Youth Soccer News: US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues continue to expand with introduction of Southern California National Premier League

US Club Soccer has announced the creation of the Southern California National Premier League division as the newest addition to the organization’s National Premier Leagues (NPL).

The NPL has been created to provide a national developmental platform with the highest level of competition in given geographic areas, and to elevate and change the competitive youth soccer landscape based upon fundamental principles in US Club Soccer’s 10-year vision.

The Southern California National Premier League, which will include U-13 through U-17 boys, is comprised of eight clubs:

Set to kick off in spring 2012, Southern California National Premier League participating teams will play a regular-season schedule with winning teams in each age group advancing to the inaugural National Premier League's Champions Cup in July 2012.'

 "With the creation of the Southern California National Premier League, this will provide a great vehicle and platform for top clubs and top teams to compete and provide exposure to opportunities above and beyond what exists today,” said Albion SC Technical Director Noah Gins. “I look forward to helping this league push forward and establish itself as an elite program with real opportunities for the clubs."

Michael Duggan Director of Carlsbad Lightning / Carlsbad Elite said, “The new US Club Soccer league is not like Coast, Presidio or Southern California Soccer Development Leagues.  It is similar to the U.S Development Academy Program.  It is a nationwide soccer program. Similar to the ECNL girls program, in some ways, this is the boys equivalent.  It is going rival the Surf and Nomads' academy programs.”

“We were approached by US Club soccer and, at the end of the day, we want to give our players something different that provides real exposure and challenges against different teams nationwide. Participating in this will not affect our normal league play in Presidio or Coast Soccer Leagues. Instead of participating in selected youth soccer tournaments, our top teams will now play in the new US Club Soccer League,” said Duggan.

“The creation of the Southern California National Premier League helps reinforce US Club Soccer’s expansion throughout the state of California and into Nevada,” said US Club Soccer Executive Vice President Christian Lavers. “The Southern California National Premier League joins the NorCal Premier League, an inaugural member of the NPL.”

The Southern California National Premier League is comprised of six clubs from Southern California and two from the Las Vegas area of Nevada, which serves to further strengthen the league. In all, the NPL now includes 11 leagues across the United States:

For more information on the Southern California National Premier League, please contact the SCNPL Director at director@socalnpl.com.

For more information on the National Premier Leagues or US Club Soccer, please contact US Club Soccer’s Sacha van der Most at svandermost@usclubsoccer.org or (562) 392-6056.

The Southern California National Premier League Web page will soon be available at www.socalnpl.com. In the meantime, please visit the NPL website at nationalpremierleagues.com.

About the National Premier Leagues:

US Club Soccer’s National Premier Leagues have been created to provide a national competitive developmental platform:

• focused on long-term player development;
• for the country’s top soccer clubs, allowing consistent, meaningful high-level games appropriately scheduled with higher training-to-game ratios;
• that allows players to be scouted and evaluated by U.S. Soccer National Staff and Technical Advisors;
• that is designed and structured by the clubs, based on the needs of the clubs;
• using international rules of competition;
• that provides an avenue for qualification for the NPL Champions Cup.

The NPL is an important component of US Club Soccer’s 10-year vision to refine the landscape for competitive youth soccer. This vision recognizes that:

• properly-structured youth soccer clubs are the vehicle through which player development does and must occur in the United States.
• clubs should play in leagues that provide meaningful games, allow establishment of the proper training-to-game ratio, and eliminate calendar congestion.
• National Premier Leagues, as well as the best clubs, should be integrated in US Club Soccer’s id2 National Identification and Development Program, include Player Development Programs (PDPs) in select local markets, and work closely with U.S. Soccer staff regarding player identification, and player and coach development.

ABOUT US CLUB SOCCER: US Club Soccer is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop competitive club soccer in the United States. A member of the United States Soccer Federation since July 2001, US Club Soccer has grown to include member clubs and leagues in all 50 states. In addition to sanctioning and administering tournaments, leagues and other competitions as well as offering a range of programs for its members, US Club Soccer annually conducts the National Cup. US Club Soccer also directs its own player identification and development program – id2.

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