Surf Cup’s slogan—“the best of the best in youth soccer”—isn’t just a slogan, many players in the San Diego Surf Cup and the San Diego Surf College Cup youth soccer tournaments go on to play on National or Pro teams. Surf Cup Inc. prides itself on being a stepping stone for some of the most talented young soccer players.

Most recently, the organization swelled with pride when Surf Cup alumnus Aya Miyama made headlines during the Woman’s World Cup. Miyama played in the Surf Cup two consecutive years (when she was 11 and 12) before playing for Japan in the Olympics and on the country’s national team.

On the second day (June 27) of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011^TM in Germany, Japan faced off against New Zealand while Mexico and England went head to head. All four teams managed to score at least once, but Japan was the only team to snag a second goal, thanks to Miyama, who scored a pair of remarkable goals that day.

“We all knew she was a special player when we took her to Surf Cup years ago,” says Tom Byer, who was the head coach of the Japanese Boys Team (formerly known as the Disney Jr. Cup) when Aya played for the Girls Team. “She played two consecutive years at the Surf Cup and quickly turned Professional when she was a teenager. She has been a regular on both the Olympic Team and National Team for Japan. She scored the winning goal in Japan’s opener against New Zealand, scoring a wonderful Free Kick!”

Stay tuned to learn about more Surf Cup alumni who have gone from kids’ soccer regional champions in CA to perform on the national and international soccer arena!