IRVINE STRIKERS IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL COMPETITIVE youth soccer clubs in America. With over 400 boys and girls playing on 22 teams from under-9 to under-19, Irvine Soccer Club is committed to the development of soccer players and continues to have a major impact on local, regional and national soccer.

AT THE HELM IS FORMER PROFESSIONAL PLAYER & CURRENT MEN'S Soccer Coach at Concordia University Irvine, Don Ebert, who is in his fourteenth season as the Strikers Director of Coaching. Ebert has surrounded himself with one of the region's best and deepest coaching staffs. "The success of any club begins with its coaching staff," Ebert says. "You have to have talent and stability. We are very lucky to have both. As a result, our club is developing more players who can play at a very high level."

EBERT IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY AN ACTIVE AND COMMITTED BOARD of Directors and volunteers. 

STRIKERS CURRENTLY HAVE ALUMNI PLAYING IN MAJOR LEAGUE Soccer, the United Soccer Leagues, and Europe.  Regionally, several Strikers at various ages are in the US Youth National Team player pools, regional or state Olympic Development Programs as well as the Premier Development Program. Moreover, 41 players from the 2005 high school graduating class played men's and women's collegiate soccer this year. This success has drawn attention to the club from the nation's top coaches and officials, including continued attention from the Boys U-17 U.S. National Team Residency Program in Bradenton, Florida. 

THE CLUB'S SUCCESS, EBERT BELIEVES, IS DUE IN LARGE PART TO its continuing partnership with Nike. As an elite Nike Premier Club the ISC Strikers are entering the eighth year of a sponsorship deal with the sporting apparel and equipment giant. The partnership provides a number of benefits, including national exposure and special opportunities for the Club, its coaches and its players.  "It gives our club credibility and it creates access to a host of opportunities that benefits the entire club by elevating the quality of our programs as well as our play on the field," Ebert says.

IRVINE STRIKERS HOST ONE TOURNAMENT ANNUALLY: The Nike Harvest Cup at Thanksgiving. The Nike Harvest Cup is one of the largest youth tournaments in the West attracting over 450 teams and it has become a Thanksgiving tradition for many club teams.

ON THE FIELD, THE STRIKERS' SUCCESS IS DIRECTLY LINKED to its training regime. Ebert is a firm believer in cutting edge training methods and consistency. It begins with the U-9 teams and carries right through to the U-19 squads. No matter the age, Strikers' players receive essentially the same training. It's a philosophy that has produced a growing number of winning teams at all ages and bracket levels.

IN THE END, ANY CLUB IS MEASURED BY RESULTS ON THE FIELD which is where the Strikers continue to excel with at least one team making the US Youth Soccer Region IV Finals each of the last five years. In 2002, the Boys U-17 team captured the Club's first National Championship. In 2003, the '88 Boys won the US Finals of the prestigious Manchester United Nike Premier Cup. This earned them a trip to the World Finals where they became the first American team to win a game in the history of this competition. They finished the World Finals with a record of 3-0-3 with wins against Manchester United Academy (England), Deportivo Independiente Medellin (Colombia), and Middlesbrough (England). In 2004 and again in 2005 the Irvine Strikers were named by Soccer America Magazine as one of the Top 20 Boys Clubs in the nation.  Also in 2005, the Boys U-19 Premier team completed the first undefeated season in the ten year history of the ultra competitive Coast Soccer Premier League.  Most recently, in 2006 the Girls U14 Gold team won the US Youth Soccer U14 National Championship (The Elmer Ehlers Cup) bringing a second National Championship to the Club and the first for the girls. As if that wasn’t enough for one season, the Boys U14 Silver Elite team brought home the Club’s third National Championship by winning the US Club Soccer National Cup in the U14 Super Group.