The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that Del Rey City SC has joined the league as an expansion team. They will begin play in the Southwest Conference of the West Region in 2014.
“We’re looking forward to bringing NPSL soccer to the Los Angeles area with the addition of Del Rey City SC,” NPSL Commissioner Michael Hitchcock commented. “Del Rey City brings a passionate and dynamic ownership and management group to the NPSL family who will grow the game in their local community.”
Del Rey City SC is led by Majority Owner Brian Perez, Head Coach/Co-Owner Jorge Rodriguez, Club Operations Director/Co-Owner Mark Miscavage, and Treasurer Nina Kiefer.
This dedicated and passionate group has years of experience in the game of soccer. Perez is the former Manager of Software Engineering and Head of Internet Operations for FoxSoccer.com and multiple Fox Deportes websites. He is also a CalSouth certified coach, sole owner of FC Playa Vista, and a member of the investment group that funded the San Diego Flash.
Rodriguez, a former Fox Sports Interactive executive, is a decorated player and coach. He is the all-time leading scorer at LA’s UniversityHigh School. He was a four-year starter at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), where he set records and collected multiple honors. Those included being named to the All-West Coast Conference Team three times and the All-West Region Team two times, in addition to Soccer America Player of the Week honors. He had opportunities to play professionally in several countries, including Germany, El Salvador, and the U.S. Currently he is the VP of Engineering for Tixr.
Miscavage, another LMU graduate, will manage club operations and software engineering duties. A former player and referee, he has been a member of Del Rey City since 2010. Miscavage is also the co-host of the MAD Soccer Show podcast and an award-winning professional dancer, having performed at major venues including the New York Metropolitan Opera. He also has appeared in films and on television, including Live with Regis on ABC and and Parental Control on MTV.
Kiefer, who will lead the front office as treasurer and assistant to the president, has experience as a soccer player and referee. She is a certified AYSO and USSF referee, one that given back to the game by teaching courses and mentoring young referees.
The connections between the club and LMU are very strong with dozens of players and club officials being graduates of Loyola Marymount. The club hopes these connections will result in a long-term partnership with the university.
“Del Rey City SC brings the ability to significantly increase the NPSL’s profile and visibility on the Internet,” Perez added. “All three club owners are software engineers with over 30 years combined experience. The company that owns our club, Awesome Soccer, is currently developing and building several soccer-related websites with projected launches in January 2014.”
Del Rey City, located on LA’s Westside, is a community-oriented club with the goal of raising the popularity of soccer in and around Marina del Rey. The chance to move into a large and growing league was one that interested Perez and the ownership group.
“Joining a league that encompasses teams from across the country has a surreal feel to it,” Perez concluded. “It’s thrilling!”
More information on the team can be found on their website at www.delreycity.com. The team also is incredibly active on social media, noted by their significant presence on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/DelReyCity), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/delreycitysc), Twitter (@delreycitysc), and Google Plus (https://plus.google.com/+DelReyCitySoccerClub).
Del Rey City joins Spartans Futbol Club (Portland,OR/Vancouver,WA), SO Samba FC (Hood River, OR), FC Carolina Discoveries (Rock Hill, SC), BCS United Clash (Bryan-College Station, TX), Minnesota United FC Reserves (Blaine, MN), Greater Lowell Football Club (Lowell, MA), Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves (Atlanta, GA), NPSL Virginia Beach (Virginia Beach, VA), FC Bordo Saint Louis (St. Louis, MO), PA West Soccer (Pittsburgh, PA),Gate City FC (Greensboro, NC), Nashville Atlas FC (Nashville, TN), Virginia Legacy (Williamsburg, VA), Cincinnati Saints (Cincinnati, OH), Flower Mound FC (Flower Mound, TX), Temecula FC (Temecula, CA), Storm FC (Broward County, FL), and Lansing United (Lansing, MI) as expansion clubs for the 2014 season.
The NPSL is a national league that operates in the 4th Division of the U.S. Soccer pyramid. NPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup through their affiliation with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). The NPSL is the fastest-growing national soccer league in theU.S., operating in 70+ markets across the country. Two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs, D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls, operate U-23 squads in the NPSL.
