Play OSA! Laying Out Your League Options in OSA

Making sense of the alphabet soup of league options in Ohio.

We get it. It can be hard to remember if you’re playing GLC or CvC, MVYSA or NWOYSL, ODL or OSSL. Is your league even a member of Ohio Soccer Association (OSA)? There seems to be an endless cauldron of league soup in youth soccer that can be hard to decipher.

Each league offers something a little different so, as a coach, what is the right league for my team? Do you want a league that focuses on performance or development, or both? What are your league options within OSA or US Youth Soccer, either local, statewide, or regional? And where does each league fit in the state set of options?

At Ohio Soccer Association, there’s a home for everybody.

A Built-In Pathway to Grow

OSA is a member state association of US Youth Soccer (USYS), the largest youth soccer organization in the country. USYS offers both regional and national leagues to the member clubs and teams of its state associations. Similarly, membership in OSA consists of a wide variety of leagues and clubs in Ohio. Teams participating in an OSA member league are by default an associated member of the state association and USYS. As teams build their resume through play in OSA and other leagues in Ohio, they become eligible to reach not only advanced competition within OSA, but also the regional and national leagues of USYS.

Playing in an OSA member league also opens the door for a team to participate in our Cup Series – two state-run events each spring called State Cup (Tier I) and Presidents Cup (Tier II). Each Cup is based around play level to make it as competitive an atmosphere as possible – we don’t like to see any teams getting wiped out 11-0.

OSA has many different leagues and they each have their advantages. We understand that not every team desires to participate in higher levels, and that’s ok. There are local, development based leagues that provide a platform for these teams as well!

Why an OSA Member League?

Before we delve into our various member leagues, we asked several clubs why they like to play in OSA. The responses varied, but included items such as league transparency, roster flexibility, less travel for younger age groups, quality refereeing (with the intent to develop), collaboration with other like-minded directors, player development driven, and a platform where they feel heard (club input).

One director stated, “We like playing in Club v Club [League] and Ohio Directors League because the format allows our players to support and learn from each other. We like participating in OSA because you offer everything we need to run a quality program.”

Another added, “Playing in OSA leagues does so much for our club. Besides logistical and clerical solutions, there’s also guaranteed games, ease of schedule, no fines, low cost… these make it easier for me to focus on my role as director to improve our club. Leagues such as Club v Club and Ohio Directors League offer a better, stable development for our young players. It’s a win-win situation.”

A third said, “We are very pleased with the ease of registration, communication, and professionalism found throughout the OSA enterprise. We believe in and appreciate the team-based, player-centric focus of OSA’s member leagues, such as MVYSA, BPYSL, and OSSL, which allows us to form teams across the spectrum of talent while appropriately challenging and growing players.”

Local Leagues

Local leagues are vital to the growth and health of our sport. Offering a low cost solution, local travel, and various tiers of play, OSA members such as Ohio Directors League, Cardinal Premier League, Miami Valley, and Northwest Ohio Youth Soccer League are an excellent starting point – especially in the younger age groups.

Statewide Leagues

Perhaps a team wants a challenge outside of its local area. This is where statewide leagues come into play, offering an opportunity to go up against other teams from around Ohio.

There are other perks as well, such as with State League – the highest level league OSA offers and runs – where the league finds referees for all games. Or Buckeye, where the league offers fields for use and teams do not have to worry about finding a place to play each weekend for their (up to) 30 player roster (18 on gameday). The new Club v Club League is player development driven, with no standings or scores kept. Each of these leagues is also open to club input on how the league operates and what changes need to be made to make it stronger.

All three statewide leagues are operated by OSA.

Regional League

Regional leagues are run directly by USYS and involve play against other high-caliber teams from the Midwest. Our regional league is called the Great Lakes Conference (GLC).

Clubs and teams who have either excelled in State League or bring an outstanding resume to the table through play in other leagues may be eligible to participate in GLC. From there, teams who excel may be eligible to participate in National League/Elite 64 – also run by USYS.

League Options

Reference the chart above to find the geographical options through OSA by major metro area. We’ve also put together a full breakdown of each OSA member competitive (travel) league in alphabetical order to help you make sense of it all (scroll down)!