From safer places to play to coach education, data and community development, Cal North is bringing together organizations across Northern California to invest in the future of soccer.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cal North is taking a collaborative approach to growing soccer across Northern California, working alongside community organizations, professional clubs, member organizations and fellow U.S. Soccer State Associations on a series of Innovate to Grow funding proposals totaling nearly $2 million in requested support.
The submissions represent a broad effort to address some of the biggest barriers facing young players and soccer communities—from access to safe facilities and playable field space to coaching education, player retention, data and long-term leadership development.
This marks the first time Cal North works alongside this many soccer organizations, after previous successful grants awarded in 2024-2025 with Bay Area SCORES "Creating Soccer Fans for Life" and "More Girls, More Goals" in 2025-2026 for a total of $400,000 granted in funding.
“U.S. Soccer has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting its local partners and growing the game at the community level," said Donald Army, Cal North President. By making these important resources available, U.S. Soccer is helping throughout Northern California expand access, strengthen programming, and create more opportunities for players and families to experience the game.”
Rather than approaching these challenges individually, Cal North is helping bring organizations together around a shared vision:
Create more opportunities to play. Build stronger soccer communities. Develop pathways that last.
Five of the proposed initiatives alone represent $871,000 in requested funding, with the broader portfolio bringing the total request close to $2 million.
Below are the five grants that Cal North and it's member are pursuing:
1. Cal North + Bay Area SCORES + San Jose Earthquakes | “Safe Ground to Grow” — $200,000 Requested
One of the most ambitious proposals would transform approximately 10,000 square feet of deteriorating asphalt at Bachrodt Elementary School in San Jose into a safe, all-weather soccer field.
The project brings together Cal North, Bay Area SCORES and the San Jose Earthquakes to create a long-term soccer hub at one of the schools closest to PayPal Park.
The proposed infrastructure would be paired with programming and experiences including:
The school serves approximately 390 students, and the project is designed to address three major barriers to participation: cost, transportation and facility access.
The vision goes beyond building a field.
Turn asphalt into a place to play. Turn that place into a program. Turn the program into a lasting pathway for the community.
2. Cal North + Oakland United | "Lighting Up East Oakland" — $196,000 Requested
In East Oakland, a relatively targeted infrastructure investment could unlock hundreds of additional hours of soccer every year.
The soccer field at Madison Park Academy becomes significantly less usable after school during the winter months because of early darkness. The proposed installation of field lighting would extend the amount of time the facility can be used and create additional opportunities for players, schools and local teams.
The increased capacity could help Oakland Genesis potentially grow from approximately 400 players across 16 teams to 624 players across 24 teams, while also benefiting Madison Park Academy, neighboring schools and the Oakland Athletic League's 94 soccer teams.
The proposal demonstrates that expanding access doesn't always require constructing an entirely new facility.
Sometimes, the opportunity is already there. It just needs to be unlocked.
3. Cal North + Oregon + Washington + Arizona + Utah + Idaho + South Carolina | “Play On” Lifecycle/Data Project — $200,000 Requested
One of the most forward-looking proposals would take Cal North beyond simply counting registrations and toward understanding the player journey.
Through the proposed Play On project, Cal North would collaborate with six other State Associations—Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and South Carolina—to develop a shared player lifecycle and participation analytics model.
The project builds on work already demonstrated by Oregon, which analyzed 15 years of registration data to examine trends in recruitment, retention, gender participation and players at risk of leaving soccer.
Cal North would apply a similar methodology to its historical registration data and establish a baseline ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Potential deliverables include:
The long-term vision is bigger than any one State Association.
If successful, the seven-state collaboration could help establish a framework that U.S. Soccer and other State Associations could replicate nationally.
Instead of asking “Are we growing?”
The goal is to understand:
Who is playing? Who is leaving? Why are they leaving? And what can we do about it?
4. Cal North + Eastshore Alliance FC | "Coach & Club Leadership Development" — Up to $75,000 Requested
Players need opportunities—but those opportunities depend on the coaches and leaders who create them.
