The problem, in numbers

Why a free, local gear exchange matters for youth soccer families - and where these numbers come from.

4M+
Kids play youth soccer in the U.S. every year
400K+
Kids play AYSO soccer every year
~400K
Early estimate: pairs of AYSO cleats outgrown per season
92%
Of gear listed on this site rated "like new"

Where these numbers come from

4 million+ youth soccer players nationwide. Combined annual registration across US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer, and AYSO exceeds 4 million players at more than 10,000 clubs. US Youth Soccer alone registers nearly 2.5 million players a year across 54 state associations. Sources: US Youth Soccer, "About Us"; 2026 youth soccer participation analysis, citing SFIA and US Youth Soccer registration data.

400,000+ AYSO players every year. AYSO reports more than 400,000 registered players each season across close to 900 communities nationwide, run almost entirely by volunteers. Source: AYSO, "FAQs & Support".

~400,000 - an early estimate of outgrown cleats. This one is ours, not an outside statistic - it's an early, rough estimate based on assuming each of AYSO's 400,000+ annual players outgrows roughly one pair of cleats per season. It's meant to illustrate scale, not serve as a measured landfill figure, and we'll refine it as better data becomes available. Real turnover varies a lot by family, region, and how hard a kid is on their gear.

92% rated "like new." This number reflects the condition tags families choose when they list gear on Go Soccer Gear itself - it's live, self-reported data from our own marketplace, not an external study.

A pair of youth cleats typically runs $100-$200 retail before shin guards, bags, and the rest of it. For a family with two or three kids playing at once, that adds up fast - which is exactly the gap this site exists to close.