As 2022 moved forward from spring break-up onto summer solstice, so did Cook Inlet Soccer Club, Anchorage’s largest and Alaska’s most successful youth soccer club. The second quarter of the year saw Cook Inlet SC’s recreational program expand to near capacity while its competitive program continued to reign in-state competitions in addition to venturing Outside and showing some of the region’s top competition why CISC is the premier soccer club in the state. In such pursuits, we are proud of the accomplishments of our players, coaches, team managers, treasurers, families, alumni, and staff have achieved over the first part of the year.
Please enjoy the rundown below as we move into the second half of another fantastic year on and off the pitch!
In this edition:
- Cook Inlet SC Hires New Executive Director
- Community Partners
- Rec Program update
- Comp Program update
- Alumni update
COOK INLET SC HIRES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Cook Inlet Soccer Club is pleased to announce Shane Calvert has joined the club as its new Executive Director!
In this role, Shane oversees all aspects of Cook Inlet Soccer Club, foremost being making a positive impact on the lives of the club’s players both on and off the field.
Originally from South Carolina, Shane took over the role of Executive Director for Cook Inlet Soccer Club on May 16, 2022. Prior to taking this role, he was the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Lees-McRae College, becoming the 10th head coach in the program’s history. Shane’s collegiate coaching experiences also include stops at Wofford College (2015-2017), Clemson University (2014-2015) and his alma mater Tusculum University (2005-2007). Career highlights include helping coach Clemson to the 2014 ACC Championship and to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament and helping coach Tusculum reach No. 1 in the NCAA Division II national rankings during his time with the team a few years prior.
To learn more about Shane and his experience, please visit HERE.
Without all of our community partners, CISC would not be able to offer the most affordable and quality soccer programs in the state. Thanks to their generosity, CISC was able to award over $15,000 in financial aid for the 2022 season and increase access to organized sports for more young Alaskans.
When you see owners and employees of our community partners, please thank them for their contributions to youth development and support their businesses.
We are pleased to share the latest companies supporting CISC’s programs and look forward to seeing their logos on new competitive program jerseys as well as recreational uniforms this summer.
COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Cook Inlet Soccer Club (CISC) and Joslyn Blanchard owner of Alaska House Hunting are excited to announce a new partnership for the benefit of Alaska youth soccer players. This partnership is a great milestone in helping CISC carry out its mission to administer the best competitive and recreational youth soccer programs in the state, mentor the next generation of community leaders and help Alaskans develop healthy lifestyle habits through playing the beautiful game.
Joslyn Blanchard has three children who all currently compete on CISC’s Competitive teams and is very excited to become the latest sponsor. Joslyn has been a REALTOR® for almost a decade and is continuously the top producing team at Jack White Real Estate. Her team, Alaska House Hunting, is a professional real estate team that prides itself on working together to best serve its clients in all of Alaska. Specializing in Anchorage, the Valley, and surrounding areas, Alaska House Hunting exemplifies integrity, hard work, and creative services in every detail of the real estate transaction, whether it be during the buying, selling, or leasing process.
Partnering with CISC is a perfect fit for Alaska House Hunting as their priority on top-notch service with an emphasis on customer care aligns with CISC’s mission and community goals.
To more information on the partnership between Cook Inlet SC and Alaska House Hunting, please visit HERE.
CISC RECREATIONAL SOCCER SEASONS
Anchorage’s most affordable, largest, and comprehensive youth recreational soccer program continued seeing unprecedented growth for 2022 with 625 registered players for its Summer 2022 Season! That’s on top of the 315 for the Winter 2022 and 425 for the Spring Seasons registered. AMAZING!
With that, registration for the CISC Fall 2022 Outdoor Recreational Soccer Season, presented by Kendall Volkswagen of Anchorage, is currently open with spots filling fast.
The seven-week season will commence on August 1 and conclude on September 15, 2022 with practices and games taking place between Monday through Thursday evenings (depending on the division). The U4 Lil’ Strikers Division will play twice per week with practices and games combined within the 45-minute session. The U6 and older divisions will practice once per week for an hour with the second day being reserved for games. Games will commence the second week of the season.
For more information on the CISC Fall 2022 Outdoor Recreational Soccer Season, presented by Kendall Volkswagen of Anchorage, please visit HERE.
Additionally, you are interested in becoming involved with the Recreational program, please email staff. We are always on the lookout for coaches and referees.
CISC PRE-COMP ID CAMP
Prior to the new soccer year beginning, Cook Inlet Soccer Club will be holding a Pre-Comp ID Camp with its purpose being to offer those players playing in CISC’s Recreational Soccer League who were born in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and are considering transitioning to competitive soccer an opportunity to be assessed and prepare accordingly for competitive soccer by training with the CISC Competitive Coaching Staff over a four-day period prior to the 2022-2023 Competitive Soccer Season beginning.
The CISC Competitive Coaching Staff will focus its training on developing an individual player’s technical ability with the ball in a game-like environment at the level a player may experience playing competitive soccer.
The CISC Pre-Comp ID Camp will take place July 25-28, 2022 from 6:00-7:15pm at Anchorage Gardens (9101 Brayton Drive).
For more information and to register, please visit HERE.
In-state and out of state, our competitive teams have been taking care of business. Check out some of the highlights below:
ALASKA AIRLINES CUP
Cook Inlet Soccer Club showed well in the kick-off event of the Summer Season, the Alaska Airlines Cup, which was played June 2-5, 2022!