Cal North and Eastshore Alliance FC proposed a one- to three-year professional-development initiative focused on expanding access to U.S. Soccer coaching education and leadership development in the East Bay.
A key component would be bringing locally hosted U.S. Soccer D License courses to the region, helping reduce the cost and travel barriers that can prevent coaches from advancing their licenses.
The initiative could also provide scholarship opportunities for coaches from other Cal North member clubs, while incorporating leadership and communication training for club administrators.
The objective is to strengthen the people responsible for developing players and operating soccer organizations.
More licensed coaches. Stronger club leadership. Better environments for players.
5. Cal North + Oakland Genesis | "Building a Cradle-to-Leadership Pathway in Oakland" — $200,000 Requested
Oakland Genesis has already established a significant soccer and youth-development presence in East Oakland, serving more than 1,200 youth annually through schools and recreation centers and nearly 500 student-athletes across 20 Academy teams.
Its programming combines soccer with academics, mentorship, college and career preparation and transportation.
The proposed partnership with Cal North would help strengthen that existing pathway and create what the organizations envision as a “cradle-to-leadership” model.
The concept is simple:
A young person discovers soccer.
They develop as a player.
They receive mentorship and support.
They continue through the pathway.
And eventually, they have the opportunity to become a coach, mentor or community leader themselves.
Cal North's proposed contribution would focus on strengthening the soccer infrastructure surrounding that pathway, including coaching education, player registration and insurance, and coach Risk Management oversight.
The goal isn't simply to create more players.
It's to help develop the next generation of people who will lead the game.
One Portfolio. One Shared Vision.
Taken individually, each proposal addresses a specific challenge.
Together, they represent a much larger strategy for growing soccer.
Build the places.
Develop the people.
Understand the players.
Strengthen the organizations.
Create pathways that continue.
That collaborative approach is what makes Cal North's Innovate to Grow effort particularly significant.
The organization is connecting professional soccer, grassroots organizations, schools, clubs, coaches and fellow State Associations around projects that address both immediate needs and long-term growth.
The five initiatives highlighted above represent $871,000 in requested funding, while the broader collection of Cal North-supported proposals brings the total funding request to nearly $2 million.
The funding requests are not guarantees of awards, and final decisions rest with U.S. Soccer.
But the submission itself represents an important step in Cal North's broader strategy: using collaboration to expand access, strengthen infrastructure and create more sustainable pathways into the game.
From turning deteriorating asphalt into a soccer field in San Jose, to bringing lights to East Oakland, to developing a multi-state player data model, to investing in coaches and creating leadership pathways, these proposals share one fundamental idea:
Soccer grows when communities have the people, places and pathways to make it possible.
And Cal North is bringing those communities together to help build what comes next.
More access. More opportunity. More fields. More players. More people invested in the future of the game.
The work to grow Northern California soccer is already underway.
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About Cal North Youth Soccer Association
Cal North is the original youth soccer organization in Northern California, who has served generations of players, coaches, leagues, and clubs with storied histories since 1969. Cal North is a member of a much larger soccer community, and as a member, you are also a member of this world community. Players register to play with one of the more than 200 clubs or leagues formed by Cal North. Through affiliation, our leagues and clubs are also members of US Youth Soccer, US Soccer, and US Futsal. US Soccer, along with over 197 other national soccer organizations, are members of FIFA, the Federation Internationale de Football Association. FIFA serves as the international governing body for soccer and US Soccer has been a member since 1913. Together, local, national and international organizations form a family of support for the young soccer players of Cal North.
About America SCORES Bay Area
A soccer ball. A blank page. A safe space to grow. Since 2001, America SCORES Bay Area has harnessed the power of play and self-expression to engage over 28,000 young people in sports, learning, and leadership. Our free, school-based programs ensure kids have a team to belong to, a place to be heard, and the confidence to lead—on and off the field. Through soccer, they develop resilience, and as Poet-Athletes and Young Leaders in Action, they learn to uplift their teammates, schools, and communities. When kids have the chance to play and express themselves, they build skills that last a lifetime. Learn more at www.americascoresbayarea.org.
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