SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 22, 2017) — In a move that will push the level of competition of adult soccer in Northern California to the next level, NorCal Premier Soccer announced Wednesday the hiring of Cris Gilmore to serve as its first-ever Director of Adult Soccer.

The experienced Gilmore joins NorCal after an extensive, 26-year coaching career, and playing career that has taken him from Northern California to Ohio, Hawaii, and the Netherlands.

“We are excited to welcome Cris into the NorCal family,” said NorCal Premier Soccer Director of Operations Daniel Chamberlain. “He will bring a wealth of experience as well as a clear vision as to what adult amateur soccer can be in the United States. NorCal is committed to leading the country in this area and we are confident that Under Cris’ leadership we will see significant progress in the next year.”

“I’m honored to be a part of such a prestigious organization that is pioneering soccer development in our country and has a global view on the direction of soccer organization in our region,” Gilmore said.

Under Gilmore, NorCal Premier Soccer looks to further the adult game in the state, with the eventual goal of having every member club field an adult-aged first team.

Gilmore will oversee the Adult Premier League, which has had one of the most successful summer leagues each of the past few years, with over 40 squads from around the state competition.

The former San Jose State women’s soccer head coach is also working to establish a series of adult-level events such as an adult State Cup and adult 6 v 6 tournaments.

“Besides creating a more organized and quality experience for all men and women interested in playing soccer, I hope to bridge the gap between youth development and professional play,” Gilmore said. “There needs to be an organized consistent reliable avenue for adults to play soccer and there is no better place to bring it all together than NorCal.”