Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Lincoln Youth Soccer > About LYS > Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Lincoln Youth Soccer & Hillside Community Center Statement on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Lincoln Youth Soccer (LYS) believes in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all facets of our club. Real change is seldom easy to achieve, and it requires strong, intentional leadership supported by the open participation and wisdom of many. While we acknowledge persistent disparities in our society based on characteristics such as race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, culture, disability, age, faith, gender identity and sexual orientation – together with barriers imposed by poverty – we are committed to working towards a more inclusive, healthy, thriving, sustainable community.

Lincoln Youth Soccer was founded upon the belief that soccer can be a powerful vehicle for improving lives, and we are committed to making sure that no child in our community will miss out on soccer opportunities due to financial hardship. Our policy is to offer a 50% scholarship upon the request of any family. We also offer up to 100% scholarships for families that are on free lunches or can demonstrate financial hardship through a short questionnaire.

Lincoln Youth Soccer is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is able to provide exceptional value to our families and increase accessibility for more youth. While many of our teams compete at the highest levels in the state of Oregon, our player fees are near the lowest in the state for competitive club soccer. This is due to the founding structure of our club as a volunteer-run organization and by design allows us to make youth competitive soccer as affordable as possible.

The LYS Board has added a position to advise on advancing equity, diversity and inclusion. This will help us continue to improve our:

  • public statements regarding our commitment to promote equity and inclusion
  • policies promoting diversity in the board, coaching staff, workforce, volunteer community and pool of players
  • adoption of equity, diversity and inclusion goals in LYS strategic planning
  • establishment of LYS as a model for equity, diversity and inclusion within the soccer community

Lincoln Youth Soccer is humbled by our responsibility as custodians of Hillside Community Center and as community members ourselves are committed to the above values in our role as leaseholders. While our players and families live in the Hillside community and surrounding neighborhoods, we are also strongly motivated to provide services, value and support to those that are not part of our soccer club.

From a sports perspective, we host open gym activities for various sports during which we welcome all members of our community. We also run clinics, courses and camps that are available at no cost if a family or players are facing economic hardship. We are also supportive of non-sports activities such as community meetings, holiday events, and other interests. Our organization is committed to engaging the local community and offering services that mutually agreeable.

We are motivated to continue to improve outreach with the community and promote and support activities that enhance the lives of all independent of race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, culture, disability, age, faith, gender identity, sexual orientation and economic circumstances.