Two New "B" License Coaches

May 2012 - Congratulations to Roger Castle Jr. and Alexis Ubillus on qualifying for their National B license at the recent National licensing week in the Home Depot Center in April. Both are now eligible to take their A license within a year.

SC Athletic believes that ongoing coaching education is the key to a stronger, better program, which benefits all our players.

Success at the Beach

May 6, 2012 - Congratulations to our two U11 teams for placing first and second at the Soccer in the Sand Tournament in Huntington Beach. The teams ended up playing each other in the finals. Score: 2-2. SC Athletic 1 won on PKs.

Salford Returns for Their Annual Visit

April 7, 2012 – Every year we get our visit from Salford Schoolboys Association from Manchester, England. This season was a bit different from previous years, as we home stayed the team.

Salford School Boys puts more boys into the football League in England than any other in the country, with Ryan Giggs an Alumni, and David Beckham being best man to an old Salford “lad”. The team that visited this season was very talented, with trialists at Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City in their squad.

Our older boys U15-17 team played in the Stadium at MVHS and took them the distance in a very close game. Salford returned with a vengeance for the second game when playing our U15 team, and we all learned why they are at the top in their country.

The whole weekend was a fantastic success. Many trans-Atlantic friendships were struck after the games and during the home stays.

We Have Been Accepted to SCDSL

February 2012 - It is with great anticipation and excitement that we can officially announce that SC Athletic's application to the Southern California Development Soccer League has been approved and accepted by the Technical Committee and Board of Directors. This marks a another milestone in the development of our club, putting us in the company of some of the leading clubs in the area.

Best League Season Results Ever!

November 21, 2011 – Since we started to build the club some six years ago, SC Athletic teams have had our best ever season in the Coast Soccer League. With three League Champions, and four more teams in the top three, over half the club is in a position for promotion!

Congratulations to:

• The GU13 team who in their first season in Club soccer blew the competition away.
• The BU9 team who closed out their League season yesterday as Champions.
• The BU13 team who tied up the League some weeks ago but it was official yesterday.

This has been an incredible year for the club so far and is testimony to the dedication of the players, support of the parents and all the hard work put in by the coaches.

To back that up we also had four teams in the top three in the League: BU10B, BU10S, BU11 and BU16. The BU18 team is playing up in age going through to the Sweet Sixteen U19 League Cup, and we still have younger teams playing.

Now that the League season is over, preparation for State Cup is imminent and another challenge is on our doorstep. There could be some question that the League did not have the best competition but State Cup will answer that, and the way our teams have performed it would have had little impact.

Again congratulations to all our champions!!!

Nike Athletic Super Cup -- First Annual Event

August 15, 2011 – Our first annual Nike Athletic Super Cup tournament was a huge success for the club. We had over 25 outstanding clubs participating.

SC Athletic Team Gold: GU13

SC Athletic Finalists: BU17, BU12 Silver, BU10 Silver

England Travel Team Returns

August 29, 2011 – “YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE”
The Club sent a representative team to Manchester, England for the second season, and with the exception of possible hurricane delays, the tour went very well. We flew from Orange County to Manchester and were out of the country for ten days. Although the tour is focused on soccer playing, training, and watching the best in the world, there was some time for sightseeing and even a round of golf.

The team stayed at Worsley Park which is five star, and the place of choice for many EPL teams when playing in Manchester. There we were privileged to meet the Man City and Arsenal first teams. The players graciously spent time with the boys signing autographs and taking pictures. To meet world class players first hand and then watch them perform was truly special. The group attended three EPL games: Man City/ Bolton, Man United/Tottenham and Liverpool/Bolton. Roger Snrs connections in England paid dividends with the ticketing and transportation.

On the playing field we matched up against three local club teams and three English Schools FA representative teams, giving us access to some top quality fields, excellent referees and warm hospitality which made us all understand how it should be done. The games were very intense but played in the spirit of the game, and with only one yellow card the whole trip, it was again a great learning experience to watch how a top referee deals with conflicts. The boys also matched up against players who have already signed with youth Academies and felt the difference in playing knowledge and game smarts. We had pro scouts at our games from Liverpool, Bolton, and Oldham, and they all said the same: we are definitely closing the gap. The training sessions were conducted at the original Manchester United facilities, The Cliff, where we played Salford on a full size indoor field. We also had a morning with the Man City Academy staff at their main training facility and trained alongside their Academy teams from U8 to an inter squad game between Man City and Burnley BU16. The head of their Academy paid us compliments on how disciplined we were as a group and again how much progress we have made.

