About us
Our History
Norpoint Soccer Club was founded in 1969
Wade Webber, Seattle Sounders Director of Development and former coach for Norpoint Soccer Club, recently had this to say about our club.
“Going back to the 1970s, Norpoint has produced more top-level pros than most area clubs.”
From 1969 to 1978, John Duggan coached the Norpoint Royals and was inducted into the Washington Youth Soccer Hall of Fame on February 24, 2019.
The Norpoint Royals were the 1972 Pacific Coast Champions. In 1976, the Royals became the West Regional Champions. In 1976, they were ranked 2nd in the United States and 4th in North America, and in 1977, the Norpoint Royals became the Washington State Champions.
Norpoint Soccer Club was founded before all of the major soccer clubs in our area, including Nortac and FME.
Plenty of Major League Soccer Players got their start at Norpoint Soccer Club.
Mark Peterson and Jeff Stock of the Norpoint Royals signed with the Seattle Sounders and Jeff Durgan of the Norpoint Royals signed with the New York Cosmos.
Seattle Sounder forward Victor Mansaray played on the Norpoint FC ‘95-Attwood team coached by Dennis Attwood.
Seattle Sounders forward Lamar Neagle previously played on the Norpoint Chivas Team alongside FC Olympia Principal Owner Ryan Perkins.
The Norpoint Chivas were coached by the current Seattle Sounders Director of Development, Wade Webber.
Unlike larger clubs, Norpoint Soccer Club is completely run by community volunteers.
Norpoint Soccer Club’s history of incredible players and coaches is proof that a small local club can still outplay the more expensive clubs.
Norpoint Soccer Club now provides recreational and select programs for players of over 400 families in the NE Tacoma and surrounding areas.
The 1969 Browns Point Merchants
The Browns Point Merchants, Coached by Al Warren as remembered by John Adams IV:
“Norpoint was the only organization out our way. Soccer was so new then that we played with tan leather soccer balls. The fancy white with black ones hadn't hit the states yet or were too expensive to buy. They were more like heavy volleyballs.
In thinking about the Name, the "Merchants", I am betting that "Bergies Grocery Store" teamed up with Browns Point Drug to be the Merchants. There were no other businesses on upper or lower Browns Point. So they were probably our sponsors.
Clarke Miner was our speedy wing. He could run faster than anybody else on the team. I believe Brad Fransen, Scott Greer and Jimmy Bushbaum were our front line. The rest of us took turns booting the ball up the field.
We went to Vancouver BC in both 1969 and 1970 in team exchanges with Canadian Clubs. I remember they would whip us during the day on their little mechanical hockey tables and then whip us on Saturdays on the soccer field. I remember playing on a pebble field up in Vancouver. That was rough on the knees and slide tackling.”
Left to right:
Andy DeJong, John Adams, Danny Jones, Ray Medley, Brad Cheney, Scott Johnson, Vic Monahan, the late Don Barrier, Bottom Row, Alan Johnson, Brad Fransen, Steve Latsis,
Squatting: Jimmy Bushbaum, Dave Perry, the late Clarke Miner, Jeff Warren, and Scott Greer.
The Norpoint Royals
In 1976, the Norpoint Royals, a U16 boys team coached by John Duggan and Roman Strug, were crowned State Champions and were the first Washington State Youth Soccer team to win the Western Regional Championship. This championship was held in Las Vegas, Nevada and is now known as the Region IV Far West regional tournament.
The Norpoint Royals went on to represent the Norpoint Soccer Club and Washington State Youth soccer at the 1st Annual North American Youth Soccer Championship, now known as the USYSA National Tournament. Norpoint's boys finished 2nd in the Nation with local soccer stars and Tacoma residents: Jeff Durgan, David Felt, Matt Sweeney, John Duggan and Jeff Stock.
Left to right, back row: Roman Struk (Coach), John Duggan, Jimmy Vaughn, Larry Norlin, Mike Osborn, Terry Mees, Peter Sergienko, Jeff Durgan, Dave Holcombe, John Duggan (coach), Jerry Sweeney (coach). Left to right, front row: JoJo Saunders, Tom (Krantz) Lee, Matt Sweeney, Mark Schuur, Chris Martin, Dave Felt, Jeff Stock.
Affiliated Organizations
