AYSO stands for the American Youth Soccer Organization — a national volunteer-run youth soccer league founded in 1964 in the Los Angeles area. Region 13 is the AYSO region that serves Pasadena, Altadena, and La Cañada, and was chartered in 1972.
AYSO National
AYSO — the American Youth Soccer Organization — was founded in 1964 in the Los Angeles area with 9 teams. Today it serves more than 600,000 players across 50,000+ teams nationwide.
Region 13
Region 13 was formed in 1972 when Pasadena, Altadena, and La Cañada separated from Arcadia (Region 2) to create their own region. AYSO at the time had 16 regions numbered in the order they were chartered; #13 was the only number still unused, and the new Pasadena-area region took it. Today we serve more than 2,000 children ages 4–18, making us one of AYSO’s largest regions.
Timeline
| Year | Achievement |
|---|---|
| 1972 | Region 13 formed from a split with Arcadia (Region 2) |
| 1973 | Introduced girls’ soccer program in Region 13’s second year |
| 1974 | First AYSO region to organize using established business management and marketing principles |
| 1975 | Pioneered investment fund for community recreational facilities; introduced mandatory shinguards for player safety |
| 1976–1978 | Drove conversion of Rose Bowl parking lot H into Area H playing fields |
| 1977–1982 | Five-year joint venture with the City of Pasadena to build the Brookside restroom, storage, and snack bar — dedicated to Edward Lapointe, Region 13’s Field Manager |
| 1986 | Largest private contributor to install lighting at Victory Park |
| 1989 | Donated funds for lights on the upper Victory Park field |
| 1997 | Joined the City of Pasadena and Pasadena Unified School District to light Victory Park, Pasadena High School, John Muir High School, and Washington Middle School |
| 1998 | Co-invested with Pasadena Southwest Little League in the complete renovation of McKinley Field |
| 2018 | Contributed to the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation for the Brandi Chastain statue at Area H, commemorating the 1999 USWNT World Cup victory |
| 2022 | Celebration of Women’s Soccer at the Rose Bowl — marked Region 13’s 50th year fielding girls’ teams and launched the Sisterhood of Soccer |
| 2022 | Donated a new softball scoreboard for John Muir High School |
Region 13 has also helped replace and rehabilitate the sprinkler systems at John Muir High School and Pasadena High School.
Community Investment
Region 13 has a long history of investing in community facilities. The fields we play on today exist in part because of contributions from our region over the past 50 years.
La Cañada Youth Sports Coalition
Region 13 helped form the La Cañada Youth Sports Coalition, which lets the leagues and user groups operating in La Cañada coordinate field use. The cooperation has been particularly important for developing and protecting recreation space across our communities.
Related Pages
- Mission — Our core philosophies
- Leadership — Current board members
- Past Commissioners — The volunteers who have led Region 13 since 1974
- Hall of Fame — Recognizing our volunteers
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