Surf College Cup Showcase Gears Up for 22nd Annual Event
Late Breaking News: Surf College Cup XXII Showcase has more than 425 college coaches confirmed and looks forward to welcoming a tournament record of 500 college coaches this weekend.
San Diego is gearing up for its Surf College Cup Showcase held over Thanksgiving weekend as another year of competitive soccer comes to a close. This youth soccer event is the gateway for many aspiring collegiate players and attracts top college coaches from around the country. Home to one of the most prestigious tournaments, San Diego Surf welcomes top college recruits from across the country as they compete for their future.
“We come to the Surf Cup Series to scout for talent that is unmatched by any other youth soccer tournament in the country,” Anson Dorrance, Head Coach University of North Carolina Women’s Soccer.
Youth Soccer News: Surf Cup Sports is set to host the 22nd Soccerloco Surf College Cup Showcase held November 25-27 at the So Cal Sports Complex in Oceanside, California. The Surf Cup Sports event brings elite players from all across the country and other countries around the world.
220 top youth soccer teams from 6 countries and 16 States, Surf College Cup is a top recruiting college showcase.
The players come to San Diego with hope in their heart — players have prepared for this tournament for months. It is the opportunity to prove their worth on the pitch in front of college DI, DII, DIII and NAIA coaches.
This year, a strong international flair will be evident with teams traveling from Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Mexico and South Korea to compete.
From the USA, there are more than 125 California youth soccer teams who will be joined by teams from as far away as New Jersey, Maryland, Hawaii, Minnesota, Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri and Oregon. Strong teams are also coming from North and South Texas, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Washington state.
Historically the College Cup attracts over 500 Men’s and Women’s coaches who attend in search of adding to their rosters. This year there will also be domestic and international scouts looking to identify elite players.
“Surf Cup is a great tournament to recruit at. It’s an event that you can’t miss,” said USC women’s soccer head coach Jennifer Klein. “It’s a showcase that always attracts quality teams and players, which as a college coach/recruiter is what we are looking for.”
Where are these teams from?
Among the highly competitive youth soccer clubs participating are Albion SC, Arsenal FC, Atletico Santa Rosa, Attack FC, Calgary Southwest United, California Slammers FC, Chicago Magic FC, Crossfire Premier, Davis Legacy, Diablo FC, FC Golden State, Fullerton Rangers, Futeca Elite, Seattle Surf, Heat FC, IE Surf, Irvine Slammers FC, LA Galaxy, LA Premier, Las Vegas Neon, Monarcas Academy, Oceanside Breakers, Pacific Northwest SC, Palo Alto SC, Pateadores Riverside, Placer United, Pride SC, Real So Cal ECNL, Rebels SC, Rio Rapids, Sacramento United, Santa Clara Sporting, Santa Monica United, San Diego Surf SC, So Cal Blues ECNL, Sparta United, Strikers FC, Utah Celtics, Washington Premier and West Coast FC among others.
What’s New?
This year, Surf Cup will be LiveStreaming 6 games each day. In addition, the tournament has partnered with GameTime to have the majority of games filmed and available after the event.
How Tough is the Competition?
The competition will be tough at this year’s Surf College Cup as teams will meet 13 Surf Cup Champions on the field as well as the 2016 Womens National Champs LA Galaxy SD 99’s and the 2016 Boys Valparaiso United Football 02’s. In addition, there are multiple State and Regional Finalists competing as well as the 2016 ECNL Champions, the So Cal Blues 02 team.
Scouting Zone — the easy to use mobile app for college coaches and players — will be back again helping organize matching abilities with opportunities. Founders Tara Parker and Brooke Oxberry both grew up playing soccer and remember what it was like with pieces of paper flying across the field. Their passion for the sport — and for harnessing the power of technology — is making a huge difference.
Who Runs the Show?
Known for always producing a first rate youth soccer event, Surf Cup Sports’ Mike Connerley‘s passion for creating opportunities for talented youth soccer players still burns bright. Helping youth soccer players earn scholarships has been Connerley’s guiding mission for decades — now semi retired, he still is hands on to make sure the tournament is the Best of the Best.
”I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW HOW MANY PLAYERS WERE AWARDED COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FROM BEING SEEN WHILE COMPETING AT SURF COLLEGE CUP. THE MONEY WE HAVE SAVED THEIR PARENTS — IT HAS TO BE OVER $100,000,000,00,” says Connerely.
Where are the Games Held?
The games are played in the new Socal Sports Complex in Oceanside, CA. With 20 pristine full-size soccer fields and occasional ocean breezes, the SoCal Sports Complex is great facility near the beach and minutes away from beach towns like Carlsbad and Encinitas — but don’t miss Del Mar or further south La Jolla.
What else is there to do?
Home to the best weather in the United States, San Diego offers plenty of things to do and sights to see while attending our tournament. The world famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World and Wild Animal Park are just a few famous attractions in America’s 8th largest city.
Who Else Walked This Walk?
Attracting the Best of the Best, Landon Donovan and Alex Morgan are just two of the many famous soccer players who competed in Surf Cup events as youth players.
Who knows who could be discovered this year at the Surf College Cup XXII Showcase?
To compete in the Surf College Cup Showcase is dream for many players who dream of playing in front of hundreds of college coaches and earning an scholarship.
With an amazing 500 college coaches anticipated to be onsite at the Surf College Cup over Thanksgiving 2016, this is clearly proof of the tournament’s well known reputation. Surf College Cup has been pioneering matching players and college coaches for decades and this year will certainly be an exciting holiday weekend. Good luck to all those who make this part of their soccer journey.
Related Reading: INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN SOCCER: SURF CUP’S MIKE CONNERLEY
