Association Football Club (AFC)

What Association Football Club (AFC) does

Association Football Club (AFC) is a California-registered nonprofit youth soccer organization (EIN 83-2421146) founded in 2017 through the combination of three established East Bay soccer clubs: Castro Valley Soccer Club, Clippers FC, and Piedmont Soccer Club. The club serves competitive youth players aged U13-U19 in the East Bay Area of San Francisco, operating from a Performance Center at 210 Hegenberger Loop, Oakland, with a mailing address at 1721 Alhambra Lane, Oakland. It runs Academy-level teams in ECNL, ECNL-RL, NPL, and DPL alongside Bronze-level teams in NorCal Premier regional leagues, plus Pre-ECNL, Specialist Programs, and a College Advisory service. The underlying "technology" is a holistic player-development pedagogy balanced across tactical, technical, physical, and psychosocial dimensions, delivered by a small staff of seven.

The business model is community-led and consumer-facing. Revenue is generated through recurring annual player registration fees across program tiers (Academy, Pre-ECNL, Specialist, Bronze), one-time fan apparel sales through an online store, and tax-deductible donations accepted via a dedicated page, with financial aid available to qualifying families. Go-to-market is driven by seasonal tryouts, feeder relationships through the three founding clubs, and Instagram-led content marketing showcasing college commitments, playoff qualifications, and academy signings; distribution is direct via the club's website for both registration and merchandise. Customers are individual families seeking elite coaching and college/professional soccer pathways for their children rather than enterprise accounts.

The company is independently governed by a Board of Directors, with no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, funding rounds, or institutional investors. AFC holds no patents or trademarks disclosed in the input and has no documented AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or technology integrations beyond its Squarespace web presence.

Name

Association Football Club (AFC)

Legal name

Association Football Club

Website

https://afcacademy.club

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Association Football Club (AFC) is a California nonprofit youth soccer club, founded in 2017 by three East Bay clubs, that serves competitive U13-U19 players in the San Francisco Bay Area through Academy, Pre-ECNL, and Bronze-level programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Soccer Development

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKACAF

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYMPAKACAE

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

Keywords

• Youth soccer development
• Competitive soccer programs
• Player development pathway
• Youth sports training
• College recruitment advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Player Registration Fees: Recurring registration fees for participation in club programs including Boys, Girls, Pre-ECNL, and Specialist Programs for U13-U19 age groups
2. Fan Apparel Sales: Direct retail sales of club merchandise through the online store
3. Donations: Charitable contributions accepted through dedicated donation page to support club operations and financial aid

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Association Football Club (AFC) operates competitive youth soccer programs for players aged U13-U19 in the East Bay Area of San Francisco. The club fields Academy-level teams competing in ECNL, ECNL-RL, NPL, and DPL national leagues, as well as Bronze-level teams in NorCal Premier regional leagues. Supporting offerings include Pre-ECNL developmental pathways, specialist training programs, college advisory services, a Performance Center training facility, official fan apparel, tryouts, and financial aid.

Product overview

Association Football Club (AFC) is a unified youth soccer club platform offering competitive soccer programs for players aged U13-U19. The portfolio consists of Academy-level teams competing in elite national leagues (ECNL, ECNL-RL, NPL, DPL) at the highest competitive tiers, alongside Bronze-level teams in NorCal Premier regional leagues for players at varying skill levels. The club provides a holistic development approach balancing tactical, technical, physical, and psychosocial player development. Supporting the core soccer programs are Specialist Programs for advanced skill training, College Advisory services for collegiate recruitment guidance, a Performance Center facility for professional-grade training, and a Fan Apparel Store for official merchandise. The club serves the East Bay Area of San Francisco, founded in 2017 through the collaboration of Castro Valley Soccer Club, Clippers FC, and Piedmont Soccer Club.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boys Soccer Programs (U13-U19) Competitive youth soccer programs for boys aged 13-19, competing in ECNL, ECNL-RL, NPL, DPL, and NorCal Premier regional leagues at varying competitive levels (Academy and Bronze).
• Girls Soccer Programs (U13-U19) Competitive youth soccer programs for girls aged 13-19, competing in ECNL, ECNL-RL, and regional leagues, including Pre-ECNL pathways.
• Pre-ECNL Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple players advancing to college soccer programs and professional academy systems

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Castro Valley Soccer ClubflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Founding parent organization that combined with Clippers FC and Piedmont Soccer Club to establish AFC in 2017. Serves as primary feeder club for player recruitment into AFC programs.
• Clippers FCflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Founding parent organization that combined with Castro Valley Soccer Club and Piedmont Soccer Club to establish AFC in 2017. Serves as primary feeder club for player recruitment into AFC programs.
• Piedmont Soccer ClubflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Founding parent organization that combined with Castro Valley Soccer Club and Clippers FC to establish AFC in 2017. Serves as primary feeder club for player recruitment into AFC programs.
• ECNL (Elite Clubs National League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFC Academy teams compete in the ECNL, one of the top youth soccer leagues in the United States, providing elite competitive exposure for players.
• ECNL-RL (ECNL Regional League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFC teams compete in ECNL-RL, providing regional competitive opportunities as a pathway to national ECNL competition.
• NorCal Premier SoccercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFC Bronze level teams compete in NorCal Premier regional leagues. NorCal Premier is the governing body for competitive youth soccer in Northern California.
• NPL (National Premier League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFC Academy teams compete in NPL, providing national-level competitive platform for youth players.
• DPL (Development Premier League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFC Academy teams compete in DPL, offering additional national competitive exposure for player development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• De Anza Force SC: Bay Area-based competitive youth soccer club fielding teams in ECNL and regional NorCal leagues. Comparable because it competes head-to-head with AFC for players in the South Bay/East Bay corridor.
• Mustang SC: Established competitive youth soccer club in the Bay Area participating in ECNL and NorCal Premier. Directly comparable as a same-region competitor competing for the same elite U13-U19 players.
• San Juan SC: Northern California youth soccer club that AFC's ECNL boys teams played in 2025. Directly comparable as a regional league opponent competing for the same talent pool and league standings.
• San Jose Earthquakes Academy: MLS-affiliated youth academy operating in Northern California. Directly comparable because it recruits and develops the same U13-U19 talent pool in the same Bay Area region, and AFC publicly tracks players who sign into it.
• Lamorinda Soccer Club: East Bay / Contra Costa competitive youth soccer club. Comparable because it operates in the immediate East Bay feeder geography that AFC relies on for player recruitment.
• Placer United SC: Northern California competitive youth soccer club competing in ECNL and ECNL-RL (directly faced by AFC in 2025). Comparable as a NorCal Premier / ECNL tier competitor with similar program structure.
• Santa Clara Sporting: Long-standing Bay Area competitive youth soccer club fielding teams in ECNL, NPL and regional play. Comparable as a same-region multi-tier competitor for elite U13-U19 talent.
• Ballistic United SC: Pleasanton / East Bay-based competitive youth soccer club in NorCal Premier. Comparable as a local East Bay competitor drawing from the same geographic and club-merger lineage AFC was built on.
• MVLA Soccer Club: Peninsula-based competitive youth soccer club with ECNL participation. Comparable as a high-end Bay Area youth club competing for elite players and league positioning in NorCal.

Emerging players

• Sporting California USA: Northern California competitive youth club with ECNL participation. Comparable because it operates the same league platforms (ECNL, regional) and competes for overlapping player families in NorCal.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/associationfootballclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-football-club-afc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association Football Club (AFC)