SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 30, 2017) — Five new clubs from four different regions are set to join NorCal Premier Soccer starting in the fall of 2017, the NorCal Board of Directors announced Friday.

SF Aftershocks (Region 1), Hayward Youth Soccer (Region 3/4), AC United (Region 6), North State Soccer (Region 6), Kings County Soccer Club (Region 7) will each begin affiliations with NorCal effective immediately, bringing the total number of NorCal-affiliated clubs to 223.

“NorCal Premier has always recognized the central role that Soccer Clubs play throughout the world in supporting and developing players for all levels of the game,” said NorCal Director of Operations Daniel Chamberlain. “With the development of US Club Soccer, the model of only one competitive soccer club existing in a given area has changed and new clubs are being developed.  We have long believed that as the monopoly provided under the old model eroded, new competition would benefit the development of the game as new clubs introduced competitive year-round soccer to more players.”

Each club underwent a rigorous application process that lasted several months in order to be approved by the Board of Directors. That application process includes a review by the NorCal Club Membership Committee, which is made up of several NorCal Directors of Coaching from different regions, a club visit and meeting with the technical staff and Board of Directors from each applicant and a field permit evaluation.

“We have found with more clubs, the player pool has expanded and there are more players competing in club soccer than ever before,” Chamberlain said. “Motivated players who were once cut or forced to play in a lower more recreational level, are now able to find a club that can provide access to year-round competition as well as promotion into the highest levels of play.”