History of Santa Rosa United
Santa Rosa United (“SRU”) soccer has been one of the leading soccer programs in the northern California for over 25 years. It is a Nike Premier Club and currently has players and teams competing in both US Club and USYSA programs.
SRU has had a rich history in developing top level players, teams and coaches. The Club serves at the competitive program for Santa Rosa Youth Soccer League (SRYSL), which was formed in 1970 and currently serves over 6,000 youth soccer players which play in the seven clubs including players at the division four, three and one level.
In it’s early years, the SRU program relied solely on volunteer coaches and administrators, however, when the program began to grow, SRU became one of the first clubs in Northern California to utilize paid trainers, coaches and directors of coaching, setting a new precedent for competitive youth soccer.
In the late 90’s, under the guidance of club president Dave Kronberg, SRU became the top youth soccer club in Northern California. United implemented club dues and a more consistent approach to developing players and coaches, along with common uniforms and a more professionalized coaching staff. Many of the clubs around Northern California began to look to SRU for ideas on how to develop their programs.
For many years SRU used fields throughout the city with Belluzzo fields serving as the main home base. In the spring of 2008, with the generous support of the Trione Family, the County of Sonoma, and Sonoma Soccer Complex, United was given a permanent home at Trione Fields complete with two full sized artificial turf fields.
An estimated 300+ alumni have advanced to play at the collegiate level, ranging from locally at the Santa Rosa JC to top level NCAA Division 1 programs around the country. Santa Rosa United has had numerous players represent the club in the Olympic Development Program at District, State, Regional teams and US Youth, Men’s and Women’s National teams. SRU has been the subject of a best selling book, “The Beautiful Game”, featuring SRU coach Emiria Salzmann’s epic journey with her team to National success.
Simply stated, United coaches are some of the best in Northern California. The coaches and players (past and current) have coached in the collegiate ranks, including Luke Oberkirch (SSU), Marcus Ziemer (SSU), Paul Stumpf (UCSB), Kai Edwards (UCSB), Dave Shaffer (SSU), Emiria Salzmann (SSU), Mike Freisen (San Diego St), Benjamin Ziemer (SSU), Dwayne Shaffer (UC Davis), Crystal Howard (SRJC), Shawn Percell (Santa Clara and SSU), Ron Blue (New Mexico Highlands University), Messias Sousa Dos Santos (Dominican University), John Delano (Dominican University), Phil Bellecchi (Dominican University), Ben Helm (Irvine Community College), and the legendary Steve Negoesco (USF) who also coached in the Santa Rosa United program.
Santa Rosa United teams have had tremendous success developing not only top level players but championship level teams including the following:
25 CYSA state finalists
26 CYSA state Champions
3 USYSA Regional Champions
2 Super Y league national champion – runner-up
2 US Club Soccer national champion - runner-up
1 US Club Soccer national champion
1 Super Y league national champion
Numerous tournament titles including Surf Cup, USA Cup and Nomads
With a qualified coaching staff, a talented group of players and a motivated group of volunteers, SRU is poised to continue to be the top club in the North Bay and one of the most respected clubs throughout northern California and the US.
Santa Rosa Youth Soccer History
In 1965, Joe Belluzzo (known as the "Father of Santa Rosa Soccer") and several other men and women joined forces in order to provide instruction and game opportunities for school age boys and girls who were interested in learning to play soccer. From that time until 1970, informally organized youth teams from Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Rohnert Park and
Petalumaplayed each other on Sundays in various locations across the county.
In 1970, six members of the community met at
Sequoia
Schoolon Calistoga Road (courtesy of the school principal, Hugh Wilson, who, even though he was not a participant in the proceedings, was an amused and supportive bystander). This group of parents determined that there were enough youngsters to play in leagues within the City of
Santa Rosa, and that evening they founded the Santa Rosa Youth Soccer League.
The first officers of the SRYSL were five of the six founding members, whose names were as follows: Peter Jebens, President; Larry Nees, Vice President; Wayne Evans, Treasurer; and Tony Marques and Joe Belluzo, Referee Coordinators. The sixth person at that meeting was Ted Reidelbach. The first order of business at the meeting was the announcement by the treasurer, Evans, that the League treasury was without funds, and in his official capacity, he was forced to assess each member of the SRYSL a dues fee of $5, payable immediately. Around the table, each member ponied up the assessment fee, and the new organization, at adjournment, began with a treasury balance of $30.
Nees was assigned the task of addressing a meeting of six elementary school principals to ask for their assistance in getting the new program off the ground. The principals agreed to distribute to the students an information sheet called "Who Would Like to Play Soccer." Ninety-six students returned those sheets, expressing an interest in joining the SRYSL, and there were sixteen dedicated adults who served as coaches and referees that first year.
With the support of the schools, the Santa Rosa Optimist Club and the City Recreation and Parks Department, by the 1972/1973 season, the program had grown to 1,500 girls and boys who were organized into leagues of several different age groups. In 1978, due to the rapid growth of the community and widespread interest in the sport, the SRYSL Board of Directors reorganized their operations into five clubs, with the goal of facilitating play by dividing the city into geographical regions. This "club concept" led to the development of 184 teams.
Today, more than 6,000 youths on almost 500 teams are playing soccer in Santa Rosa, with the assistance of hundreds of adult volunteers, making the Santa Rosa Youth Soccer League the second largest soccer league in
Northern California.
