Club Highlight: Sierra Surf

We sat down with Debs Brereton from Sierra Surf to learn more about how Surf has helped their club, players, coaches, and administrators with their upcoming season goals:

What is the greatest benefit to Sierra Surf being part of the Surf Nation community?

We are proud to be a part of Surf Nation. The quality of content and resources provided by our National Director of Football, Gary Curneen, is truly game-changing. His regular webinars are insightful, practical, and first-class, providing valuable learning for coaches, players and families. Additionally, the MiMentor platform and access to ASC ensure our coaching staff constantly develops, learns, and applies new knowledge to create the best possible environment for our players.

Surf Select is another major benefit for our club. This year, we proudly celebrated 16 Sierra Surf players being nominated for Surf Select national duty, giving them the opportunity to travel and compete across the country and internationally. No other clubs in our area offer this type of life-changing experience.

Sierra surf has firmly established itself as a cornerstone of the Reno-Carson metro soccer community and was recently recognized with the 2026 Surf Nation Mission Award. What do you believe makes Sierra Surf stand out and resonate so strongly within the community?

We were honored to receive the Surf Mission Award. It was a privilege to be recognized by Surf Nation for how we operate as a club and how we represent the Surf brand with love, respect, and integrity.

Our goal has always been simple: to create the best possible environments and experiences, with individual development at the heart of every decision. Our staff are quality people dedicated to creating the best environments, guided by integrity in everything they do.

We never set out to become the biggest club in the area, but growth has followed naturally because families trust what we are building. In just three years, our membership has doubled, and we are truly grateful for every family who has chosen to be part of our journey. The connection we have with our players and families matters most to us. That sense of community and trust defines Sierra Surf. Above all, we want every player to feel seen, supported, and valued - and to leave with a genuine love for the game that stays with them long after their time in our club ends.

You recently made a major announcement regarding taking the first steps to build your own complex in the Reno area. How would this shape the future of Sierra Surf?

This is a monumental step for our club and community, which urgently needs more field space. All eyes are now on the Board of Regents vote on June 11th as we hope to move forward and get to work.

Having our own complex would be transformative. It would strengthen our ability to connect with our community, provide a safe and central location for families to gather and enjoy, and create more consistent, high-quality training environments and opportunities for player and coach development. It would also open the door to hosting more robust tournaments, expanding player development pathways including an academy structure, and ultimately help us reduce costs for our families. This is an exciting opportunity for our club's future and the wider community we serve.

As we wind down the 2025/2026 season, what are some highlights from this season for your club?

One of the most impactful moments of the year was the loss of Brooklyn Falke. She was the ultimate teammate and truly loved both soccer and Sierra Surf. Our community came together to support her family during their darkest days, and we continue to honor and celebrate her life today. Surf Nation also sponsored a special #11 patch, selected by the Falke family, which will appear on all new away kits in her memory.

We also celebrated the continued growth of our coaching staff. Many of our coaches completed US Soccer coaching courses this year, including Laule’a Akana Phillips, Chelsey Gray, Jeremy phillips, Trust Ncube, John Guadarrama, Hannah Prins, and Brian Aguirre, all earning their D License. Kristal McDowell, Wes Sloan, Darren Charles, and Ivan Madriz earned their Grassroots license. Nicky Goldstein earned her C Licenses, and Debs, our DOC obtained her Coach Educator License. This reflects the ongoing commitment and professional growth of our staff as we continue to build the best possible environments for our players.

• Our 2014B Blue team was invited to compete in ECRL next season after a strong performance in Pre-NPL play
• Our 2010B Blue team went undefeated in NPL 3 and will compete in the newly formed N1 league next season. They also reached the State Cup semifinals and won the California Cup
• Eight teams finished 1st or 2nd in their leagues, with an additional six teams finishing third — a reflection of the competitiveness across the club
• Our 2012 Girls Blue team finished 1st in the NorCal Gold Division
• Our 2011 Girls White team finished 1st in the NorCal Bronze Division
• Our 2016 Boys Blue team won the Youngers Surf Challenge Cup in Folsom
• Our 2012 Girls Blue team won the Older Surf Challenge Cup
• Our 2008 Boys Blue and 2011 Boys Blue teams both finished 2nd in the Surf Challenge Cup in Folsom
• Our 2009 Boys Blue team were finalists at both the Ceres Rush and Medford Rogue Memorial tournaments, with strong performances also from our 2011 Girls White (2nd) and 2008 Boys Blue (3rd)
• 2017B Blue won the Wild West tournament, where our 2011G White and 2013B White came in second with solid performances!
• Our 2010 Girls Blue team won 2026 NorCal State Cup

We are incredibly proud of how our coaches continue to build competitive, supportive, and development-focused environments across every age group.