Futsal Court Initiative: Developing Community
VYS Futsal Court Initiative Featured in National Leadership Publication
Over the last few years, Vienna Youth Soccer has directly impacted the greater Fairfax County community by leading the charge on Futsal Court development. By investing into recreational spaces at local school facilities, we have begun our journey of creating new spaces with the community.
We're thrilled to share that Vienna Youth Soccer's innovative futsal court initiative has been recognized in "Small Spaces, Big Impact" - a leadership article featured by the Institute for Youth Sports Leaders.
The article highlights how our organization transformed underused school spaces into vibrant community resources with the collaborative work of our Executive Director Kevin James and Operations Director Oscar Leon in developing what has become a model for youth sports organizations nationwide.
Read the full article here:
Since launching our first court at Cunningham Park Elementary School in 2021, we've completed four installations that serve both our club players and the broader school community.
What makes us particularly proud is how this recognition reflects our core mission: creating opportunities for ALL kids to play and develop through A Lifetime of Soccer. These courts aren't just about expanding our training capacity - they're about embedding soccer into the fabric of our Fairfax County communities, providing safe spaces where students can play during recess, after school, and in our structured programs.
The response has been incredible. Schools, clubs, and nonprofits from across the region have reached out to learn how to replicate our approach. It's exciting to see how a solution born from our own space challenges has become a blueprint for community-centered youth sports development.
Meet the Leaders Behind the Initiative
This groundbreaking project was spearheaded by leaders whose diverse expertise and collaborative approach made our futsal court vision a reality:
Kevin James, Executive Director & Technical Director, brings a unique combination of business acumen and elite-level soccer coaching credentials to VYS. As a Member of the Board of Directors for US Club Soccer, Kevin's expertise spans team development, fostering cultures of excellence, and strategic implementation. His passion for making connections across diverse backgrounds enabled him to build the key partnerships that made these courts possible.
Oscar Leon, Director of Operations, is a bilingual sports executive whose international perspective proved invaluable to the project's success. With a Master's Degree in Sports Management from UPF Barcelona School of Management and experience as a business advisor for sports development organizations, Oscar's proficiency in scaling operations and thoughtful partnerships was instrumental in navigating the complex process of working with schools and contractors to bring each court to life.
Together, Kevin and Oscar exemplify how combining technical excellence with operational innovation can create lasting community impact.
This recognition belongs to our entire VYS community - from our board members who support the vision, to our staff who make it happen, to the families and schools who embrace these new spaces.
Together, we're proving that innovation in youth sports starts with putting community needs first.
Interested in learning more about our futsal courts or other VYS programs? Contact us at questions@vys.org
