San Diego, CA., September 22, 2023— Surf Cup Sports (San Diego, CA) In the world of youth sports, the Surf brand is renowned for professionalism, elite event management, high-quality coaching, and, most importantly, a deep commitment to player development, resulting in hundreds of All-American athletes and thousands of college scholarships. For over 45 years, Surf has been a leader in the youth soccer landscape, dedicated to our mission to create the best experiences and opportunities for our players nationwide. Surf has always been committed to our mission, and supporting this one-day event, Silent Saturday continues to demonstrate our dedication to our players.
As our Montana Surf partner implements Silent Saturday to highlight the ongoing issues in youth soccer that have eroded the focus on player development, Montana Surf reminds us that youth sports are about developing our kids through sports, not about the parents, coaches, administrators, or referees.
Silent Saturday’s goal is to let our children play with joy and without fear. With childhood obesity and inactivity rates currently at all-time highs in America, it’s our commitment to encourage our players to stay on the pitch. Studies from the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) have found that of the 40 million youths who participate in organized sports each year, 70% will drop out before the age of 13. Not only are children being impacted, but over 50,000 referees have quit since 2018, and the number one reason for leaving is verbal abuse from parents and coaches
For us to continue to keep our kids and referees on the pitch, our sport’s on-field culture has to change, and Silent Saturday is a one-day event to re-center all of us that youth sports are meant to be a joyful experience for kids.
“We are implementing ‘Silent Saturday’ in an effort to remove parental and fan pressure towards athletes, referee abuse, coach abuse, and overall have a more enjoyable game for all of our athletes. This is an opportunity for parents to take a step back and sit quietly to watch their athletes play the beautiful game of soccer.” – Montana Surf
“Surf supports Montana Surf’s Silent Saturday initiative – let the players play, the referees ref, and allow our families to hit the refresh button and focus on what this game is all about: the opportunity to educate and develop players and continue to foster their love for the beautiful game,” said Andy Prosser, Director of Surf Nation
About Surf:
For over 46 years, Surf has been one of the founding organizations in youth soccer. With over $12 Million in charitable donations, 25 national championships, and countless professional, collegiate, and youth national team players, we are forever striving to be the “Best of the Best.
