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January18,2018

INDEPENDENT COMMISSION OVERVIEW

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Our Challenge TheUnitedStatesofAmericapossessesallthatisneededtobeoneoftheworld’smostsuccessfulsoccernations.Yet,ournationhasyettofulfillitssoccerpotential.TheUnitedStatesSoccerFederation(USSoccer)mustcatchuptotherestoftheworldinthedevelopmentofsocceranditsplayers.Inmostcountries,soccerisn’tjustasport,itisapassion,anationalidentityandawayoflife.Tosupportandgrowthegame,developtopplayers,andultimatelywinregionalandglobalcompetitions,ournationalsoccerinfrastructuremustchangeandwemustraiseourgame.Asarapidlygrowingsoccernation,wearepastthetimeforrhetoric,andinneedofrealandquantifiablechangetotakeourrightfulplaceontheworldsoccerstage.Poorresultsatthe1972OlympicSummerGamesand1988OlympicWinterGamespromptedtheUSOlympicCommitteetofixitsinstitutionalproblems.Similarly,afterthe2004OlympicSummerGameswhenourmen’sbasketballteamfailedtowingoldforthefirsttimesinceNBAplayerswereeligibletoplay,USABasketballundertookadeliberateprocesstochangecourse.IbelieveUSSoccerisatasimilarcrossroads.ThreerecentinternationalUSSocceron-fieldfailureshaverevealedUSSoccer’ssystemicissuesandhavecrystallizedthemagnitudeofthechallengeswemustaddress:

v Ourfailuretoqualifyforthe2018Men’sFIFAWorldCup(afterqualifyingforsevenconsecutiveFIFAWorldCuptournaments),

v Ourwomen’steam'squarter-finaleliminationfromthe2016OlympicGamestournament(afterthreeconsecutiveOlympicgoldmedals),and

v Ourmen’sfailuretoqualifyforthe2012and2016Olympicgames(markingthefirsttimesince1968thattheUSmissedconsecutiveOlympicsoccerqualifications).

OnlybylearningfromwherewehavebeenunsuccessfulandchanginghowtheFederationoperatesanddevelopssocceranditsplayers,canUSSoccerfinallyachievegreatness.

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Mission BasedontheoverwhelmingfeedbackfromthefrontlinesofsoccerintheUS,andmy30yearsasaplayerattheyouthandamateurlevel,fanandexecutiveinthegame,IamproposingthatUSSoccerestablishanindependentcommissiontodeterminewhatfactorsimpedeourcountryfromdevelopingworld-classplayersmoreconsistentlyandteamsthatsucceedininternationalcompetitions.AsIhearfromaspiringyoungathletesandhopefulparents,frustratedsoccerfansandtirelessvolunteers,coachesandsportsleaders-allwhohavededicatedtheirlivestogrowingthegameacrossthecountry-theybelievethattheresourcesandenergyputintoplayerdevelopmenthasbeenmisdirectedandyieldedtoolittletobesatisfied.Theyareabsolutelyright.Wearepastthepointwheremediocritycanbetolerated.Itistimeweliftthehood,examineourownshortcomings,andfindanationalpathforward.ThecollectivemissionoftheCommissionwillbetodeeplyevaluatesoccerintheUnitedStatesandeveryaspectofplayerdevelopmenttomakerecommendationsforchangesthatneedtobemadeateverylevelofthesoccerpyramid.Throughthecreationofanindependentcommissioncomprisedofathletes,sportsexperts,innovators,businessleaders,coachesandgrassrootssocceradvocates,wecantakeacomprehensiveandunbiasedlookatUSSoccer’schallengesandopportunities.Itallowsforanevaluationwithmuchneededindependencefromsoccerinterests,personalitiesandpolitics,andanopportunitytoincludetown-hallmeetingsthroughoutthecountrytogivestakeholdersandfansanopportunitytoparticipate.Ultimately,thecommissionwillconcludewithafinalreportthatcanvalidatethesolutionsandreformsthatareneededtoreachAmerica’ssoccerpotential.

“AnindependentcommissionensuresthatallofUSSoccer’s

membersareinvolvedandthereisthenecessaryleveloftransparency

andinclusivenesstobuildconsensusaroundshortandlong-termchangesthatdriveoursport

forward.”

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About the Commission Thereisaragingandvaluabledebatethroughoutthecountry,withsomeblamingasystembasedonpay-to-play,whileothersspeakofinadequatecoachingandfacilities;stillotherspointtotheconfusingyouthlandscape,ortheneedforUSplayerstoplayinEurope.Thefactisthatwecan'tconsistentlycompeteatthehighestlevels,whileothercountrieshaveestablishedexcellenceinsoccerasanationalandculturalpriority.WhiletheCommissionmustleveragelearningsfromothersportsandculturesfromaroundtheworld,theCommission’sfocuswillbetofindourvoice,ourstyle,ourvision,andourstrategicpath.Itistimewetapintoourhome-grownexpertssothatouryouthsystemissetuptodevelopworld-classplayersforyearsandyearstocome.Withthisinmind,IwillasktheCommissiontoundertakeacomprehensiveevaluationofAmericansocceranddeliverspecificrecommendationsfocusedonthreebroadareas:TheCommissionwillbemodeledonothersuccessful“blueribboncommissions,”inparticular,twothathavebeenundertakenonbehalfoftheUnitedStatesOlympicCommittee,the1975President’sCommissiononOlympicSportsinresponsetopoorresultsatthe1972SummerGamesandthe1988OlympicOverviewCommissioninresponsetopoorresultsatthe1988WinterGames.TheCommissionwillalsoincorporatebestpracticesfromUSABasketball’srestructuringafterthe2004SummerGames.Together,theoutputofthisworkledtoaseriesofnecessaryreformsthat,sinceadoptedbytheUSOCandUSABasketball,hasledtoTeamUSA’srecentunprecedentedsuccessattheOlympicGames.TheCommissionwillbecomprisedofindependentmembers,andledbyanindividualthathaswiderangingpertinentexperience,passionforthegame,andglobal

v SUCCEEDING onthefieldateverylevel;

v EMPOWERING ourmembershipintheireffortstogrowthenumberofkidsplayingthegame;and

v IMPROVING qualityofrefereeingandcoaching.

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relationships.IampleasedtoannouncethatglobalsportsleaderandLA2028ChairmanCaseyWassermanhasagreedtochairtheCommission.Caseyrecentlyledthesuccessfulefforttohostthe2028OlympicandParalympicGamesinLosAngeles.Forclarity,theUSSoccerBoardoradministrationwillnotsitontheboardoftheCommission,asIfirmlybelievethatitneedsautonomyandtoremainunencumberedbytheday-to-dayworkingsoftheFederation.TheCommissionwillbeaskedtoproduceaconclusiveandopenlypublishedreportcontainingtheirrecommendationsbytheendof2018.

How We Will Track Progress Ourfuturemustfocusonthegenerationsofplayersforyearstocome,puttingourplayersaheadoftediousadministration.Inordertodothis,wemustscrutinizeourperformanceasaFederation,includingallofourprogramsandphilosophies.TheCommissionwilldojustthat.Withanindependentreviewensuringtransparencyandinclusion,Ibelievewecanbestcreatetheblueprintforthelong-termsuccessofthesportintheUS.WehaveauniqueopportunitytoshowcaseourprogressonhomesoilattheLA2028OlympicGames;andwithproperleadership,the2026FIFAWorldCupand2027Women’sWorldCup.Greatplayerscancomefromanywhere.Weneedtomakesurewefindthem,developthem,andsupportthemthroughouttheircareers.