About
Oakland Genesis offers competitive soccer along with academic support, mentorship, nutrition, transportation, career and college counseling, and professional soccer coaching. The program uses soccer alongside these supports as part of its youth development programming.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
• Price: cost-free youth development programming; provides youth with free transportation, academic support, mentorship, nutrition, and professional soccer coaching
Oakland Genesis states that its mission is to use soccer as a tool to empower, educate, and inspire Oakland’s leaders of tomorrow, with inclusivity at the core of its mission and a focus on Oakland youth from underserved communities. The program describes six program pillars that aim for youth to graduate from high school with the skills and confidence needed to navigate college and begin careers, and it emphasizes both athletic and academic development with a college-going culture beginning in middle school. Oakland Genesis also states that it aims to disrupt the pay-to-play model in soccer and that its badge was designed by Oakland local Greg Wright, featuring the official bird of Oakland, the Black Crowned Night Heron, to symbolize the trajectory of players’ development as people, students, and athletes.
The leadership team includes Executive Director Matt Fondy, Director of Soccer Alika Okamitsu, and coaches and cofounders Matt Fondy and Cody Pillon. Staff credentials include Matt Fondy, who has undergraduate and graduate degrees from UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley; Ricardo Cruz, who graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Latin American and Latino Studies with a minor in Education and is working on his master’s in Education; Naomi Flores, who attends Mills College at Northeastern University and is hoping to complete her bachelor’s in psychology; Carina Ibarra, who graduated from UC Davis with a degree in English and History and earned her master’s in Teaching from USC; Alexia “Lex” Maldonado, who is a student-athlete at Mills College pursuing a bachelor’s in Political Science with a concentration in American Politics; and Alika Okamitsu, who has worked in the construction industry in roles ranging from Environmental Engineer to Construction Manager, worked with teacher externs through the Hawaiʻi Department of Education Career and Technical Education externship program, and coached two high school soccer seasons.
Oakland Genesis operates in Oakland and serves youth from underserved communities, works with parents and mentors, and is connected with Oakland Unified School District alumni and local schools such as Castlemont High and Coliseum College Prep Academy. The program has a partnership with Stephen Curry’s foundation, Eat. Learn. Play., through which Stephen Curry visited practice and delivered healthy food, school supplies, books, and clothes, and this partnership is described as an incredible partnership and a way to make a large impact in the Oakland community by empowering youth. A testimonial from professional soccer player Jonny Orozco states that he sees himself in the kids in the program, that he hopes they can imagine themselves achieving their dreams, that kids from the area of East Oakland where he grew up often think certain opportunities are not available to them, and that he believes Oakland Genesis is empowering these kids to dream as he did.
Last updated June 21, 2026.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
• Price: cost-free youth development programming; provides youth with free transportation, academic support, mentorship, nutrition, and professional soccer coaching
Oakland Genesis states that its mission is to use soccer as a tool to empower, educate, and inspire Oakland’s leaders of tomorrow, with inclusivity at the core of its mission and a focus on Oakland youth from underserved communities. The program describes six program pillars that aim for youth to graduate from high school with the skills and confidence needed to navigate college and begin careers, and it emphasizes both athletic and academic development with a college-going culture beginning in middle school. Oakland Genesis also states that it aims to disrupt the pay-to-play model in soccer and that its badge was designed by Oakland local Greg Wright, featuring the official bird of Oakland, the Black Crowned Night Heron, to symbolize the trajectory of players’ development as people, students, and athletes.
The leadership team includes Executive Director Matt Fondy, Director of Soccer Alika Okamitsu, and coaches and cofounders Matt Fondy and Cody Pillon. Staff credentials include Matt Fondy, who has undergraduate and graduate degrees from UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley; Ricardo Cruz, who graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Latin American and Latino Studies with a minor in Education and is working on his master’s in Education; Naomi Flores, who attends Mills College at Northeastern University and is hoping to complete her bachelor’s in psychology; Carina Ibarra, who graduated from UC Davis with a degree in English and History and earned her master’s in Teaching from USC; Alexia “Lex” Maldonado, who is a student-athlete at Mills College pursuing a bachelor’s in Political Science with a concentration in American Politics; and Alika Okamitsu, who has worked in the construction industry in roles ranging from Environmental Engineer to Construction Manager, worked with teacher externs through the Hawaiʻi Department of Education Career and Technical Education externship program, and coached two high school soccer seasons.
Oakland Genesis operates in Oakland and serves youth from underserved communities, works with parents and mentors, and is connected with Oakland Unified School District alumni and local schools such as Castlemont High and Coliseum College Prep Academy. The program has a partnership with Stephen Curry’s foundation, Eat. Learn. Play., through which Stephen Curry visited practice and delivered healthy food, school supplies, books, and clothes, and this partnership is described as an incredible partnership and a way to make a large impact in the Oakland community by empowering youth. A testimonial from professional soccer player Jonny Orozco states that he sees himself in the kids in the program, that he hopes they can imagine themselves achieving their dreams, that kids from the area of East Oakland where he grew up often think certain opportunities are not available to them, and that he believes Oakland Genesis is empowering these kids to dream as he did.
Last updated June 21, 2026.
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