The Region 8 Fall League will be organized for U9 and U10 teams - boys and girls. The league format will depend on the number of teams entering the league. In some regions,  we have been able to provide multiple divisions of play which allows teams to participate at their playing level.

Registration will be $100.

September     

October

November         

"Football is like a cake - the icing is the top level, the elite youth sector forms the 'fruit' that will one day flower into the top level, while the base of the 'cake' is the grassroots. All three levels have to function for the game to be healthy” Lynnard Johnson - former UEFA President

    Norcal believes that the “American model” short and intermittent playing season has never allowed the “grassroots” to flourish and be healthy. This “reality”, beyond the apparent “healthy” numbers might reasonably begin to explain the well documented “drop” in young players from the high in Under 8 to the extremely low comparative numbers in the older age groups.
    Transfer the overall youth soccer “drop” statistics to another activity – for example, schooling and ask if that  would be considered acceptable and allowed to continue for two generations without serious efforts to change the dynamics of the situation.
    Norcal Clubs have a much lower “drop” rate because their players are given the opportunity to be “educated” about all aspects of our wonderful and healthy sport – and that education is improving and becoming available to an increasing number of players and families on almost a daily basis!
    Many Norcal players and parents are learning the value of the centuries old and wise saying suggesting the value of not being a “Jack of all trades and master of none”.
    “Burnout” is not and has never been a major problem in youth soccer! In fact, the opposite is true! The problem is that the great majority of young soccer players have never, sadly, had the opportunity to become intensely involved in learning and benefiting from “skillfully” playing the most popular sport in the history of the World; and as part-time intermittent players have found it easy to move on to other activties - often also intermittent.
    Most serious soccer players who are passionate about their involvement with their sport become skillful players through practice over time – not months, but many years. The years spent “mastering the ball” are for the great majority of players wonderful years of learning and active, healthy living.
    The benefits accruing to the excellent players at all ages are obvious – skills developed through practice, confidence, health, and participation in an exciting sporting activity that transcends every National and Cultural boundary.
    Norcal is not now and has never been apologetic about helping develop a Northern California family friendly “playing season” comparative to that found throughout the World. The successful playing seasons of about 9-10 months with breaks for holidays and vacations are found throughout most soccer countries, and they have resulted in young players who are provided the opportunity to develop a lifetime interest in soccer - first as players and then as fans and often as life long Club members.


Two basic aims of Norcal Premier Regional Developmental Leagues:

1.    To assist Clubs in developing a Club controlled, locally organized and managed, soccer structure for players, coaches and teams.
2.    To limit the need for travel for younger teams while     providing teams appropriate competition, and using US Club     passes to facilitate player development.

Please note - Regional leagues are based on the current District League Structure of CYSA. District 5 is Region 5, District 3 and 4 are Region 3 and Region 4 ( they are forming one league - Region 3-4 league for Fall 2007), and District 6 is Region 6.
Vision and Support:

    Norcal Premier Soccer has provided the initial vision for the leagues, facilitated meetings in each area and will provide additional support - including the use of the Norcal Premier website for registration, scheduling and communication.
    Norcal Premier Soccer is currently facilitating the development of Regional Development Leagues. These leagues are based on the current district model. For 2007, the leagues are being developed for U9 and U10 teams with plans to move into an older age group each year. These Regional Leagues fulfill our aim of providing younger teams, as much as possible, an opportunity to compete closer to home.
    We believe many of the teams below the Premier level do not need to travel as far for appropriate levels of competition – especially as the number of higher quality teams grows.  However, those Premier and older teams that do need to play over a wider area can do so in the Norcal Premier State League.
      Allowing teams to play at the level they have earned through their play, rather than the level they have been artificially designated (class I - class III),  will allow local areas to broaden the number of teams. Ending arbitrary class I or class III designations will allow teams to play at a division appropriate for their team, determined by their teams strength.
    The long term plan is to offer Fall and Spring leagues, at the local level, for all ages - along with a State Premier League for those teams needing to compete over a wider area. Much of the necessary competition can be provided for Club soccer teams by having teams play locally or by having top younger teams play “up an age” in a more local league. This is the model practiced throughout Europe.


Goals:

    Norcal Premier's long term goal is to allow US Club sanctioned competitive Clubs the opportunity to develop their players closer to home with the need for travel increasingly limited to older age groups and in some cases, younger Premier teams. This goal will be realized by the development of Regional Organizations including Regional Developmental Leagues governed by Northern Californian US Club Soccer sanctioned Soccer Clubs. The regional league structure provides younger teams more local, league competition and club's a voice in the local league governance and structure.

 
 
Why US Club Soccer and Norcal Premier Soccer?

    In addition to helping structure and govern their competition’s, Clubs will gain important flexibility in other areas as well. An important component of the Norcal Premier Soccer Leagues is its partnership with US Club Soccer. US Club Soccer is governed by a board of soccer coaches elected by Soccer people through their Clubs. This important aspect allows clubs to influence the organization.
    Another key component of participating under US Club Soccer sanctioned events is the clubs ability to use a US Club Soccer pass. The US Club soccer pass allows clubs and teams important flexibility in the player development process including movement between first and second teams or allowing clubs to play stronger players up with older teams at different times through out the season. The simplicity of a US Club pass is unbelievably important to those clubs with multiple teams. This player pass flexibility  is a given in every soccer playing country around the world, and its importance can not be overestimated in the player development process.
    At this point, Regional Leagues have been developed in the Sacramento, the North Bay, District 3 and 5, and the  Fresno areas. These leagues will provide US Club Soccer sanctioned club's U9 and U10 teams Norcal Regional Leagues. The league rules and regulations have or will be set primarily by the local coaching directors. This includes, among other things,  season length, whether or not standings will be kept, and the number of players on the field.

    For those interested in Regional Developmental Leagues please contact - Gabriel Rood at: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or visit norcalpremier.com