On Monday, December 9, 2014 South Valley Chivas U8 players Efren Herrera, Aaron Saldana, and AedanMerrill Beebe participated in an invitational tryout for the MLS San Jose Earthquakes U9 development team. Players and their parents traveled from Porterville to Spartan stadium on the San Jose State University in San Jose, Ca.

Although players were trying out for an older team and playing against older players, the South Valley Chivas players did very well for being their first tryout. Efren is playing up 2 years and the Aaron and AedanMerrill are playing up 1 year.

AedanMerrill was invited back on January 12, 2015 to practice with the Earthquakes U9 team as a goalkeeper.

Coaches conducting tryouts were long time counterpart and friend of South Valley Chivas administrators and current San Jose State University coach Simon Tobin along with his assistant SJSU Shame Carew and Alex Suanders Earthquakes development academy coach.

The South Valley Chivas Academy continues to produce elite youth soccer players and proof of it is the six SVCA players who were just named to the State Olympic Development Program teams pools and State International Development Program.

This year Chivas players Seth Gonzalez and Sergio Reyes were selected to the 1999 Boys State ODP pool, Andrew Reyes made the 2002 ODP pool, Valeria Rios was selected to the 1999 Girls State ODP pool and Danielle Rivas made the 2001 Girls State ODP pool. Chivas player Erik Rincon had the distinction of being selected to participate in the State IDP program.

The Olympic Development Program is a California Youth Soccer Association (CYSA) program which is a national process for identifying and developing the best youth soccer players. The process promotes players to the U.S. National Teams, which represent the United States in international competition, such as the Youth World Cup and the Olympics.

The International Development Program is a Nor Cal Premier program with an objective to identify and help develop the players who have exhibited the potential to play at the highest levels of the game – professional soccer.

“Since year one of our academy existence, we have always had players selected to participate in these elite programs”, said Chivas Director of Coaching, Gilbert Hernandez. “This year is no exception and we are very fortunate and grateful”, said Hernandez. “The implementation of our academy philosophy and high performance methodology at each of our training is exactly for this; to develop elite youth soccer players. For each of these players, this is the result of their hard work and their dedication to train at a high level day in and day out”.

Seth Gonzalez is a sophomore at Harmony Magnet Academy and is the son of Alfonso and Rita Gonzalez.

Sergio and Andrew Reyes are the son’s of Pedro and Leticia Reyes. Sergio is a sophomore at Harmony Magnet Academy while Andrew is a seventh grader at St. Anne Parish school.

Valeria Rios is a sophomore at Porterville High and is the daughter of Chema and Irma Rios. Valeria is no stranger to the State Pool, as this is her third consecutive year being selected. In the previous process she was selected to participate in the the Regional ODP camp which included players from the western states and was held in Oregon.

Danielle Rivas is an eighth grader at Burton Middle and is the daughter of Jacob and Olivia Rivas. This is her second consecutive year being selected to participate in the ODP program. Danielle is also not a stranger to be selected to participate in these types of programs as she has also participated in the State Player Development Program sponsored by the NorCal Premier Soccer League.

Erik Rincon is a fifth grader at Olive St. Elementary and is the son of Salvador and Noemi Rincon. This is his second year being eligible to participate in the PDP program and both years he has been selected. Last year although being to young to participate in the PDP program, he was still able to do so “playing up” because of this talent.

For the players who made the state pool they will begin to training in December and will later participate in Showcase tournaments against other state teams. At these tournaments their will be scouts from the Regional and US National Youth soccer teams.

Erik Rincon is currently having to travel to the Bay Area to train twice of month with other players in IDP program. This year those players will be showcase and will have the opportunity to train with professional youth coaches from Italy’s Serie A team ACF Fiorentina.

For more information about the South Valley Chivas Academy please visit southvalleychivas.com or call (559) 310-7511.

The South Valley Chivas 98G team recently won the NorCal Premier Summer League Girls U15/U16 division. The team went undefeated with a 6-0 record by outscoring opponents with 18 goals and only receiving 2. The team which was a under 15 team for the summer league was moved up an age group and played in the under 16 division.

Other teams in the their division were from Sonoma, Rocklin, Dixon/Davis, Tracy and Modesto area.

South Valley Chivas 98G players participating in the summer league were Caitlin Albinson, Julissa Almanza, Alexi Baca, Brittany Hefner, Alexia Hernandez, Valerie Mena, Isabel Mendez, Amaya Rios, Danielle Rivas and Jennifer Valencia all from the Porterville area and Alexis Contreras and Alexandria Zermeno from Visalia.

In the past couple of months the coaching staff for the South Valley Chivas Academy have been very busy advancing their coaching education by attending coaching seminars by some of the world best soccer club at developing youth.

