
- Engage attendees in an interactive Ball Count Challenge: Guess. Goal. Win. installation, featuring an 8-foot-tall plexiglass tower filled with soccer balls. Attendees will submit guesses via a QR code, with a Foundation swag bag awarded to the winner. Following the convention, all soccer balls will be donated to a local school or nonprofit partner, underscoring the shared commitment to access, belonging and play.
- Present a keynote panel discussion during the Closing General Session on Friday, March 20, 2026, focused on the opportunities for schools to harness excitement from mega-sporting events like the FIFA World Cup 26™ and 2028 Olympics to elevate physical education nationwide. Panelists will include Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation; Stephanie Morris, CEO of SHAPE America; and additional leaders from the sports and education communities.
Additional activations will include a 50-minute, hands-on Power in Play Showcase Session in the #SHAPEKC Expo Hall , a featured exhibit booth, and sponsorship of the Health and Physical Education State and District Coordinators Special Interest Group Meeting. Beyond the convention, the U.S. Soccer Foundation also sponsored SHAPE America’s 2025-2026 Back to School campaign and will sponsor the 2026 National PE & Sport Week, in addition to receiving year-round visibility as both a Mission Partner and Premier Partner in the SHAPE America Partner Program.
This partnership builds on more than three years of collaboration between the Foundation and SHAPE America state affiliate organizations to bring soccer into classrooms and schools across the country through the Foundation’s Soccer for Success in School curriculum. School districts that have utilized the program include Baltimore County Public Schools, New York City Public Schools, Houston Independent School District, Chicago Public Schools, Dallas Independent School District, Pinellas County Public Schools (FL), and Clark County Public Schools (NV), among others.
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About SHAPE America
SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators serves as the voice for 200,000+ health and physical education professionals across the United States. The organization’s extensive community includes a diverse membership of health and physical educators, as well as advocates, supporters, and 50+ state affiliate organizations.
Since its founding in 1885, the organization has defined excellence in school-based health education and physical education. For decades, SHAPE America’s National Physical Education Standards have served as the foundation for well-designed physical education programs across the country, just as the SHAPE America National Health Education Standards serve as the foundation for effective skills-based health education. Together, these national standards provide a comprehensive framework for educators to deliver high-quality instruction and make a positive difference in the health and well-being of every preK-12 student.
Learn more at www.shapeamerica.org.
About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
As the national leader for sports-based youth development in under-resourced areas, the U.S. Soccer Foundation is on a mission to let soccer do what it does: change absolutely everything. Founded as a legacy of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the Foundation provides underserved communities access to innovative play spaces and evidence-based soccer programs that instill hope, foster well-being, and help youth achieve their fullest potential. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.