I have and the pleasure of knowing Alex and Walter Camargo for years and know personally they infrequently speak about themselves or look for publicity — both believing strongly that nobody is larger than the Club. Here is a chance to discover more about two brothers work seamlessly to help players benefit from the game of soccer. Each year, the Camargo brothers run three youth soccer tournaments with proceeds going back to the club to help lower players’ fees.
Alex and Walter Camargo are the Executive Directors of California’s CDA Slammers FC as well as Tournament Directors of the prestigious 25-year-old Cerritos Memorial Challenge Cup. Alex and Walter are brothers who grew up in an American home that was immersed in an Argentina soccer culture, thanks to their father Oscar Camargo.
With the father as the President and his two sons as the directors of the day-to-day operations, CDA Slammers’ motto is “One Club, One Family –Committed to Excellence” shared by Walid and Ziad Khoury, the two brothers who launched the Slammers FC. While the Camargo brothers describe their relationship with the Khoury brothers as “the best possible partnership,” there is more than binds them together than just their love of soccer. These two brothers share a philosophy of player development and a strong sense of the importance of family — as well as a deep passion for the beautiful game.
When Walter and Alex joined Walid and Ziad in 2016, the result was strong growth benefiting the community, the players, and the game. All four are part of the fabric of Southern California and have been coaching kids for decades.
“Alex and Walter are great people and it is always about what is best for the players,” said Walid Khoury. “I have known Alex for 25 years and remember watching Walter play — I have a lot of respect for them both.”
CDA Slammers FC is one of the largest youth competitive soccer clubs in Southern California with branches in the following six locations:
- Cerritos
- Diamond Bar
- Fullerton
- Huntington Beach
- Orange
- Whittier
SoccerToday Interviews CDA Slammers FC Executive Directors Alex & Walter Camargo
Diane Scavuzzo: How did you both start working together and coaching youth soccer players in Southern California?
Walter Camargo: After college, instead of joining the MLS, Alex suggested I start coaching with him as we launched the Infinity Brigade.
Alex Camargo: Our father really helped pioneer youth soccer and I was working with him. I started coaching when I was 16-years-old. When Walter joined, we formed Infinity Brigade.
Walter Camargo: Later on, we joined up with Walid and Ziad Khoury and formed CDA Slammers — because it was a great opportunity for the kids — they do a great job and always follow through on what they say.
Alex Camargo: Walid is a great leader and has a great feel for the national platform. He is always driving the ship in the right direction — he had Slammers in ECNL early. We wanted the ECNL advantage for our kids too.
What I love about ECNL is their successful efforts to get players into college. Now, the sky is the limit for our kids.
Diane Scavuzzo: What inspires you both?
Walter Camargo: Southern California has been a hotbed of soccer in America for decades. Every day we are inspired to improve youth soccer and help it evolve. Our father is from Argentina and our family is still there — we grew up surrounded by soccer and in Argentina, players have real pride for the jersey they play for.
We feel our kids wear the Slammers’ jersey with pride.
Alex Camargo: We have always wanted to help the game of soccer move forward and become better. We both really believe in player development and that real development delivers results.
A lot of coaches throw that word around, but the ‘development’ of players is visible. We ask ourselves, “Did the players improve?” We look at where a team was at the beginning of a season and how they finished. You can track our CDA Slammers team improving because the players are developing.
It is not about winning, it is about improving.
Walter Camargo: Our teams focus on the development of all their players. We don’t just focus on the players who play on the top teams.
Many of our second and third teams have shown great improvement throughout the season and we are very proud of their efforts and accomplishments.
We are always stoked to see the results. We are so proud of all the CDA Slammer teams that advanced in Cal South’s State Cup competitions.
CDA Slammers FC “Development = Results”
Alex Camargo: Our coaches want to help players improve and are proud of the CDA Slammers’ pathway. We also really listened to our families. College soccer is very important to them. We have helped get a lot of our players into Division I, II, III & NAIA universities all over the country. We offer college soccer pathways for both boys and girls to help them gain the exposure they need.
CDA Slammers FC pathway includes the opportunity to play on Slammers FC ECNL boys and girls teams— and there is no better way of measuring true development than by seeing Slammers’ “Home Grown” players moving onto these teams. CDA Slammers has a very large percentage of players on both teams.
