Sister Cities of Louisville, Inc. created a Sports Committee in 1994 when MasterCard International agreed to sponsor the first of four highly-successful Sister Cities Youth Soccer Cups.

From 1994-1997, Sister Cities of Louisville partnered with the City of Louisville each summer to host these events. Thousands of youth soccer players from dozens of countries participated in a week of international youth soccer competition and special multicultural events.

Players from Louisville hosted players from other countries and, while many did not speak each other's language, all shared a common passion for the sport of soccer. Each of them enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create global friendships with other young people and to learn about each other's cultures.

Through hosting this youth soccer tournament, we have learned that sports is a wonderful vehicle for creating cultural exchanges among Sister Cities. Individual athletes or entire teams of athletes can travel to their Sister Cities to participate in sporting competitions and exhibitions.

Sister Cities of Louisville welcomes hearing from athletes or teams from other Sister Cities who would like to create opportunities for cultural exchange through sports of all types.