Its primary role is the development of players in preparation for the senior women's national team, as well as bridging the development between the two major youth competition levels of the U-17 and the U-20.

Jay Hoffman, who served as Higgins-Cirovski's assistant, took charge of the team and led them to a gold medal for the 1999 Pan American Games, the first time the tournament was open to women's teams.

Among the U-18 women playing at the 1999 Pan American Games were future senior national team members Cat Whitehill and Hope Solo.

[2] In 2001, the United States Soccer Federation decided to change the age limit from the U-18 team to U-19.

These opportunities are a consequence of holding the FIFA Women's World Cup in the same year as the Pan American Games.