What the Success of Keeper Wars Means Going Forward

This past Labor Day weekend, Cal North hosted its first State-sponsored event since the onset of COVID. Keeper Wars Ink staged one of their "City Tour" regional events at our Morgan Hill complex. We had twice the number of applicants we had hoped for. Casey Clark, former Cal North player, professional goalkeeper, and owner of Keeper Wars Ink, and his troops staged an excellent competition, meeting all required health protocols set by State and local health authorities. Technical Director, Kevin Crow, and State Youth Referee Administrator, Steve Larsen, provided key support in all aspects of this very successful event.

Casey’s enthusiasm for the event and those playing in the goalkeeper position was obvious from the onset of the event. In his opening remarks, he said, "We are beyond excited that we were able to put on the first of many keeper wars events in my home state of California. This is a dream come true to give back to the keeper community with something that I wish I had growing up! To see all the keepers come together, have fun, and compete is what this event is all about.”

District 8 Commissioner, Shirley Thompson, had this to say about Casey and Keeper Wars: “First let me say, great event! Casey and his group did an awesome job keeping all participants and families safe and made it very clear what was expected of them in this COVID environment. I would also like to thank Casey for his inspiring speech to all the goalkeeper contestants about growing up in our [Cal North] system and his experiences all the way to the pros.”

Participants in the event came from every part of the State and included recreational and competitive level players of all ages. Each player had an opportunity to compete in as many as twelve individual 1 v 1 matches, lasting seven minutes each, over the two days of competition. All first-place winners now qualify to play in the Keeper Wars National Championship which will take place in April of 2021. Scroll below to see if one of the bracket winners was from your team, club, or league.

The success of this event is a giant step forward for youth events in California. We know how important it is for children in our communities to be able to engage with their friends, and teammates and to participate in social and physical activities. Keeper Wars shows that there is a way for our kids to compete on the field and that youth sports can be conducted in a safe manner while using stringent guidelines. Whether it is through small training groups, small-sided 4 v 4 games, or a competition like Keeper Wars, getting our kids back on the field is very important and can be done in a way that benefits everyone.

Cal North has developed many new training options for coaches to use for their teams at the recreational and competitive levels. Specific COVID related training modules for recreational coaches developed by Cal North staff are now available. Our partners SportsLab360 and TeamGenius have additional training modules and evaluation tools geared toward identifying individual and team training needs and active play for all levels. All of these tools and more are available on the Cal North website.

We are now in the final planning stages for league play for recreational and competitive programs in every district. We are also looking forward to premier level regional and national league play as well as holding Cup events this coming Spring. Keeper Wars Ink will be returning to Northern California early next year.

We strongly encourage every member league, club, and team, to consider their options in working with our kids. Please remember that when conducting any soccer activities, leagues and clubs must adhere to the Cal North Athlete and Participant Safety Policy. Stay safe. Follow State and local guidelines at all times. These past few months have been like nothing any of us have experienced before. There is much to look forward to in the coming weeks and months. Stay in touch with Cal North by subscribing to our web page and to our social media at Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Keeper Wars Winners
Morgan Hill, CA City Tour Winners:
All first-place winners qualify for our National Championship event in 2021 that is planned for April of 2021!