In summary it was a trip for the serious player – the game schedule was grueling, and there were some defining moments for the team – but we found out that the English food is not that bad. The club will send a representative team every year as it is a top quality football experience both on and off the field. The accompanying parents were fantastic in their support of this project and kept the boys in line, including curfew, so allowing the coaches to concentrate on getting the boys prepared for the games and training.

Annual Trip to England – 2011 Details

Plans have been completed for Coach Roger Castle's annual trip to England in August with the U15 team. This year it will be the turn of the U15 silver team plus a few guests who signed up. Details for those who are planning to go:

We will be staying at the Worsley Park/Marriott Hotel in Manchester, England. Coach Castle will be taking all unaccompanied boys with him on a one-stop flight through Atlanta, leaving from Orange County, CA. Tentative Itinerary is as follows:

Thursday, August 18, 2011 – Leave Orange County, CA
Friday Aug. 19 – Arrive Manchester & recover from jet lag
Sat. Aug. 20 – go to EPL game (English Premier League)
Sun. Aug. 21 – Game against Boothstown, visit Trafford center
Mon. Aug. 22 – Go to training at Manchester City and EPL game
Tues. Aug. 23 – Game against Salford
Wed. Aug. 24 – Free Day (shopping & sightseeing)
Thurs. Aug. 25 – Theater of Dreams. Game against Man. City Acadamy
Fri. Aug. 26 – Game against Wigan Athletic Academy
Sat. Aug. 27 – Game against TBA. EPL game
Sun. Aug. 28 – Return to Orange County, CA

BU8 Team – Saddleback Summer Classic Champions

June 12, 2011 – The SC Athletic Boys U8 team swept the Saddleback Summer Classic Tournament in their age division with a record of 3-0-0 and 18 total goals in pool games, and a win of 2-1 in the championship round. Congratulations boys!

Salford Boys Team Has Arrived - April 2011

April 10, 2011 – SC Athletic BU16 welcomed Salford to town at a game in the MVHS stadium. It was supported by many younger families in the club and our boys gave them all a glimpse into their future. Salford are at the end of their tour and looked a little leg weary, but we were on top of our game playing some very good football. This game will set things up for Cal Cup where we have been bracketed in the Premier flight – a first for the club.

The goals were free flowing in a very open game and credit goes to the U16 boys who put us in front in great style and allowed the opportunity for some of our younger players to get some game time. With the game at 2-1 at half time the game was in the balance with Salford looking to get back into the game. However in the second half we dominated with good possession. It was also good to see Referee Leon Zavalkov allow the game to "flow" as the English boys were very spirited and gave our guys a chance to show what they have learned in response. This is now a permanent fixture for us as Salford are already scheduled to come next season. We will play at least 2 games against the Salford Boys, and then play them again when we visit Manchester, England in July.

Nike is the Official Outfitter of SC Athletic

March 2011 – It is now official. SC Athletic has signed a three year contract with Brand Athletic to supply their uniforms and apparel. Brand Athletic are based in Oregon where Nike is headquartered and are the largest Nike supplier in the USA.

"Going into the next phase of our club at SC Athletic, we have decided to change our uniform sponsor to Nike. We feel that the product will set us apart and show that at SC Athletic we are constantly finding ways to improve our product to our members. If Nike is good enough for our National team it is certainly good enough for SC Athletic. We thank Brian at Soccer Garage for an unmatched seven years and look forward to continuing our great relationship for all our other needs".

Roger Castle, Jr. Named Director of Coaching, SVSA

February 2011 – Roger Castle, Jr. has joined the staff of Saddleback Valley Soccer Association as their new Director of Coaching. He will be managing SVSA's coaching program as well as providing training and coaching resources for SVSA teams.

SC United BU14: Huntington Beach Sand Tournament Champs!

June 27, 2010 – a combined team of 11 players from SC United Black and Red teams participated in, and won, the Huntington Beach Sand Soccer tournament. The team is made up of boys from: Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Trabuco Canyon, and San Clemente, California, and was coached by Leon Zavalkov.

The sand tournament was a chance for the team to improve their conditioning and have some fun at the beach. Congratulations BU14 team! For the complete story, visit SoccerNation.com.