Frequently Asked Questions
San Clemente Surf Soccer Club’s mission is to create “best of the best” experiences and opportunities for youth soccer players. Our club follows a professional soccer development model as opposed a business one. This is underscored with the following guidelines:
– Coaches and staff provide attention to detail to each team and player in the program.
– We have over 80% player retention rate which is important in a community program which also reinforces the notion that if the players are developing through our program, there is no need to constantly try to replace them. While we are a competitive program and add quality players to our teams each year, we also try to create a positive environment where players want to play, watch soccer, practice on their own and make an impact. We also take pride in seeing teams grow up together building character through tough times and enjoying the fulfillment success and hard work brings.
– We regularly provide more than one coach at practice sessions and games. To provide attention to detail we have technical coaches, goalkeeper coaches, leadership mentors to cover all aspect of the game.
– San Clemente and our broader community is family-orientated so we schedule two or three tournaments during the year and give players and their families time off around the major holidays.
– Player development happens both on and off the pitch and carries forward after high school years. As a reflection of our success, we have sent numerous players to D1, D2 and D3 schools. Many San Clemente Surf Alumni have received academic and soccer scholarships.
– We are affiliated with San Diego Surf Soccer Club and Surf Nation, a professional network of 50+ clubs in the country. Surf Nation provides resources and support to enable our players the opportunity to play at the highest level possible and be “The Best of the Best”. From these programs collegiate and professional opportunities are derived through the Surf network and Surf National and Regional Select for our players and coaches.
We are based in San Clemente, California, primarily serving families from San Clemente and neighboring cities. Our club also attracts players from further north in Orange County and also military families from Camp Pendleton in Oceanside and further south.
We serve boys and girls ages 6-19. Younger teams play in 7 vs 7 and 9 vs 9 formats while players U12+ currently represented by years 2013-2007 play 11 vs 11 format.
Specialized training from former professional and college players is available in our practice sessions. This includes all positioning including goalkeepers. These services are available to players outside the club by visiting Camps and Programs section of this website. Through personal and small groups training we have sent numerous players to colleges such as Navy, USF, San Fran State, Cal Poly Obispo and even professional trials with clubs such as Crystal Palace, Fulham and Dundee United.
Training year round is in San Clemente. Tierra Grande Park, Vista Hermosa Sports Park, and Jim Johnsons Memorial are our home fields.
Our league involves minimal travel in Orange County and when we choose tournaments, we typically play one in Orange County and another in San Diego county so players and families can either stay at a hotel or drive down each day. We tend to play two tournaments in the summer and scrimmage San Diego Surf and their affiliates who provide top competition in the spring.
Older players around high school age will tend to play all over Southern California and potentially neighboring states reflecting their age and higher level of play in the NPL Division and top tournaments around the West Coast.
We play in Southern California Soccer League, NPL, and our Surf Select players participate in the top tournaments in both the USA and around the World.
We minimize conflicts by holding a parents meeting after try-outs asking parents to list their conflicts during spring then we try to set our schedule around those. We also ask for summer vacation plans early so we work our tournament and game schedule around this. We ask for the same courtesy during the fall season when we train twice a week and ask that all players attend the sessions to build momentum in the league season.
We encourage players to play other sports during our secondary season. We also educate players that in order to be effective, when they reach the high school age or higher level teams, they must starting putting more eggs in one basket to fulfill their potential in one particular sport. We’ve had players from the program play on the PGA Golf Tour Events, receive scholarships through soccer, softball, volleyball, track and field, basketball and also academic scholarships and we encourage players to be well rounded individuals.
We have been in the San Clemente community for 20+ years and thrive on its spirit and support. Most of our coaches live in San Clemente or the immediate surrounding area; several coaches are affiliated with our local high schools.
We have had a real positive impact on high school programs, helping develop State Champions, college captains and scholarships at all levels all over the country.
We also initiate community projects to give back to those less fortunate than ourselves, which also promotes team building and leadership as the players age. Projects such as helping at the Special Olympics, spending time at assisted living, cooking and delivering meals at homeless shelters, supporting military families are all projects organized by our players, and supported by our Surf families.
We also offer the opportunities to train and play with financial sponsorship with the help of local businesses and families in the club.
We are an independent club in San Clemente who run our own program on and off the field. We use the Surf Nation network to provide the best experiences and opportunities for our players as part of the Surf Select Regional and National program. This includes Surf scrimmages, monthly Direct of Coaching collaboration calls, Surf College Programs and Camps and Surf Select Regional and National teams who participate in major tournaments in the United States and Europe.