Since our beginnings in 2013 with just 40 kids, Mendocino County Soccer Academy has grown exponentially. Today, we proudly support over 1000 players, including a club record 301(!) kids trying out for our select teams for the upcoming fall 2024/spring 2025 season. This incredible growth is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and trust that our families place in us. Thank you!

Next Steps for Families with Kids that Tried Out

We urge all families to check their email for their child’s team placement for the fall 2024 season. Each email includes a registration link, and the registration deadline is June 7th. If you do not see this email, please contact us immediately. It’s crucial that we complete registrations on time to ensure a smooth start to the season.

Scholarship Program and Balanced Approach

Thanks to the generous support of our major sponsors—Adventist Health, TR Eriksen Foundation, Josh Huff Realty, and Mendocino County Health Clinics—we award over $50,000 in scholarships annually. Scholarships are available in 25%, 35%, and 50% awards based on financial need.

The scholarship application deadline is tonight, May 30th, and we will notify families of their award status by Friday, May 31st. While we strive to support everyone, we encourage families to plan and save for registration costs where possible. This allows us to assist those in genuine need more effectively, ensuring that our resources are distributed fairly and sustainably. We also provide helpful fundraising tools you cause, which we will share in the coming weeks.  

Running a nonprofit that supports over 1000 kids requires significant organizational and administrative efforts. Our coaches, who play a pivotal role in our players’ development, need to be compensated fairly because high-quality coaching is crucial, and we all understand the positive impact a great coach can have on a child’s life. Our fees remain competitive with other local club sports and clubs to the south of us. We strive to provide the best possible environment for our players to grow, learn, and succeed. If you know of a local business interested in partnering with us as a scholarship sponsor, please contact us. 

Managing Expectations and Team Placements

We are proud to say we did not make a single cut this year. This is not to say that we won’t be in the future, but this year, we were able to keep every child who wanted to be engaged in the program, fostering their growth and development. 

That said, we understand some children didn’t make the team they hoped for, while others may have been offered a spot as a practice player. It’s important to recognize this as an opportunity for growth. Rather than being discouraged, encourage your child to see this as a chance to improve by putting their head down and working hard. We will continue to support their development. 

Our training pods have been highly successful in fostering player development. Teams in the same age group will practice together, allowing players to move between groups based on their performance. This system ensures that everyone has a fair chance to demonstrate their skills and progress. We used training pods and station work with our younger age groups this spring with great success, and we plan to continue this approach with our older teams this fall. Our directors were able to be involved in coaching, and the kids got to know all the coaches, and it was a tremendous success.

Looking Ahead

Our commitment to a player-first model and individual development remains unwavering. We are proud of our progress over the last 11 years, and it is only just beginning.

We aim to create pathways for all our players to succeed, whether just starting out or aiming to play at the collegiate level and beyond. Individual development is what matters most. We strive to meet the needs of all our players, from practice players still honing their skills to those aspiring to play in college and beyond. In our rural community, it’s a challenge because the player pool is so small, but we are successful in large part because of the successful partnership and buy-in from our families!

Thank you for trusting the process and for your continued support. Together, we are building a stronger, more vibrant soccer community in Mendocino County. Let’s keep the momentum going!