Club Resources

APPLY for NorCal Membership – The application window opens on December 1 and closes on December 15.

NorCal Membership is our standard membership. It serves the majority of clubs participating in NorCal competitive events at most levels of play.

To apply for membership in NorCal Premier, please fill out the online application link above.  In addition to the online application, each applicant must also submit copies of the following items (longer descriptions located in the application):

• Club Logo
• Club Code of Conduct
• US Club Soccer Sanctioning Confirmation (screenshot of your membership page or email confirmation of acceptance)
• Club Mission Statement
• Articles of Incorporation or 501(c)3 Documentation
• Club Bylaws or Constitution
• License level(s) of the club’s Technical Director (TD) or Director of Coaching (DOC)
• Confirmation that TD/DOC has completed US Club Soccer background check
• Coaching Staff Licenses
• Technical Plan or Curriculum
• Field permits or written agreements confirming field access
• Written agreement from clubs sharing fields or justification of any fields shared by member clubs
• 5 Year Growth Model
• 3 Letters of Reference

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

PROCESS

Upon receipt of a Club Membership application, NorCal Premier’s Club Membership Committee (the Committee) will evaluate club applications using the following objective and subjective measures.  The Committee will solicit feedback on each club’s application from our current NorCal member clubs both via an online survey and as part of an in-person presentation from the applying club at their RAC meeting. Based on that evaluation, the Committee will make a recommendation to the NorCal Premier Board of Directors (the Board), and the Board may accept or deny NorCal Club Membership at their sole discretion.

Steps in the Application Process:

1. Obtain US Club Soccer sanctioning
2. Submit the online application & required attachments
3. Initial club call w/ NorCal New Club Committee staff member to review process
4. Solicitation of feedback from NorCal Premier member clubs via an online survey
5. Applicants present to member clubs and respond to Q&A at their region’s January RAC meeting (when available, the schedule is found HERE). The meeting must be attended by your club’s DOC/Technical Director and preferably also by your club President.
6. In-person club meeting with New Club Committee member
7. Review of application by New Club Committee & recommendations sent to Board of Directors
8. Membership decisions by NorCal Premier Board of Directors
9. Accepted clubs sign NorCal Premier sanctioning agreement

CRITERIA

• Quality/Integrity – Clubs and their teams must demonstrate adherence to standards of professionalism, organization, and ethics concerning play, coaching, administration, sportsmanship, fields, referees, and the total soccer experience provided by the club.
• Director of Coaching (DOC) – Clubs must have a named and qualified DOC.  The DOC must have a minimum US Soccer D License or equivalent, with a commitment to develop their coaching education further.  The DOC must have completed US Club’s background check (the DOC must have an active US Club Coach pass with the applying club).  The DOC must provide oversight of each team in the club and of each team’s involvement in NorCal competitions.
• Geography & Fields—Clubs must have access to at least one high-quality field, with a minimum of five time slots per eight teams, and operate in a defined geographical area (one community that is entirely connected—i.e., geographically adjacent).
• Referees – Clubs must have a current certified USSF Referee Assignor and enough current-year USSF licensed referees available to cover home games for all their teams entered in NorCal competitions.
• Administrator – Clubs must have an administrator responsible for updating and maintaining their club and team information posted on the NorCal website.  This person must have a working email address and be available to assist team managers with all administrative tasks.
• US Club Soccer Member – US Club Soccer must sanction the club.
• Code of Conduct – The club must have a written Code of Conduct that outlines the behavioral expectations of its Coaches, Parents, and Players.
• Impact on Existing NorCal Member Clubs – Clubs must demonstrate that their acceptance as a NorCal Member Club will not have an immediate negative impact on the facility resources currently depended upon by existing NorCal Member Clubs
• Stable and Organized Club Infrastructure & Administration – (e.g., one person cannot be solely responsible for multiple club leadership positions)
• Minimum Team Counts –
  • Clubs intending to enter competitive teams in NorCal competitions only in the U12 and younger ages must have a minimum of three U12 and younger teams (exception:  entering fewer than three teams may be permitted for a new club intending to “build from the ground up” and initially form teams only in the U8-10 ages).
  • Clubs intending to enter one or more competitive teams in NorCal competitions in U13 and older ages must have a minimum of six teams (including the club’s teams in younger ages).
• Technical/Player/Development Model/Plan – The club must have a written technical/player development model/plan.  This plan can be created by the club’s leadership or another source (e.g., US Soccer).
• NorCal Handbook Compliance –
  • Clubs must demonstrate through their previous conduct, for a reasonable amount of time, that they will be able to comply with the core expectations of a NorCal Member Club, specifically Section 1.1 (Club Definition) and Section 4 (Recruiting, Tryouts, and Player Transfers) of the NorCal handbook.

APPEAL PROCESS

Any club whose membership application is not accepted shall have the opportunity to attend an appeal hearing with the NorCal Premier Soccer Board of Directors within ten business days of the BOD decision to address the specific rationale for denial before appealing to US Club Soccer.

TIMELINE

Below is an outline of the timeline of club applications and joining NorCal Premier Soccer:

• December 1  – application window opens
• December 15 – application window closes
• January – survey distributed to member clubs soliciting feedback on applicants
• February—Applicants attend the RAC meeting. New clubs can respond to relevant survey feedback and additional questions/concerns in person.
• February/March – in-person interviews with NorCal Staff & member club DOC & President
• March/April – decisions made on acceptance
• April/May – club onboarding
• May/June – clubs enter NorCal Premier Soccer, beginning with annual tryout windows

The NorCal Premier Club Membership Committee and the NorCal Premier Board of Directors reserve the right to evaluate applications from clubs in strategic growth areas outside of the stated application window.

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU APPLY

2019 Club Application Webinar
Powerpoint presentation

New Club Committee
Andy Farrant – Director of Operations
Paolo Bonomo – Board of Directors
Rick Fullerton – Club Membership Coordinator
Aidon Jennery – Referee Coordinator
Zak Ibsen – Region 1
Haris Obic – Region 3
Brandon Cavitt – Region 6
Jonathan Petty – Region 7