About
SF Seals offers youth soccer activities that include Microsoccer, Seals Micro Teams, the Seals Micro-academy, Summer Camps, a Euro Tour, MLS NEXT ID Clinics, and Zoom-based workouts. Seals Micro Teams include two weekly trainings and weekend matches. MLS NEXT ID Clinics and SF Seals MLS NEXT Player ID Clinics are organized by birth year groups with set time blocks on specific Saturdays in January 2026.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Seals Micro Teams include 2 weekly trainings and weekend matches; MLS NEXT ID Clinics and January 2026 Player ID Clinics run in 2-hour blocks by birth year on select Saturdays
SF Seals was founded in 1981 as a local recreational team and has been coaching youth players for over 30 years. The organization states that it places an emphasis on age-appropriate skills development and a deeper understanding of game strategy, with training broken down into skills growth, game strategy and tactics, and overall team development. The soccer program is aligned with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy guidelines, and all training is described as age appropriate and following these guidelines. SF Seals lists core values of Player Development, Love of the Game, Respect, Effort, and Positivity, and states that its goal is to prepare SF Seals players for the next level of play while also focusing on life skills on and off the field.
The leadership team includes Shani Simpson as Director of Coaching, Blagovest Tranchev as Assistant Director of Coaching, Shane Watkins as NorCal Travel Teams Director of Operations, Zak Chirazi as Recreation and Micro Soccer Program Director, and Anna Livesey as Financial Aid & MLS NEXT Admin. SF Seals notes that it provides an ongoing professional development plan for its coaches. The club offers an MLS Next full pathway for ages U13 through U19, NorCal and NPL levels varying from Copper to Premier/NPL, and recreational teams ranging from 2nd–8th grade, along with Microsoccer, Summer Camps, and a Euro Tour.
In 1987, SF Seals featuring Director of Coaching Shani Simpson was named “The USA's Team of the Year” by USA Today, and MLSNEXT features SF Seals. The club reports that 15 former SF Seals youth players have gone on to play for the National Team, and 43 players who have worn the Seals shirt have gone on to play professionally for teams around the world. The club also notes that an amateur SF Seals team went on to beat MLS’s San Jose Clash on its way to the U.S. Open Cup semi-finals.
When COVID hit in 2020, SF Seals transitioned to Zoom-based workouts, created a club-wide training log for players and coaches to track individual workouts, and awarded weekly prizes to players who showed exceptional commitment, and this effort was featured on NBC Bay Area. During COVID, the club also used the club-wide training log and weekly prizes as part of its response. Spots for SF Seals MLS NEXT Player ID Clinics are limited, and pre-registration is required.
Last updated March 20, 2026.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Seals Micro Teams include 2 weekly trainings and weekend matches; MLS NEXT ID Clinics and January 2026 Player ID Clinics run in 2-hour blocks by birth year on select Saturdays
SF Seals was founded in 1981 as a local recreational team and has been coaching youth players for over 30 years. The organization states that it places an emphasis on age-appropriate skills development and a deeper understanding of game strategy, with training broken down into skills growth, game strategy and tactics, and overall team development. The soccer program is aligned with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy guidelines, and all training is described as age appropriate and following these guidelines. SF Seals lists core values of Player Development, Love of the Game, Respect, Effort, and Positivity, and states that its goal is to prepare SF Seals players for the next level of play while also focusing on life skills on and off the field.
The leadership team includes Shani Simpson as Director of Coaching, Blagovest Tranchev as Assistant Director of Coaching, Shane Watkins as NorCal Travel Teams Director of Operations, Zak Chirazi as Recreation and Micro Soccer Program Director, and Anna Livesey as Financial Aid & MLS NEXT Admin. SF Seals notes that it provides an ongoing professional development plan for its coaches. The club offers an MLS Next full pathway for ages U13 through U19, NorCal and NPL levels varying from Copper to Premier/NPL, and recreational teams ranging from 2nd–8th grade, along with Microsoccer, Summer Camps, and a Euro Tour.
In 1987, SF Seals featuring Director of Coaching Shani Simpson was named “The USA's Team of the Year” by USA Today, and MLSNEXT features SF Seals. The club reports that 15 former SF Seals youth players have gone on to play for the National Team, and 43 players who have worn the Seals shirt have gone on to play professionally for teams around the world. The club also notes that an amateur SF Seals team went on to beat MLS’s San Jose Clash on its way to the U.S. Open Cup semi-finals.
When COVID hit in 2020, SF Seals transitioned to Zoom-based workouts, created a club-wide training log for players and coaches to track individual workouts, and awarded weekly prizes to players who showed exceptional commitment, and this effort was featured on NBC Bay Area. During COVID, the club also used the club-wide training log and weekly prizes as part of its response. Spots for SF Seals MLS NEXT Player ID Clinics are limited, and pre-registration is required.
Last updated March 20, 2026.
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