San Diego, CA., April 5, 2024— Surf Sports (San Diego, CA) is proud to announce the addition of East Valley AZ Surf. 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. Our mission is to create experiences and opportunities for players, and we’re excited to announce our next step toward achieving this goal in Arizona. Pima County Surf and Higley Knights United have a deep history of building player development focused; by merging resources, we are excited to expand the Surf brand, mission, and opportunities within the East Valley of Arizona.
The Surf Nation community has a proven track record of developing players and seeing them move through the player pathway into the US National Team Program and into the professional and collegiate ranks. Through the partnership with Pima County Surf, the East Valley will provide further high-quality programming, an expanded player pathway, and further resources on and off the field.
“We are delighted to expand into an area with such rich talent and offer opportunities within the Surf community locally, regionally, and nationally. We seek to partner with like-minded individuals who are mission-aligned. Pima County has embraced the surf culture since day one, so we are excited to see them add to their team and our footprint in the state of Arizona,” said Andy Prosser, Surf Nation Director.
“We’re thrilled to warmly welcome Higley Knights United as they join the Pima County Surf soccer family and the wider Arizona Surf soccer community. With a shared dedication to excellence, passion, and expertise, we’re excited to join forces and continue crafting the ‘Best of the Best’ experiences and opportunities for every player, coach, and team within our communities,” said Sarah Gaxiola, President of Pima County Surf Soccer Club.
“The addition of Knights United Soccer Academy to our Surf ranks brings a wealth of talent, passion, and determination that will undoubtedly enrich our community in the East Valley. We are delighted for this next chapter in our Arizona Surf Soccer family,” added Jaime Ludka, Phoenix Surf Vice President.
“We are excited to announce the Knights United Soccer Academy union with the Arizona Surf Soccer Community. This amazing collaboration brings together a common belief in dedication and commitment to enhancing student-athletes growth in building character, maintaining passion, sharpening skills, and paving the way for unlimited long-term opportunities. Together, we will begin our journey to create a pipeline for all youth to have the ‘Best of the Best’ experiences as a player, coach, and team within their community,” said Oscar Guardado, Highly Knights United Director.
The top players from East Valley AZ Surf will have direct access to Surf Select, an unprecedented identification program built through Surf Nation. This program allows selected players to compete in the best international and domestic events, picking from a player pool that expands from Puerto Rico, Rhode Island to Hawaii and Canada.
About Surf:
For more than 47 years, Surf has maintained a leadership position among youth soccer organizations. With over $12 Million in charitable donations, 17 national championships, and countless professional, collegiate, and youth national team players, we are forever striving to be the “Best of the Best.”
East Valley AZ Surf joins a family of 58 Surf National affiliates to comprise what we’re proud to call Surf Nation.
