U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST U.S. SOCCER FEDERATION TO PROTECT ITS BRAND MARKS AND PRESERVE ITS MISSION OF GROWING THE SPORT IN URBAN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES

Washington D.C. – The U.S. Soccer Foundation (Foundation) today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking a declaratory judgment of non-infringement of trademarks in a dispute over who controls the Foundation’s name and branding “marks.”

The charitable mission of the Foundation is to “enhance, assist and grow the sport of soccer in the United States, with a special emphasis on underserved communities.” For more than 25 years, the Foundation has worked collaboratively with the USSF, which has a distinct and separate mission as the official governing body of amateur and professional soccer, including the oversight of elite men’s, women’s, and youth national teams.

The lawsuit was filed in the wake of a recent demand by the USSF that the Foundation cease using its widely-recognized name and logos, which have defined the Foundation’s brand and charitable work since its inception in 1994. According to the complaint, “the USSF has threatened to hijack the Foundation’s trademarks for its own use—likely in an effort to capitalize on lucrative business opportunities when the United States hosts the World Cup in 2026.” The USSF’s actions present an existential—and unnecessary—threat to the Foundation and its mission.

“We were surprised and deeply disappointed by the USSF’s demand that the Foundation cease using our word and logo marks after 25 years—a dictate that not only would deprive us of the enormous goodwill we’ve developed amongst the communities and children we serve, but effectively transfer it into the hands of the USSF,” said Foundation President and CEO Ed Foster-Simeon. “The Foundation has consistently expressed our unwavering commitment to maintaining and building upon the 25-year relationship we’ve enjoyed with the USSF, but faced with their unreasonable demand we felt compelled to defend our brand and mission in order to preserve the important work we do for children across America.”

The USSF’s actions come at a time when participation in competitive youth soccer has been on a steady decline, and the sport continues to struggle with both diversity and criticism over the expense of its “pay-for-play” model at the competitive and elite levels. Despite these trends, participation in the Foundation’s free, award-winning Soccer for Success program has experienced an average growth rate of nearly 40 percent over the past three years. “For decades, soccer in this country has been a middle and upper middle class, suburban sport, largely inaccessible to low-income children and families. The Foundation has been at the forefront of changing this reality by expanding access to everyone regardless of income or geography,” said Foster-Simeon.

The Foundation was established in 1994 as an independent non-profit with the surplus funds from the ‘94 World Cup that was hosted in the United States that year. Since then, it has provided more than $100 million to support soccer programs and build fields in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Foundation has also distributed more than one million pieces of soccer gear and equipment to children in need. 

 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mike Heimowitz
Mike.Heimowitz@bm.com
202.530.4666

And

Terry Neal
Terry.Neal@bm.com
202.530.4640

 

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Based outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Soccer Shots is an international franchise system that provides children ages two through eight with developmentally appropriate soccer classes taught by fully-trained soccer coaches. The brand’s curriculum-based program designed by early childhood specialists, is offered in more than 300 territories across 42 states and Canada, serving over 540,000 children each year. Soccer Shots was founded by two professional soccer players who identified a need for engaging, character building soccer programs for children under age eight. To find a Soccer Shots program near you, visit SoccerShots.com.

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adidas, the Foundation’s Safe Places to Play – Mini-Pitch Partner, supports providing children in underserved communities with safe play spaces nationwide. adidas strives to be the globally leading and most popular sporting goods brand. Dedicated to innovation,  adidas embraces creativity and seeks to be socially responsible in all facets of its brand. For more information, please visit adidas.com.

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Kwik Goal, the Foundation’s Official Supplier for goals, seating, boundary equipment, training equipment and coaching accessories, will be supporting a variety of Foundation programs and initiatives including: Soccer for Success, National Training and the Safe Places to Play program. Over thirty years ago, Kwik Goal was founded on the revolutionary concept of providing transportable goals for coaches at all age levels. Since that time, Kwik Goal has continued to focus on helping coaches and soccer programs create safe and dynamic learning environments by supplying high quality, safety tested soccer goals, field equipment and training equipment to the domestic and international market. For more information, please visit Kwikgoal.com.

Miami Children's Trust

Miami Children's Trust

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As a proud corporate partner of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Musco is dedicated to helping the major charitable arm of American soccer create new opportunities through high-quality sports lighting. Their Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology is engineered as a system with lighting, structural, and electrical components designed to work together for streamlined installation and long-term reliability. TLC for LED delivers superior field lighting while eliminating glare and spill from impacting surrounding neighborhoods. And Musco’s long-term warranty covering parts and labor means U.S. Soccer Foundation partners don’t have to handle any maintenance on their system, or pay for it, for 25 years. Visit https://ussoccerfoundation.org/grants/ to learn more about the grant program and application process.

SCORE Sports

SCORE Sports

SCORE Sports, the preferred provider of shin guards to the Foundation’s Soccer for Success program, is a family-owned and operated business specializing in sports equipment, uniforms and apparel. SCORE is an industry leader and has been involved in the sports community for over 40 years. SCORE outfits athletes with high-quality uniforms that SCORE develops, designs and manufactures in the U.S. SCORE takes pride in working with various non-profit groups and causes to give back to athletes who may need some extra support to play the game they love. SCORE is environmentally cautious with the materials it uses for its products and does its part in minimizing our environmental footprint. SCORE proudly offers a wide variety of products to provide customers with a one-stop shop for all your soccer needs. For more information, please visit scoresports.com.

Soccer.com

Soccer.com

Soccer.com, the Foundation’s National Partner for Soccer Equipment and Uniforms, was founded in 1984 to provide high quality soccer gear at reasonable prices through its nationally circulated catalog. Soccer.com embodies a passion for the game that extends to the people who play, coach and support soccer. For more information, please visit soccer.com.

 

 

 

Target

Target

Target announced a national partnership with Safe Places to Play in 2017, along with a $6 million commitment to build 100 new soccer play spaces with the U.S. Soccer Foundation by 2020. This is the latest initiative in the Minneapolis-based retailer’s multi-dimensional approach to the sport of soccer, bringing the game to more kids and families across the country, and unlocking access and increasing involvement at all levels.

Telemundo

Telemundo

The U.S. Soccer Foundation and Telemundo are joining efforts to advance soccer as a means for helping children in underserved communities reach their full potential, including supporting the Foundation’s signature Soccer for Success youth program, which provides free or low-cost soccer programs during and after school at more than 250 sites nationally. Telemundo will also serve as the first official and exclusive Spanish-language media partner of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. For more information visit https://www.telemundo.com/el-poder-en-ti.

TGI Worldwide

TGI Worldwide

TGI Worldwide, the Foundation’s National Partner for Visual Branding (Signage, Event Décor, Pageantry, Sponsorship Activation), Perimeter Field Board Systems, Creative Services and Event Operations is proud to support a variety of initiatives and programs throughout the United States. Headquartered in the U.S., TGI is an internationally recognized sports marketing company delivering high profile Visual Branding, Live Event Management, LED, and cutting edge Digital Sports Applications to enrich the experience at major events and deliver commercial impact for sponsors and partners. The company has a 20-year history in providing its various solutions for many top-tier domestic and international events, organizations, teams and companies, with proven success and turn-key solutions across 1000+ events, 160+ cities and 50+ countries globally.

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World Soccer Shop

World Soccer Shop

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