Mission

In 2013, Mendocino College Coaches Shane Huff, Naomi Rhodes, and Joe Munoz had an idea. That idea was to create a youth soccer academy and break new ground regarding youth development. Strictly through word-of-mouth, the first grassroots academy session for under six and under eight year-olds began with over sixty kids in the Spring of 2013. In the next session, the number of players jumped to 130, and things have taken off from there.

Today, we have fifteen Select Teams that compete across Northern California. We have our Grassroots Academy for kids ages 3 - 8. Our Developmental Soccer League (DSL) for kids under 15 provides an opportunity to receive academy-level training while competing against teams within the county, which cuts down on travel. We also host periodic camps, tournaments, and other events.

Early on, one of the biggest realizations was how much kids can do. Adults sometimes hold them back, and we don't think kids are capable of doing things they can. We've learned that children rise to the level of our expectations. We're blown away by six and 7-year-olds juggling the ball, doing double scissor moves, Cruyff turns, and more.

In total, roughly two hundred fifty kids play on our select teams, and between our DSL and grassroots academy, futsal, and camps, we serve nearly one thousand children per year across the county.

We see kids doing things they never thought they could do. Our players are learning and developing a life-long passion for the beautiful game. Some go on to play in college, others have the confidence to play intramurals, while others may not play for years but come back to it as an adult and join men's and women's rec leagues. Regardless of our players' path, they are being shaped positively and learning important life skills.

On the pitch, our players are excelling. We have MCSA representation on Player Development Programs (PDP) - Region 5 teams. These teams include Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Marin, and Humboldt counties players. Recently, eight MCSA girls tried out for the program, along with seventy others from around the region. Seven MCSA players were selected. The next step is the state team in the next year or two. Rio Munoz is an u17 player who has been selected to play in state games.

Our curriculum works.

We take an Individual/player-focused approach. We look at developing the player first rather than focusing on wins and losses, especially at the younger ages. Yes, it's a team game, but there are these golden ages of development from 6 - 12, whether they get it or not. After that age, it becomes much more challenging to master skills.

We teach a creative and resilient brand of soccer. We want each of our players to become masters of the ball. We create safe spaces for them to try new things, fail, and then try again. We train our kids to dribble out of the back and creatively solve problems. We don't just kick it and run with a win-at-all-costs mentality.

Many youth teams are set up to win and not to develop the players. In the younger age groups, kids who are bigger and stronger often dominate with a kick-and-run-after-it approach. That wins a lot of games right now. However, how do you know the smallest kid on the field won't be the best player in five years? In a team-centric situation, many of those smaller kids end up quitting. A player-centric philosophy allows those kids to shine and excel on the field.

The best players aren’t necessarily the best athletes. The best footballers use the mind. They develop the skills need to make good decisions consistently and to make them quickly.

Our vision is to continue to grow and develop creative, dynamic players by tapping into skill development and technical expertise vs focusing on wins.

The next steps include growing our select teams, DSL, and our grassroots programs. We also want to add more and more tournaments to invite other teams from around Northern California. Our community benefits when these families come for a weekend and spend their money in our hotels, restaurants, and shops. In time, we will create a 4-field complex that will allow us to expand our reach beyond youth. We can take it to the adult level and create playing experiences for our entire community.

MCSA is a non-profit 501(c)3 with a 5-person board of directors. Our board members represent a wide range of experiences and expertise, and combined, they help guide the development and growth of the organization.

For more information on our programs, please review our player developmental pathway  Or contact us today.