BLITZZ FC ~ MONTANA SURF

Frequently Asked Questions

What is San Diego Surf?

San Diego Surf Soccer Club is San Diego’s Premier competitive soccer club. San Diego Surf is a member of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) and the Development Players League (DPL) – for boys and girls. These two leagues represent the highest level of youth soccer competition in the United States with the goal of producing the next generation of National team players.

Surf Soccer Club has produced 11 National Championships, 43 Regional Champions, over 74 State Champions, hundreds of college scholarship athletes, over 20 National team players and multiple MLS and professional players. At every age group, Surf Soccer Club teams are playing at the highest levels, against the toughest competition, in the most competitive leagues.

What is Surf Nation?

San Diego Surf Soccer Club has identified select clubs around the nation and extended invitations to organizations that are run by like-minded coaches and administrators who are dedicated to the Surf mission of providing the “best of the best” experiences and opportunities for their athletes. After substantial vetting, Surf has offered affiliations to 50+ teams across the country and internationally; the resulting network is Surf Nation.

What is the mission of Surf Nation?

“The Surf mission is to create the ‘Best of the Best’ experiences and opportunities for youth soccer players through our clubs, events and facilities. We partner with like-minded clubs and provide them with the tools so they can focus on what they love most, coaching and helping their players achieve their dreams.”

Why did Blitzz FC choose to affiliate with Surf?

Our Blitzz FC board thought long and hard about this decision. We have carefully tracked, during the past few years, opportunities for affiliation with a variety of MLS, national and international organizations. Until now, we did not see sufficient benefit to such a partnership. After conducting much research and having multiple conversations with other Surf affiliate clubs, it became apparent that our Blitzz FC day-to-day operations would remain intact while the benefits of the Surf brand would be substantial and tangible. Further, the people involved in Surf have an unwavering commitment to their players and to the advancement of the sport. They share the Blitzz FC priority of focusing, first and foremost, on what is in the best interest of our athletes and on growing the sport of soccer.

What are some of the tangible benefits to Blitzz FC?

In a nutshell, Blitzz FC will benefit from Surf’s large network of clubs, high level coaching and operational expertise that has resulted in decades of success in Cal South.

    • Our club now will have access to a superior coaching curriculum and to some of the best coaches, training sessions and lesson plans in the nation.
    • Surf provides the best connections in the college game (including college showcase events like Surf Cup, with 500+ college coaches in attendance) and immersive coaching collaboration software.
    • Players who don’t aspire to travel great distances, or play collegiate ball, will still have the opportunity to engage in stronger ‘local’ competition through collaboration with Surf Clubs in our state and region (Eastern Washington, Missoula, Utah, Idaho, Glacier Surf, etc…)
    • Our club will be able to take advantage of the strength of numbers in the Surf network and leverage their relationships with vendors to provide players and coaches with high quality gear at lower pricing.
    • Surf offers top of the line registration software
    • Access to Surf administrative, legal and marketing staff, offering support and guidance.
    • Opportunities to engage with a professional soccer network outside of the US and options for high quality international events.
    • A network of over 50 other clubs, from CA to RI to HI to Puerto Rico, for collaboration, sharing of ideas and guest playing opportunities.
  • The SURF SELECT program, offering the highest level playing opportunities, for the most competitive players, in front of college coaches and professional scouts (more details below).

What is the new name of our club?

Our current Blitzz FC programs will be renamed montana surf.

When does this change take effect and what is the contract term?

The start date of our contract term is August 1, 2020 and the affiliation runs through July 31, 2025, with an option for renewal at that time.

How is this going to change our Blitzz FC club, which has been part of our community for 38+ years? Will this significantly impact our family’s experience with the club?

Our day-to-day operations will remain exactly the same. Our non-profit 501(c)(3) status will not change. Our legal entity (Soccer Education Foundation dba Blitzz FC) will not change. We will maintain our current management structure of a nine-member volunteer Board of Directors, elected by our club’s voting members. The relationship with Surf is a licensing agreement and Surf will have no control over our standard operations, beyond our use of the Surf brand.

Our family is involved in the Blitzz Recreational program. What does this mean for us?

Blitzz Recreational, now Montana Surf Recreational, benefits from many of the services Surf Nation offers. In addition to top-of-the-line coaching resources, our Surf affiliation helps us save families money through lower prices on gear and uniforms. It also gives us access to many business resources which help us save time and administrative costs so that we can focus on what we love: soccer!

Our Surf affiliation also establishes a clear pathway for recreational players looking for a more competitive experience. Montana Surf Recreational Soccer is the foundation of the Montana Surf Player Pathway. From the recreational program, players who seek a more competitive atmosphere can advance to our Little Surfers, Youth Academy, and Competitive Academy programming, following the Surf player development curriculum.

What if my player enjoys soccer for the fun and social contact but doesn’t want to play in college – or compete for regional, national and international opportunities?

The beauty of Surf programming is that it provides high quality experiences for players of all ages, abilities and interest levels. All of our club’s coaches will utilize the full Surf curriculum and coaching manual – so all players will benefit, regardless of the kind of playing experience they choose.

Each month, our coaches and other staff members will participate in Surf meetings to brainstorm and share ideas about their craft. Blitzz FC will work with Surf to grow our own development content, including more varied summer and winter programming and greater continuing education for our coaching staff. Regardless of team or level of play, every player will benefit from this new relationship.

My player wants to play in college – or beyond. How does the Surf affiliation help?

San Diego Surf is the oldest competitive youth soccer club in San Diego and was established in 1977 to draw the best players from the area to form teams to compete with the best teams in Cal South. The competitive vision and organizational focus of Surf has a proven track record of success in creating pathways for high level players and their SURF SELECT program is an integral part of facilitating those opportunities.

Beyond the high quality coaching curriculum, AND the respect/recognition that the Surf name garners among college coaches nationally, the SURF SELECT program brings together the most talented players and coaches from all of Surf Nation to compete together under the Surf banner at the highest levels and in front of college coaches and professional scouts.

What does the SURF SELECT program involve?

Through a series of local, regional and national events, players within Surf Nation will be selected to represent the club in national and international competitions. The first selection happens at the club level, with the Directors of Coaching of each Surf affiliate submitting player recommendations to Surf Nation. Players are then invited to regional and national events: 3 to 4-day residential camps where players have the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of the Surf Select coaches. These events also include off-the-field player education related to the Surf core values and to the game.