Some of the top Olympic Development Program teams in the country will converge at Ventura College over Memorial Day weekend (May 24-27) to participate in the 2013 Cal South Pro+ Invitational. For the third year running, ODP teams from several other state associations, including Cal North, Colorado and North Texas, will take part in this showcase...

Cal South, Cal North and US Youth Soccer Region IV recently announced the formation of the California Regional League. The California Regional League is a division of the newly revamped Far West Regional League, which will now feature automatic qualification spots for the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships going forward.

Eight teams were crowned as 2013 Cal South National Cup Olders champions over the weekend of May 18-19 at the Rancho Capistrano Soccer Fields in San Juan Capistrano. Links to photo galleries of champions and finalists on Facebook are inside...

Upper Body Strength: Functional Strength for Soccer Players - Upper body strength is an area often neglected by soccer players and coaches. Aside from the occasional push-ups and sit-ups that players either voluntarily do or that are done randomly during a session, this aspect of training is overlooked...

Attacking: Movement Off the Ball - This month's Featured Lesson Plan from the Cal South Coaches Association spotlights the use of grids within the field to produce passing and movement exercises for two teams of players. Four variations on the theme are included...

Eighteen girls -- including 4 Cal South Pro+ players -- from the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) have been invited to participate in the US Youth Soccer ODP Girls 1996 National Camp, April 20-27 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. The camp will coincide with the U18 U.S. Soccer Women’s National Team Camp, and players will be evaluated for possible participation in U.S. National Team events. Full story inside...

PSA ELITE WINS 2013 USASA REGION IV OPEN CUP - PSA Elite defeated Doxa Italia, 4-1 in finals action on April 21 to capture the 2013 USASA Region IV Open Cup. Both PSA Elite and Doxa Italia locked up berths in the opening round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup...

Cal South alumnus and former U.S. Men's National Team star Joe-Max Moore was one of two players elected earlier this month for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, along with fellow U.S. MNT player Peter Vermes. Full story inside...

Balance Training: Balance is simply the ability to maintain the body’s center of gravity over its base of support. This can be static (standing) or dynamic (moving). Balance is a highly trainable component of sports performance programming. There are a wide variety of exercises that can be incorporated into training sessions. Full article inside...

Cal South Soccer and Golazo, Inc. recently announced the signing of a yearlong agreement in which Golazo, the passion brand for soccer, becomes the “Official Beverage Partner” of Cal South. The partnership will unite Golazo’s line of healthy sports hydration beverage choices with Cal South’s ever-growing membership of over 185,000 players, coaches, referees and administrators. Full press release inside...

This month's Featured Lesson Plan from the Cal South Coaches Association spotlights drills used for teaching players the proper methods of turning after receiving a pass. Four variations on the theme are included. This lesson plan was created initially on SportSessionPlanner.com.

Champions Crowned throughout February and March at Cal South National Cup and Sports Authority State Cup - All of Cal South's champions in the Youngers brackets of its prestigious state tournament competitions have been crowned. Team photos for all champions and finalists have been posted on Facebook. Links are inside. See if your team is in here!

CAL SOUTH WINS ALL 4 TITLES AT 2013 US YOUTH SOCCER ODP CHAMPIONSHIPS - All four Cal South Pro+/ODP teams won championship titles on Sunday, March 3 at the 2013 US Youth Soccer ODP National Championships in Frisco, Texas. Full story and Cal South team rosters inside...

ALEX MORGAN SCORES TWICE AS USA DEFEATS GERMANY 2-0 TO WIN 2013 ALGARVE CUP - The U.S. Women’s National Team won the Algarve Cup for the ninth time after Alex Morgan’s two goals earned a 2-0 victory against Germany in Faro, Portugal on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. The U.S. forward and 2012 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year, who hails from Diamond Bar, California, scored twice in the first half to help the U.S. defeat the second-ranked team in the world...

Developing Power: Jump Training Components - Power is an important component of sports performance. When we discuss power in soccer, we usually think of jumping, headers, and kicking. There is a power component in all those activities. Power can also be there in sprinting, change of direction, in avoiding obstacles. Full article inside...