Walter Camargo: We are excited about our partnership with Capelli Sports. It’s a valuable partnership giving us an international pathway for our players and coaching education to our staff. Capelli Sport has professional clubs in Germany, Denmark, Greece, Ghana, and Jamaica
Diane Scavuzzo: What is next for the club? What would you like to see happen in the next year?
Alex Camargo: We look forward to growing and helping more youth soccer players in the Southern California area enjoy playing soccer. We believe in quality over quantity, so who we work with is very important to both of us.
We want to grow with the right people who share the same philosophy.
Walter Camargo: This year, the Slammers are reviewing a master youth soccer curriculum which we plan to roll out the following season so that all our 7v7, 9v9 11v11 teams are doing the same thing. Our goal is for all Slammers to speak one language.
Alex Camargo: So many youth soccer clubs train four to five times a week, and there are a lot of well-developed curriculums for this schedule but not many for a club like ours that trains two to three times a week.
We want all our teams to play in one set system, and to give the team coach the flexibility and freedom to infuse his or her personality and experience into the training, — as well as customize it to fit their player rosters.
Walter Camargo: It is important that our coaches can be creative.
Diane Scavuzzo: How do you feel playing high school soccer fits into player development?
Walter Camargo: Our families see high school soccer as very important. There is a lot of pride in playing for your school in Orange County and Los Angeles. Approximately 90% of CDA Slammers players play high school soccer.
Read: CERRITOS MEMORIAL CHALLENGE CUP 2018 — 24 YEARS IN THE MAKING, CERRITOS MEMORIAL CHALLENGE CUP RECAP
This is a Comprehensive list of Recent 2019/20 CDA Slammers Team Accomplishments
Editorial Note: It is rare that a club provides information on how well all their teams perform in a state or national competitions and it is with great pleasure we can share these accomplishments:
CDA Slammers Results at 2020 National Cup
- B08: CDA Slammers HB (Quarter Finalist)
- B06: CDA Slammers HB Semi-Finals (Game Canceled due to COVID 19)
- B06: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Quarter Finalist)
- B06: CDA Slammers HB: (Sweet 16)
- G08: CDA Slammers HB (Sweet 16)
- G06: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Sweet 16)
CDA Slammers Results at 2020 State Cup Presidents
- B11: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Semi-Finalist)
- B09: CDA Slammers Orange (Sweet 16)
- G10: CDA Slammers HB (Quarter Finalist)
- G09: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Quarter Finalist)
- G09: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Semi-Finalist)
CDA Slammers Results at 2020 State Cup Governors
- G11: CDA Slammers Orange: (Champions)
- G11: CDA Slammers Whittier: (Semi-Finalist)
- G10: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Quarter Finalist)
- G09: CDA Slammers HB (Quarter Finalist)
- B11: CDA Slammers Orange (Semi-Finalist)
CDA Slammers Results 2019 NATIONAL CUP CHAMPIONS
- G05: CDA Slammers Cerritos
- G04: CDA Slammers HB
- G03: CDA Slammers HB
CDA Slammers Results at 2019 National Cup
- B03: CDA Slammers HB (Sweet 16)
- B02: CDA Slammers Diamond Bar (Quarter Finalist)
- B01: CDA Slammers Fullerton: (Semi-Finalist)
- B01: CDA Slammers Orange (Sweet 16)
- G06: CDA Slammers HB (Quarter Finalist)
- G05: CDA Slammers SB (Quarter Finalist)
- G04: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Semi-Finalist)
- G03: CDA Slammers Whittier: (Sweet 16)
- G03: CDA Slammers HB (Sweet 16)
- G02: CDA Slammers HB (Quarter Finalist)
- G01: CDA Slammers HB (Quarter Finalist)
- G01: CDA Slammers HB (Sweet 16)
- G01: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Sweet 16)
- G00: CDA Slammers HB (Quarter Finalist)
CDA Slammers Results at 2019 State Cup Presidents
- B10: CDA Slammers HB (Semi-Finalist)
- B08: CDA Slammers HB (Quarterfinalist)
- B08: CDA Slammers Orange (Round of 32)
- G10: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Quarter Finalist)
- G09: CDA Slammers Cerritos (Semi-Finalist)
