History of Surf Soccer — “About Surf”
The San Diego Surf Soccer Club is proud to be the ONLY youth soccer club in San Diego County that is a member of both the USSF Development Soccer Academy for boys and the ECNL, Elite Clubs National League, for girls. These two leagues represent the highest level of youth soccer competition in the United States with the goal of producing the next generation of National team players.
The oldest competitive youth soccer club in San Diego, San Diego Surf Soccer Club was established in 1980 to draw the best players from the surrounding areas of Carlsbad, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe, Leucadia, Solana Beach and Del Mar to form teams to compete against the best teams in southern California. Surf Soccer Club’s overall competitive vision and organizational focus has remained largely unchanged, as 30+ years later the Club continues to field teams who compete at the highest levels locally, regionally and nationally.
Since 1997, Surf Soccer Club has produced 7 National Championships, 17 Regional Champions, over 50 State Champions, hundreds of college scholarship athletes (many that go on to enjoy final four NCAA teams), over 20 National team players and multiple MLS players. At every age group, Surf Soccer Club teams are playing at the highest levels against the toughest competition, in the most competitive leagues.
Key dates in our history include:
1980 – Surf Soccer Club is established under the name San Dieguito Surf Soccer Club, becoming the first competitive club in San Diego.
1988 – The Surf Cup is launched and quickly becomes the marquee soccer tournament of the season for southern California. In the years since, the Surf Cup is home each year to the “Best of the Best” and is widely regarded as one of the top youth soccer tournaments in the nation.
1993 – Current Director of Coaching Colin Chesters is hired and begins his impressive run of building nationally-ranked teams.
1993 – The San Diego Polo fields becomes Surf Soccer Club’s home fields. These facilities have allowed us to train and develop our players on the finest grass fields in the county.
1994 – Surf Soccer Club and Surf Cup sign a partnership agreement with Nike and Surf Soccer Club becomes a Nike Premier Club.
2008 – Surf Soccer Club is accepted into the USSF Development Academy, one of 80 clubs to gain admission. The Development Academy is a partnership between U.S. Soccer and the top youth clubs around the country to provide the best youth players in the U.S. with an every day environment designed to produce the next generation of National Team players. The Academy’s programming philosophy is based on increased training, less total games and more competitive games.
2009 – Surf Soccer Club is accepted into the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) in its inaugural season. The ECNL is a partnership between the top clubs in the nation to implement a developmental philosophy and competition structure that fosters the growth of the nation’s elite female soccer players.
2012 – Surf Soccer launches its affiliate program, signing Murrieta Surf Soccer Club as its first affiliate.
2012 – Surf Soccer Club, Surf Cup and Soccerloco sign a multi-year, multi-million dollar title sponsorship agreement.
Today, we continue to strive to develop new and innovative ways to develop our players with our goal to remain THE place to be to develop the best soccer players in all of San Diego County.
