Aptos Soccer Club and Santa Cruz County Breakers Strike Up Strategic Alliance to Combine Competitive Soccer Programs

We’re excited to announce that Aptos Soccer Club and Santa Cruz County Breakers have entered into a strategic alliance to combine our competitive soccer programs. This alliance will create a larger program, which we believe will provide a better competitive soccer experience for local youth players.

The benefits of this new program include:

• The ability to have a larger pool of players at each age group, creating opportunities to align players with teams that fit their skill level and making each team more competitive in their respective league brackets 

• A better environment for players of all levels to develop and grow

• A clear pathway for players to advance from recreational soccer through to Academy on the Girls’ side and NorCal Premier on the Boys’ side, providing more opportunities for kids to play club soccer through to college age

• More options for competitive players to choose from, depending on their commitment to soccer

• A way to bring the Santa Cruz soccer community closer together and competing at an even higher level than was previously possible

How will the new program work?

Players will have the opportunity to play year-round competitive soccer through a ten-month program coached by a professional, licensed coach. Alternatively, players may select to play seasonal competitive soccer through a six-month program played during Fall and Spring, coached by a volunteer. The two-tiered approach allows the players more choices based on time commitment, cost, level and geographic area they want to play in. 

Because there will be multiple teams at each age group, players will also have the opportunity to guest play and move more fluidly between levels for new experiences and challenges as they develop or their interest levels change over time. With the combined programs, there is a clear player pathway from recreational soccer through to some of the most elite competition in the state; Academy on the Girls’ side and NorCal Premier on the Boys’ side and a place for all players of all skill levels in between.

How does this impact existing volunteer coaches?

With the new program, volunteer coaches will be supported by professional, licensed directors at each age group who will offer coaching education and guidance, session plans, and soccer curriculum. This will help develop the soccer program to allow players to be coached and trained in a more uniform manner allowing them to advance more quickly as well as provide opportunities for coaches to further their soccer and coaching education.

We’ve provided more details on the new program and information about upcoming tryouts in the FAQs below. We believe this is an exciting new venture for players, families, coaches and administrators, and we look forward to how this will benefit the entire Santa Cruz competitive soccer community.