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Business & Tech

Business Spotlight: Club Marin

This non-profit soccer organization Club Marin is dedicated to creating a community within a community.

Club Marin
164 Humbolt Street
415.308.0603
www.clubmarin.com


What do they offer?

Club Marin is a non-profit sports organization dedicated to developing a soccer culture and network in San Rafael and Marin County. The club goal is to maximize the abilities of players and coaches while continuously striving for the development of teams and programs for athletes wanting to compete at a national and international level. Club Marin aims to create a healthy soccer environment on the highest tier of competition by developing a community for fast-footed, ball juggling soccer devotees.

Who are they?

Marin natives and soccer buffs Tighe O’ Sullivan, Mark Mackbee and Greg Bronshvag had dreams of a Marin-based soccer organization akin to the clubs of Europe and Latin America, where clubs encompass a system of teams uniting all ages and genders.

In 1999, the dream became a reality with the folding of the legendary Mill Valley Men’s soccer team. Starting with one adult team, Club Marin now boasts four men’s teams, one women’s team, the SF Chicas, Grasshopper Soccer (for youths ages two and a half to nine) and yearly beach soccer tourneys with Pro-Am on the National Beach Soccer Circuit.


How long have they been there?

Club Marin has been a not for profit organization and business since 1999, but the history of the club dates back to the mid 1970s, when the former Mill Valley Men’s team formed the first competitive youth soccer team out of Marin.


Why are they in our Business Spotlight?

“This is a club from cradle to grave," O'Sullivan said. "There is always a team and a game for the desired level of competition. Club Marin provides a positive environment for the most popular sport in the world, not to mention assisting members in other aspects of life.”

The wonderful Grasshopper Soccer program gets families together as parents have the opportunity to interact with their kiddos in the drills. Many young adults drop out of organized sports around the ninth grade and Club Marin strives to keep teenagers involved in a soccer culture by raising them up through the club teams, moving from one level to the next.

The cornerstone of the club are the men’s teams. Club Marin’s men teams play in the San Francisco Soccer Football League founded in 1903, and in the Marin Soccer League. There are two teams in the SFSFL that compete in both the premier and the major division, which at a time was the highest level of amateur soccer in the United States. There are also two teams that play in the open division of the MSL. O'Sullivan is also a consultant to the city of San Rafael and has been involved in many discussions concerning the potential construction of as his emphasis and expertise revolve around athletic field shortages.

Did you know?

Want to get away? Club Marin also offers opportunities to play abroad through the Spanish National Federation and C.F. Real Madrid. Kids get a kick out of seeing and playing soccer in an international environment vastly different from U.S. soccer culture. Young players come back from these trips with a new mindset and appreciation for the game.

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