Can you remind us when California Storm was founded, by whom, and what was its mission?
California Storm was founded in 1995 by Jerry Zanelli. He created the team because there was a lack of opportunities for women to play on teams post college and in between their national team duties.

You recently rebranded and the new badge is fire - what prompted the new look, what are its elements, and who is the creative team behind it?
We had used the original badge since inception in 1995 and we felt that it was time to rebrand the new badge to reflect our foundation, who we are as a community and our success. The Tower Bridge and Sacramento river are iconic places in the Sacramento region, with the bridge representing a strong structure that connects the community. We are a very community oriented team so this is key for us to have that in our badge. The four stars in the logo represent the 4 National Championships the Storm have won in the WPSL. We worked with an outsourced company to help us create the logo. We gave the company main ideas of what we wanted to have in the badge as well as how we wanted to project who we are.

Exciting new coaches - the strong get stronger!

On the pitch, California Storm won the WPSL Pac North Conference and Finished 3rd in the USL W League's Western Conference Norcal Division - how does the club balance the squads?
It's been a process to hammer out who plays on what team and in what league. We previously had a U20 WPSL team and a regular WPSL. When the USL W League wanted to expand on the west coast, we saw this as a great opportunity to have more players playing at an elite level. We dual roster our players for both leagues but a core group will have the ability to get additional games in if they choose. For coaching, we shifted our coaching staff from the WPSL to the USL and the U20 WPSL team to the regular WPSL team.

Will the addition of Bay FC to the Northern Cali soccer scene be a help or a hindrance to attracting players and sponsors? Will it be competition for butts in seats or will a high-level professional team actually create excitement and drive more families to games for teams like California Storm?
As one of the founding owners of the Bay FC team, I couldn't be more thrilled about the season kicking off this spring! This is fantastic for the women's game, it creates another opportunity for players to compete and another opportunity for women to work in the sports industry. I don't see it as a hindrance because sponsorships are at an all time high for women's sports. Bay FC just secured the largest kit sponsorship in NWSL history. I believe that this will inspire other companies to get involved and if they don't have the funds to be part of the NWSL teams they will seek out opportunities in the second tier teams. In regards to fans, I think all teams run the risk of losing fans, but I truly believe we have some of the best fans in the Sacramento region that love the close connection with the players. I believe we will see a lot of the same fans at our games this upcoming season.

“Homegrown” talent, Maya Doms, is staying in the Bay Area - as the former Storm/Cardinal is drafted by Bay FC

Can you take a moment to tell us how California Storm connects with the community? Are there charitable organizations you donate time to? Soccer clinics for kids?
California Storm is very active in the community. Soccer should be accessible to everyone. We put on free soccer clinics for kids with Autism. These clinics are year round and each child is provided a soccer ball, swag bag, snacks, and water bottle. We connect with the kids using soccer as a tool to encourage fun and exercise through playing. We also put on a shopping spree for kids from underserved communities. This project is called Gear Up. The kids shop with the Storm players for soccer equipment, cleats, shin guards, balls, jerseys, tshirts, shorts, etc. They also get pantry food items. Storm also puts on a free soccer clinic for girls from underserved communities in Vallejo called, "Kicking Up a Storm".

These clinics serve over 150 girls each year and they are given a soccer ball, tshirt and lunch. Brazilian legend and FIFA Hall of Famer, Sissi do Amor, talks to the girls about all she overcame to become one of the best players in the world. Storm is also involved in Let It Snow Toy Project where kids from underserved communities get to go on a shopping spree for their Christmas presents. We also collect gently used soccer gear throughout the year and redistribute to underserved communities in the Sacramento region and Mexico.

Cal Storm literally putting on a clinic at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Anaheim in January, 2024

The 2024 season is just months away - what can fans expect? New coaches? Exciting new players? Fun events or new kit releases?
Every year we like to add more surprises for fans. We have a few up our sleeve! We have 2 new head coaches, Sissi and David Robertson. Both of them are absolutely incredible and highly respected. This is a dream collaboration and the players are incredibly lucky to be able to learn from some of the best. We have some VERY talented incoming players that we will be announcing shortly here. Players from all around the country. We also have the majority of our team returning minus some players that have signed professional contracts, including Maya Doms who signed with Bay FC. Expect to see some cool additions to our game day atmosphere. We also have an incredible new program that we are going to be launching in March so be on the lookout for that.

Want to know more or get involved?
Follow California Storm on Instagram HERE
And on Twitter / X HERE