The year was 1970. Brazil hoisted the World Cup in Mexico with Pelé as captain, winning the first World Cup held outside of Europe and South America. The Beatles debuted “Let it Be,” at #6 on the Billboard Top 100 chart, the highest debut ever for a song. The Concorde made its first supersonic flight, while the Boeing 747, the world’s first jumbo-jet flew its inaugural commercial flight from New York to London. A gallon of gas cost 36 cents, a copy of Sports Illustrated just 15 cents and a stamp six. And in early 1970, Arlington Soccer Association was established.

Fifty years ago, a group of parents, wanting to expand the county’s youth soccer program to include the spring season, formed Arlington Soccer Association. The volunteer-led organization began registering players, scheduling games, assigning referees, lining fields and managing the entire program. By the fall of 1970, these volunteers had grown the Club to 300 players across 20 rec teams.

The tradition of soccer in Arlington has endured for 50 years. Today, the Club serves nearly 9,000 kids per year, spanning across more than 500 rec teams, 90 travel teams, 30 developmental teams and a host of clinics, camps and instructional programs.

As part of our commitment to inclusion, Arlington Soccer grants need-based financial assistance to families whose children would otherwise not have access to our wonderful game. The Club invests more than $325,000 every year to make sure children across the county have a chance to play soccer and experience the benefits of participating in team sports.

To commemorate the 50^th anniversary, we are excited to announce the kickoff of the ArlingtonSoccer50 Hours of Giving campaign. Beginning at noon on Wednesday, December 16, we will spend 50 hours raising funds to support our need-based financial aid program, ensuring that access to soccer is available to all children in Arlington County regardless of their economic situation.

We are eager to see our community unite in support of the game that we all cherish. Every dollar counts in our effort to make soccer accessible to everyone in Arlington County. More details will be announced in the coming days.