Featured Lesson Plan: Building Your Team's Defensive Scheme - This month's featured lesson plan was taught by former U.S. Women's National Team head coach (and FIFA Women's World Cup and Olympic gold medal winner) Tony DiCicco of the NSCAA. This version was created initially on SportSessionPlanner.com...

Stremicks Heritage Organic Milk Extends Relationship with Cal South to Support Competitive Youth Soccer - New “Cash Cows” campaign distributes $10,000 in total funds to 20 randomly selected Cal South youth soccer teams...

Soccer Nation Expo 2013 is Saturday and Sunday, February 16 and 17 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Come join thousands of fellow soccer fans at the most exciting soccer festival of the year! This is the biggest family soccer show in the United States. And it's FREE to attend!

Online registration is still open for the VIP Coach Pass for Soccer Nation Expo 2013! The VIP Coach Pass is available to any soccer coach who is interested in improving their training techniques, learning new game strategies from world class coaching talent, or networking with other coaches from all over Southern California. The VIP Coach Pass is available for purchase to all coaches, whether they are registered with Cal South, AYSO, or other state, national or international associations.

PLAY SOCCER WITH ABBY WAMBACH! Olympic gold medalist and recently named FIFA Women's Player of the Year Abby Wambach is coming to the LA Galaxy Soccer Center in Torrance, CA on March 24 and your daughter or son can play soccer with her! Abby's event is a fundraiser for Cal South TOPSoccer, a community-based recreational program specifically designed to help athletes with physical and mental disabilities participate in soccer. Every registered player has the chance to play soccer with Abby!

Incorporating Testing Results Into Your Season Plan: We have previously discussed the need for establishing a sports performance testing strategy. Once you have performed your tests, you will need to incorporate performance programming into your practice schedule, either as part of the actual practice or on an additional day...

Soccer Nation Expo will once again feature numerous recreational soccer clinics and demonstrations throughout both days of the show on February 16-17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Cal South Coaching Education staff and representatives from Manchester City of the English Premier League and Futboleros will demonstrate age and skill level-appropriate drills and games for recreational coaches and players. A schedule of these recreational sessions appears inside...

The Professional Referees Organization (PRO) will participate in the Cal South State Referee Symposium that is taking place on February 16 at Soccer Nation Expo 2013 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. PRO's Peter Walton answers some questions from Cal South E-News about his organization and what they have to offer to referees in Southern California...

Soccer Nation Expo 2013 is Saturday and Sunday, February 16 and 17 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Come join thousands of fellow soccer fans at the most exciting soccer festival of the year! This is the biggest family soccer show in the United States. And it's FREE to attend! Full details inside...

Online registration is open for the VIP Coach Pass for Soccer Nation Expo 2013! For only $35, the VIP Coach Pass is available to any soccer coach who is interested in improving their training techniques, learning new game strategies from world class coaching talent, or networking with other coaches from all over Southern California. The VIP Coach Pass is available for purchase to all coaches, whether they are registered with Cal South, AYSO, or other state, national or international associations. More inside...

PLAY SOCCER WITH ABBY WAMBACH! Olympic gold medalist and recently named FIFA Women's Player of the Year Abby Wambach is coming to the LA Galaxy Soccer Center in Torrance, CA on March 24 and your daughter or son can play soccer with her! Abby's event is a fundraiser for Cal South TOPSoccer, a community-based recreational program specifically designed to help athletes with physical and mental disabilities participate in soccer. Every registered player has the chance to play soccer with Abby!

Recovery and Regeneration Strategies: Recovery and regeneration involve finding the most effective and efficient way to get your body ready for the next session, whether that is for practice or games. Recovery begins as soon as the game or practice session is over. Ways to maximize recovery include...

Cal South State Referee Symposium to Be Held at Soccer Nation Expo 2013: The Cal South State Referee Committee will host referee meetings throughout the day on Saturday, February 16, 2013 at Soccer Nation Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. These meetings are FREE and open to any referee from any organization that wishes to attend. Referees attending this symposium will receive credit for their in-service yearly training requirements. Details inside...