The Cook Inlet SC 12G Blue, 11G, 10B, 10G Premier, 10G Elite, and 09G Elite won in their respective age groups.
And the 09B, 09G Elite, and 07G Elite did Cook Inlet Soccer Club proud playing high quality soccer while earning a place in the Finals of their respective age group.
Well done to all the CISC teams who participated in this event!
FAR WEST PRESIDENT’S CUP
The Cook Inlet SC 10B, 10G Elite, and 07G Premier teams competed in the 2022 Far West President’s Cup in Phoenix, Arizona between June 15-19, 2022.
All teams participating gained valuable experience playing in one of the nation’s top tournaments, which will only be beneficial as CISC teams aim to qualify for next year’s event later this summer.
FAR WEST REGIONALS
The Cook Inlet SC 09G, 08G, 07G Elite, and 06B teams competed in the 2022 Far West Regionals in Boise, Idaho between June 20-26, 2022.
Highlights include the Cook Inlet SC 09G advancing out of the Group Stage to make it to the Quarterfinals while the 07G Elite team played a hard fought game tying the eventual regional champions.
Well done to all the CISC teams who participated in the region’s premier event!
ZANE CUP
The Cook Inlet SC 13B, 12B Union, 10B, and 11G Royal teams competed in the 2022 Zane Cup in Chugiak between June 23-26 2022.
The Cook Inlet SC 13B and 11G Royal teams won in their respective age groups while the 12B Union, 10B did Cook Inlet Soccer Club proud playing high quality soccer while earning a place in the Finals of their respective age group.
Well done to all the CISC teams who participated in this mid-summer event!
2022 AK PREMIER COLLEGE ID CAMP
Between July 26-29, Cook Inlet SC will be hosting its annual AK Premier College ID Camp. The purpose of Cook Inlet Soccer Club’s 2022 AK Premier College ID Camp is to offer incoming freshman through senior high school aged players exposure and an opportunity to be seen by some of the nation’s top collegiate men’s and women’s coaches over a one-week period in July. Coaches will come from D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and Junior Colleges and will work directly with players over a series of training sessions for the duration of the camp.
The 2022 AK Premier College ID Camp will take place over four days, Tuesday-Friday, at Kincaid Park, commencing July 26 and concluding July 29, between 9am-4pm for players born between 2008-2004.
For more information and to register, please visit HERE.
2022-2024 COMPETITIVE KITS
Cook Inlet Soccer Club Competitive Kits for the 2022-2024 cycle are NOW available to order from Tursi Soccer. Please click HERE for more informaotn and to place your order.
All players will be required to purchase a backpack and a training kit.
For players born between, 2013-2015, this will be all that is required to purchase. For players born 2012 and earlier, white and navy game uniforms will also need to be purchased as well.
Additionally, certain teams may require additional items so many sure to check with your Coach and Team Manager before ordering.
UPSL
Cook Inlet SC’s UPSL Men’s & Women’s teams, which play in Alaska’s premier soccer league for adults, kicked off their 2022 season in June and are showing why the competition is the top destination for CISC senior players lookin to elevate their game.
For more information regarding Cook Inlet SC’s UPSL team, to include trying out, please e-mail CISC’s UPSL Team Manager Cat Ruesch at cat@cookinletsc.com.
Support CISC while you shop!
When you shop at smile.amazon.comand select Cook Inlet Soccer Club as your recipient, Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to the club— no fees, no extra cost and your regular Amazon login works. Just remember to select CISC as your nonprofit of choice and shop through smile.amazon.com.
Send in your action shots!
Don’t forget to send your action shots to pr@cookinletsc.com along with details about the submission. Please limit submissions to three per event. Only clear videos and photos will be considered for posting.
Cook Inlet SC Alum Honored
On April 21, the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame honored Cook Inlet SC alum Obed Vargas as the recipient of the Boys 2022 High School Athlete of the Year Pride of Alaska Award!
Obed’s family and friends were on hand to honor this extraordinary young man as his father, Obed Sr., accepted the award on his behalf.
Obed was not able to attend the ceremony and reception as he was training with his team, the Seattle Sounders FC, in preparation for the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League final. Over two legs, the Sounders defeated their opponents to earn the right to represent CONCACAF in the next FIFA Club World Cup and in turn, making Obed Vargas the first Alaskan to participate in this event!
CISC has sent more players to the next level than any other club in the state. To see what our alumni are up to, please click HERE.
Did we forget about a CISC alumnus who is still playing? Send updates and photos to Tim Valesko.
Next CISC Board of Directors Meeting
The next scheduled CISC Board of Directors Meeting will be scheduled for Thursday, July 7 for 6:30pm at the CISC Office.
For public comments or to send a message to the full Board, please e-mail board@cookinletsc.com.
Additionally, if you are interested in the affairs of the club and have a few hours to volunteer each month, CISC is actively recruiting board and committee members to help takes us to the next level.
Interested in sponsoring Alaska’s premier youth sports organization?
As a 501(c)(3) CISC is dependent on donors and sponsorships to continue delivering the best soccer programs in the state. We have tax-deductible sponsorship packages to meet every budget and are committed to making sure sponsorship are mutually beneficial. To discuss your tax-deductible sponsorship today, email pr@cookinletsc.com.
Cook Inlet Soccer Club (501)(c)(3) | 907-344-PLAY | Email