De Anza Force Soccer Club
EIN: 20-0428766 · Tax status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Overview
De Anza Force Soccer Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth soccer club based in Cupertino/San Jose, California. Founded over 25 years ago, the club has built one of the most comprehensive competitive soccer platforms in Northern California, offering pathways across mls-next, ecnl, NPL, and all levels of NorCal Premier regional league. The club serves players ages 5 through high school.
Financials
| Metric | FY2025 (Jan 2025 filing) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $3,661,081 | 990 (HIGH) |
| Total Expenses | $2,485,668 | 990 (HIGH) |
| Net Income | $1,175,413 | 990 (HIGH) |
| Total Assets | $8,661,929 | 990 (HIGH) |
| Total Liabilities | $1,319,076 | 990 (HIGH) |
| Net Assets | $7,342,853 | 990 (HIGH) |
Revenue composition: Program services $3,107,633 (84.9%), investment income $308,368 (8.4%), contributions $68,120 (1.9%).
The $7.3M net assets figure is exceptional for a youth soccer club this size and likely indicates ownership of real property (fields/facilities). The club’s 32% net margin ($1.2M on $3.7M revenue) is unusually high and suggests either facility depreciation benefits or accumulated reserves.
The organization reported conflict of interest transactions requiring Schedule L disclosure.
Teams & Players
Operates teams from U5 through U19 across multiple competitive tiers. Exact team count and player numbers not confirmed but estimated at 80-100+ teams based on multi-pathway offerings.
League Affiliations
- ecnl — Northern Cal Conference (full member, boys and girls)
- mls-next — Boys academy teams
- NorCal Premier NPL
- NorCal Premier Soccer regional leagues
Facilities
Primary training and competition in the Cupertino/San Jose area. The $8.7M total assets suggest the club may own or hold long-term leases on facilities. Details TBD.
Leadership
- jeff-baicher — Co-President and Director. Compensation: $376,000 (FY2025).
- andy-panayides — Co-President. Compensation: $192,100 (FY2025).
4 employees, 200 volunteers.
College Placement
The club promotes a comprehensive pathway from youth through collegiate athletics. Specific placement data TBD.
Competitive Position
De Anza Force is one of the top 3-4 clubs in the Bay Area/Silicon Valley sub-market, competing directly with mvla-sc, bay-area-surf, and silicon-valley-soccer-academy for elite players. The dual ECNL + MLS Next membership provides maximum pathway flexibility. The club’s financial strength ($7.3M net assets) gives it a capital advantage over most NorCal peers.
Strengths: Dual-pathway (ECNL + MLS Next), strong financials, Silicon Valley location, 25+ year brand. Weaknesses: Overlapping geography with MVLA and Bay Area Surf creates player recruitment competition. Co-president structure may create governance complexity.
Investment Thesis
TOP ACQUISITION TARGET. De Anza Force combines ECNL + MLS Next dual pathway membership, $7.3M in net assets (likely including real property), Silicon Valley location, and a co-president leadership structure that may be approaching succession planning. The $376K compensation to Jeff Baicher is high relative to revenue, which could indicate founder-operator dynamics. The club’s financial profile suggests a well-run operation with significant embedded value.
Open Questions
- What real property is included in the $8.7M total assets / $7.3M net assets?
- What is the nature of the Schedule L conflict of interest transactions?
- Are the co-presidents approaching retirement or succession planning?
- How many total players and teams does the club currently field?
- What are per-player fee levels across competitive tiers?