SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Connected with youth club soccer in our community since 1986, South Tahoe Futbol Club (STFC) began its competitive soccer season last weekend. This year, this decades-long presence in the community comes with a milestone of its own: more than 40 need-based scholarships totaling over $40,000 awarded to local players, made possible by key sponsors Barton Health and Edgewood Tahoe.
The scholarship program reflects a core piece of STFC’s mission — ensuring cost is never the reason a Tahoe Basin kid doesn’t get to play.
“We are so grateful for the support of sponsors like Barton Health and Edgewood Tahoe,” said the Club President, Nettie Pardue. “Their commitment is what allows us to open the doors of competitive soccer to every family in our community, regardless of financial circumstance.”
This season, that commitment supports more than 230 players across 15 teams ranging from U8 to U16, competing in both the NorCal Premier League and the Great Basin Youth Soccer League. The season also opens amid a nationwide change from U.S. Soccer, which shifted age-group eligibility from birth year to grade level, affecting how every club in the country organizes its teams — a transition STFC has now completed.
Among this year’s standout squads is the club’s 2010/11 girls team. Coached by University of Nevada women’s head soccer coach Jeremy Evans and made up of players from Tahoe, Carson, Douglas County and Bishop, this team competes in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL-RL NorCal), one of the more competitive leagues in California. Last year, the team was crowned NorCal State Cup champions, then won the National Premier League (NPL) and represented Northern California at the NPL National Finals in Colorado in July.
“It’s a tremendous honor to coach this group and see it compete amongst the best teams in the state,” Evans said. “We qualified for this league over the years with on-field success. This is the highest league STFC teams can achieve and provides an additional level of exposure to collegiate coaches. Hopefully we inspire younger teams to aim for the same level because our teams can get there in time.”
The scholarship program is one expression of STFC’s broader mission: providing the highest level of soccer experience for youth in the Lake Tahoe Basin while teaching respect, fitness, enjoyment, and excellence, and inspiring a lifelong passion for the game. As the club looks toward its next 40 years, expanding access through scholarships remains a top priority alongside on-field competitive success.
South Tahoe FC also hosts two annual tournaments — the Come Up For Air Tournament, held in the fall and early summer — which together draw more than 400 teams to the Tahoe Basin and bring significant visibility and economic activity to the region. Recently, this event has been awarded funding from the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority due to the economic revenue it generates for the area.
A new successful program this year was the Benfica Camp associated with the professional team SL Benfica out of Lisbon, Portugal. The camp brought international trainers to the area in June and was attended by over 60 kids ages 9-15.
While the club relies heavily on parent volunteers for coaching, South Tahoe FC is currently seeking experienced soccer trainers who played or coached at the collegiate level to join its coaching staff.
For more information about South Tahoe Futbol Club, including registration, tryouts, and coaching opportunities, visit southtahoefc.com. STFC would also like to thank the following businesses for their generous support this year: Tahoe Mountain Academy, Los Mexicanos, Zephyr Electric Sign, Engel & Volkers, Sierra Pacific Partners, NAI Tahoe Sierra, JE Construction, Mountain Luxury Properties, ZTEC Services, Sierra Sustainable Builders, The Studio, Palisade Investments, Theirman Buck Law, and Verde Mexican Rotisserie.
To offer your financial support through business sponsorship or other means, please reach out to the Club Director, Brandon Garinger, at brandon.garinger@southtahoefc.com
