LAFC So Cal Youth
Overview
Formed March 1, 2021 through a strategic partnership between Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and Real So Cal Soccer Club (founded as West Valley Soccer League in 1966). Based in Woodland Hills, CA (6430 Variel Avenue #103, 91367). The legal entity operating the club is the West Valley Soccer League (WVSL), EIN 95-3089048, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 1976.
The partnership extends LAFC’s player development expertise to over 4,000 youth soccer players across the competitive and recreational programs.
Dual structure:
- LAFC So Cal Youth Competitive — 800+ competitive players on 50 teams (U8-U18, Boys and Girls), all professionally coached
- LAFC So Cal Youth Recreational (WVSL) — 3,000+ fall and 2,600+ spring recreational players (ages 5-15), volunteer-coached
Financials
| Metric | FY2025 (April) |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $3,841,740 |
| Expenses | $3,512,313 |
| Total Assets | $5,363,462 |
| Net Income | $329,427 |
Revenue Breakdown:
- Program services: $3,661,725 (95.3%)
- Investment income: $149,862 (3.9%)
- Grants/contributions: $20,978 (0.5%)
7 employees (FY2025). (HIGH — 990 filing)
Teams & Players
- 50 competitive teams (U8-U18, Boys and Girls)
- 800+ competitive players
- 3,000+ recreational players (fall season)
- 2,600+ recreational players (spring season)
- 4,000+ total youth served
League Affiliations
- ecnl — Boys and Girls
- ecnl-RL (Regional League)
- Pre-ECNL
- mls-next — Boys (via LAFC SoCal Youth-SCV)
- SoCal Soccer League
- CalSouth / US Youth Soccer (recreational)
Facilities
San Fernando Valley and West Valley municipal facilities. Woodland Hills headquarters.
Leadership
| Name | Title | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Clifton | Vice President | $83,000 |
| Darlene Quintanar | Secretary | $59,000 |
| Bob Schwarz | Cal Youth Recreational Director | — |
| Zach Feldman | Youth Competitive General Manager | — |
College Placement
Not quantified.
Competitive Position
Unique positioning as the only SoCal club with a direct MLS franchise affiliation (LAFC) while also operating in the ECNL pathway. This dual-pathway model is rare and valuable — elite players get visibility to both college scouts (ECNL) and professional scouts (MLS Next/LAFC Academy).
The recreational base (3,000+ players) provides a feeder system and revenue base that most purely competitive clubs lack.
Investment Thesis
Instructive model for MLS-club partnership structures. The LAFC/Real So Cal partnership demonstrates how an MLS franchise can extend its brand into the community club space without directly operating the club. This is a model SYNRGY could replicate or compete against in other markets.
The $5.4M in total assets is notable for a club of this size — suggests accumulated reserves or property.
Open Questions
- What is the LAFC-WVSL partnership financial structure? Does LAFC receive any revenue share?
- Is there a pathway from LAFC So Cal Youth to the LAFC Academy?
- What drives the $5.4M in total assets?
- How does the competitive/recreational dual structure affect margins?