Two years ago, Madrid Premier G95 coach Rob Cantrell surveyed the local youth soccer scene.

At the time, his daughter was on a U10 AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) all-star squad, and that gave Santa Ynez's girls varsity soccer coach a chance to glance upon the future of Central Coast soccer. A number of the young players he watched even took private lessons from him.

“When I saw these players, more and more I got the idea that this was totally needed,” Cantrell said - “this” being a club team. “I knew about their talent and love for the game.”

After a couple parents approached Cantrell about forming an elite team, he thought, “Let's do it!”

Turns out, Cantrell was right about the local talent.

“We've (Madrid Premier G95) been together two years, and we're already making a name for ourselves across the state,” Cantrell said.

In youth soccer, as in most youth sports, there is a pecking order. For most young players, rec league will do. AYSO offers an environment where everyone plays - and one where a parent can transform into a coach with a quick brush-up of soccer basics. Climbing the ladder, AYSO offers rec league All Stars, where the more serious player competes against other leagues' all star teams via tournaments. Club soccer is the next frontier - the level of play kicks up, as well the number of tournaments.

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Within club, a more serious team might hire a trainer, spawning a higher level of competition with “low-level tournaments.”

Cantrell's group just graduated to the next level - club soccer with advanced tournaments.

“The commitment that goes into this, not only for the players but also for the parents, is a big commitment,” Cantrell said about his team, which works within Madrid Premier, an organization that attracts players from as far away as Carpinteria and Paso Robles. “We pulled together, and receive support in a lot of ways. It is a financial burden, and fundraising is important. We try to do social things, it's not just soccer-centric. It's very social, we travel down with the parents and get together at hotels.”

Soccer's the catch, the vehicle for a bigger goal.

“It's not only good soccer, it's really given the girls a sense of identity and deep friendships,” Cantrell said. “It's also about doing something you can be proud of.”

The team came to fruition in 2006, after Cantrell spread the word on his open tryouts. “I knew what the players looked like, but I didn't know the names or the parents. I had my ideal of who would show up, and sure enough all the girls that I had envisioned, plus others, showed up,” Cantrell said. “It was born from that.”

Out of the 35 that tried out in Santa Maria - hometowns ranging from Santa Barbara County to San Luis Obispo County, with a bigger response from Lompoc, Santa Ynez and Arroyo Grande - only 12 players made the roster.

In their first season, Cantrell's cavalier group competed in the Central Coast League - composed of club teams working within the lower-level tournaments.

That team went 8-0-1 and won the Central Coast Soccer League championship.

But it was last season when the team really took off.

A year under its belt and a better feel for the league season helped - league running from the second week in September until mid-November, with tournaments before and after. The season, in all, only hibernates in June and July.

In its second year, Madrid Premier G95 (the G95 standing for a team of players born on or after August 1, 1995), moved into the more competitive Coast Soccer League, and played in the bronze alpha bracket.

That team won its bracket, competed in the League Cup (which combines teams from across all brackets, bronze to gold) and made a strong run through the prestigious State Cup.

The Cal South State Cup encompasses all youth soccer associations in Southern California. Madrid Premier 95 worked its way to the round of 16 out of the 84 teams that participated, never surrendering a goal. The team eventually lost to Carlsbad Lightning GU12 Red on penalty kicks.

That defensive lineup included deep center back Avery Black (Solvang), right defender Valerie Kahn (Solvang) and left defender Beth Lebens (Arroyo Grande). Goalkeeper Sophie Stanfield (Santa Ynez) stopped anything that got past the talented trio.

But Cantrell will admit, it's his midfielders that make the system flow. Defensive center midfielder Julia Callow (Solvang) “is the general on the field.” “She is very technical, has a god read on things, is not tall but very stout,” Cantrell said.

Complimenting Callow are left midfielders Janelle Treble (Lompoc) and Brynn Falloon (Solvang).

“They're super fast,” Cantrell said. “Our mids in my system have to be very fast and have good endurance, they're constantly moving.”

Right-side midfielder Marissa Sedeno and Leah Parlato round out the critical three-some.

On offense, forwards Mia Cortez, Ashlen Weddington and Erika Navarro are “a deadly force up top,” Cantrell said. All three played for the Lompoc AYSO All Stars at one time or another. Three newer members to the team are Ailee Graves (Los Olivos), Emma Anderson (Los Olivos) and Branda Caro (Lompoc).

For two years, the core group has worked out twice a week in Buellton.

Year One focused on ball mastery, with a secondary emphasis on tactics.

“At this age, they've developed their own skills in rec league, and all stars. They have to be corrected on any bad habits,” Cantrell said. “But now, as they move into U13, it will be 40 percent ball mastery and 60 percent tactics. That's what happens when you have good athletes to work with. It's very hard to score on this team, because it has confidence with the ball.”

So where does Madrid Premier G95 go from here?

“We're promoted into the silver bracket with a larger base of stronger teams,” Cantrell said. “I'm not going to say we'll get first place, but we won't get last place either. We'll do well enough to hopefully promote out of silver.”

Cantrell's plan is to enter the team solely into silver or gold events.

“We want to do top-flight tournaments,” he said.

Double-duty for Santa Ynez's girls soccer coach is well worth it. In high school, his 2007-08 varsity squad went 11-1 in the Los Padres League, winning the title.

“The goal from the beginning was to keep this team (G95) together until it graduates from high school,” Cantrell said.

Year Three is right around the corner, and youth soccer teams should take notice.

For that matter, so should high school soccer coaches - sooner better than later.

July 7, 2008