By, Pam Teel
New Jersey Youth Soccer is teaming up with Topps once again this fall to celebrate its State Cups champions. Each member of the NJYS National Championship Series, Presidents Cup and Commissioners Cup Champi- onship teams will receive a custom trading card featuring a team selected image.
This initiative continues a successful program that began in early 2017 where NJYS State Cups championship teams earned a commemorative Topps® card to recognize their achievement. The front of the card will have the team name and picture, and the back of each card will be the club logo with a team note of their personal choice. The cards will possess the same quality, look and feel of the Topps® MLS cards that feature the stars of Major League Soccer.
NJYS State Cups will conclude for the fall during the first weekend of No- vember. Semifinal matches will be played on Saturday, November 3, and finals will then be held on Sunday, November 4.
At the top of NJYS State Cups competitions is the National Championship Series, the most prestigious national youth soccer tournament in the coun- try. The National Championship Series winners from each state have the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
The Presidents Cup is a national tournament that is designed to create a high-level competition for teams that are looking to play against teams of similar abilities, where those teams that advance will play for a regional or possibly a national title.
The Commissioners Cup is a tournament that was successfully introduced in 2017 and hosts travel teams in the U11 to U14 age groups in the fall, with the U15 and U16 age groups participating in the spring/summer. This state-only tournament is designed to create a challenging and enjoyable event for teams that do not play in the National Championship Series or Presidents Cup.
If you have any questions about NJYS State Cups, please email statecups@njyouthsoc- cer.com. Also make sure to follow NJ Youth Soccer on social media: @NJYouthSoccer
New Jersey Youth Soccer, a 501(c) (3) organization affiliated with U.S. Youth Soccer and the U.S. Soc- cer comprised of more than 100,000 players from 5 to 19-years-old; 20,000+ coaches; and thousands of volunteers. Members collectively support the sport of soccer through training, practice, competition and the spirit of good sportsmanship. The association features recreational, travel soccer programs at multiple skill levels; Olympic Development Programs (ODP); tournaments including the National Championship series; coach and referee training and certification programs; and TOPSoccer, a pro- gram for children with special needs.