This past weekend Chivas coaches Esmaldo Hernandez, Gilbert Hernandez, Alexis Hernandez, Miriam Hernandez, Michael Beebe, Pedro Reyes and Jay Ward all attended a 3 day course in the Bay Area put on by the English Premier League very own Tottenham Hotspur coaching staff which included current Hotspur goalkeeper and former United States National Soccer Team legend Brad Friedel. Helping Friedel with the coaching was first team Technical Director, Chris Ramsey and Tottenham’s academy goalkeeper coach Perry Suckling both former EPL professional players. Friedel is best known for being one of the first American goalkeeper to play in the English Premier League where he has played for Newcastle United, Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and the Tottenham Hotspurs. The 3 day Tottenham course emphasized alot on individual development as which is with all top notch coaches which tend to emphasis on individual development over winning.

Weeks earlier the Chivas staff had traveled to Davis to attend another coaching seminar put on by UEFA instructor and Scotland’s Motherswell FC, Head oF Youth, Gordon Young.

“All these coaches tend to say the exact same thing we preach at our academy which is it is not about the trophies and wins but about the individual player and creating an atomsphere around them to make them succeed!”, said Chivas Director of Coaching Gilbert Hernandez. “Unfornuately here in the states youth sports have always been about winning at all cost which is totally the opposite of what you hear from these coaches. I rather development an individual player and teach him/her all aspect of the game and life than have a bookcase full of trophies collecting dust!”

“This past couple of months have been very busy but yet very rewarding and enlighting for our Chivas coaching staff” said Hernandez. “In order for us to continue to help develop our academy youth soccer players, us as coaches must ourselves continue to be educated and what better if it is with top professional coaches.

Featured picture on top page l-r: Perry Suckling, Gilbert Hernandez, Brad Friedel, Chris Ramsey, Esmaldo Hernandez and Alexis Hernandez

l-r: Pedro Reyes, Gilbert Hernandez, Tottenham Techincal Director Chris Ramsey, Esmaldo Hernandez and Michael Beebe.

Brad Friedel Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Friedel
Perry Suckling Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Suckling
Chris Ramsey Wike: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Ramsey_(footballer)

UPDATE: Video coverage of id2 camp

Jaybree Lopez and Valeria Rios both who play for South Valley Chivas Academy, have been invited to attend the U.S. Club Soccer id2 National Training Camp to be held from Dec. 6-9 at state of the art soccer facility, Grande Sports World, in Casa Grande, Arizona.

The id2 National Identification and Development Program provides a chance for the nation’s top youth soccer players to be identified and developed in an elite training camp with top players from across the country. US National Youth Team scouts will be on hand at the Arizona camp scouting players for potential players for the US U14 National Teams.

Lopez and Rios will have a very busy soccer week as they are also scheduled to attend the CYSA State ODP final tryout in Ripon, Ca on Sunday, December 9, as both have made the final cut. They will be flying out of Arizona late on Saturday to be able to attend the CYSA state tryout the next morning.

Both girls are co-captains of the South Valley Chivas 98G team.

Jaybree is the daughter of Jason and Wendi Lopez and Valeria is the daughter of Chema and Irma Rios.

[Show as slideshow]

On Sunday October 28, 2012 the South Valley Chivas Academy players and parents were hosted by the USC Trojan Women Soccer head coach Ali Khosroshahin and his coaching staff at the USC vs California PAC-12 conference game.

The chivas group of about 40 players and parents were treated to a tour of the USC campus before the game and were addressed personally by coach Khosroshahin himself about college eligibility and specifically his women soccer program at USC. “It takes great pleasure for us to be able to bring a group of young soccer players from Porterville to such a prestigious college campus and with such a great sport programs and have the head coach address and answer all of our players questions about getting into college”, said Gilbert Hernandez.

“It doesn’t get any better than this when you hear it straight from the main person who is doing all the recruiting!!”, said Hernandez. “This is exactly why my brothers and myself are so much involved in youth soccer in the Porterville area and we make this an annual trip for all our players and parents.”

Esmaldo and Gilbert Hernandez became good friends of coach Khosroshahin during the 2008 U17 Women CONCACAF Wold Cup qualifying tournament in Trinidad Tobago when Esmaldo daughter Amber Hernandez was called up to represent the Mexican U17 Women National team in the tournament and at the time Khosroshahin was an assistant coach to the Leonard Cuellar with the MWNT.  During the tournament the Hernandez brothers were asked to help with some of the team training and game analysts for the MWNT and from then on they have kept in touch with coach Khosroshahin.

The USC Trojan Women would eventually lost 1-0 to California in a typically hard fought PAC-12 match. To the amazement of all our younger girl players US Women National player standout, Alex Morgan was at the game to watch her alma mater, Califorinia against USC. “That was the icing on the cake for most of our young players as their eyes light up with amazement when they were able to go over to a friendly, Alex Morgan and ask her for an autograph!!”.