San Francisco Elite SC boys earn ECNL status

Nothing of value is simply given. It is earned. And San Francisco Elite SC knows this well as it worked hard to earn promotion to the ECNL level, and thanks to continued success through their NPL results, the club's boys teams, U13-U19, has earned ECNL status.   To say this is big for the club would be an understatement, and now SF Elite SC can take its place at the table with the big boys.   "It's a good feeling to be rewarded with an opportunity when it's deserved," SF Elite SC Director of Coaching Ricky Gutierrez said. "SF Elite SC has consistently developed young players and has built very good teams that compete at the highest levels. A lot of hard work and dedication went into this project of getting accepted as the standard for clubs getting in is high. We were able to do it with the support of our board of directors, administration, coaching staff and most of all the players and parents."   SF Elite SC put a lot of time, energy and resources into earning this promotion and understanding how and why it would be a good fit. Once it was identified as the right move, the club made a push and earned its way in.   "As the youth soccer landscape has evolved over the past few years, we very early on identified the ECNL as being a great fit for us," SF Elite SC Executive Director Joe Dugan said. "The ECNL prioritizes a player pathway that is conducive to playing college soccer. Other leagues prioritize a pro pathway, which is for about one percent of players. While we think there are multiple possible player pathways, the ECNL is the best fit for our club."   ECNL offers a lot of opportunities for players, and Dugan really likes how it offers a nice balance for the players who don't want to give up aspects of their soccer lives, but allows them to be noticed.   "The ECNL's national showcases are best in class and the ECNL also allows players to play high school soccer, something that we support and is very important for players here in the Bay Area," Dugan said. "So combining the ECNL NorCal Conference, which is made up of the strongest clubs in Northern California, with the ability to play high school soccer with the ECNL national showcases, we are now competing in the strongest platform in the U.S."   Gutierrez echoes Dugan's sentiment that this is something that aligns with the club's values and will help with the aspirations of its players.   "It's an amazing opportunity for our community to have a platform that takes pride and dedicates itself on getting kids into college," Gutierrez said. "As a college coach I've been to several ECNL showcases and not only is there a lot of talent, they are well run. The organization makes it easy for players to showcase themselves at a high level. Our club will benefit immensely from participating in these types of tournaments and will allow us to compete against some of the best clubs in the country."   The club will now look to continue down the path that got it to where it is now, and remain an elite level club in San Francisco and in the entire Bay Area.   "The standard for SF Elite SC stays the same," Gutierrez said. "We will continue to bring in high level coaches with lots of experience and high licenses. We will continue to implement our methodology and show players the pathway so that they have an opportunity to follow their dreams. We have already had several coaches contact us asking if there is an opportunity to join our staff in hopes of coaching at the ECNL level."   Here are four players who will make an impact for their team at the ECNL level.   Ben Duffin, Midfield, 2006   Duffin is a midfielder that has improved greatly. He is very athletic, and has shown he can contribute on both ends of the pitch, showing good attacking prowess and excellent defensive qualities.   Edwin Garfias, Central Defender, 2010   Garfias shows a strong work ethic, and he is able to seamlessly be a leader. He is an intelligent player that reads the game very well.   Aidan Domingo Hernandez, Central Midfielder, 2011   Hernandez is a leader for the U13 team. He is always looking to push his teammates and make them better. He has great decision making skills and he has a passion for the game. He always leaves everything on the pitch.   Diego Pimental, Forward, 2007   Pimentel plays on the outside or as a forward and is a very strong attacking player. He is dynamic and strong and is not afraid to be physical. He has improved greatly in the last six months.   Luis Sanchez, Forward, 2007   Sanchez is a fast, physical forward with a nose for goal and loves to move forward on the attack. He is a strong player who is dynamic and versatile. Much like his teammate, Pimental, he has improved greatly.   [player_tooltip player_id='6908' first='Adrian' last='Alvarez'] Venegas, Attacking Midfielder, 2009   Venegas is a hard-working player, and a skilled one as well. he is always doing extra work before and after practice, always looking to improve. He joined the team a year ago and despite very little experience he was able to catch on quickly. He has shown tremendous growth, and shown that he will put in the work. He is an excellent dribbler and finisher. He can maneuver out of tight spaces and he is always applying pressure to the opposition. He has great technical quality, but his commitment to playing hard is his best attribute.

Nothing of value is simply given. It is earned. And San Francisco Elite SC knows this well as it worked hard to earn promotion to the ECNL level, and thanks to continued success through their NPL results, the club's boys teams, U13-U19, has earned ECNL status.