JAVIER AYALA-HIL

FROM PLAYER TO DIRECTOR

Javier Ayala-Hil played college soccer at UC Berkeley from 2004 to 2007. After graduating, he went straight into coaching, first as an assistant at Cal, then as head coach at the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State University, where he was named CCAA Coach of the Year in 2017.

He also served as head coach of the SF Glens in USL2, one of the top amateur leagues in the country. Players he has coached have gone on to professional careers, college scholarships, and national team call-ups.

In 2013, Javier founded Bay Area Soccer Academy. The idea was straightforward: bring the same quality of coaching he gave his college players to youth players across the East Bay. He saw a gap between what competitive club teams offered and what individual players actually needed, which was focused, technical, one-on-one development.

In 2026, he opened the BASA Center at 5976 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood. It is a dedicated indoor training facility that gives East Bay players a consistent, weather-proof environment to develop year-round.

COACHING PHILOSOPHY

Javier's approach centers on three things: technical excellence, game intelligence, and confidence. He believes that players who truly understand the game develop faster and enjoy it more. Every session at BASA is designed to challenge players to think, not just to execute.

He coaches in both English and Spanish. His programs cover a wide range of ages and levels, from toddlers in Little Footballers to high school players preparing for college recruitment, and the coaching style adapts to meet each group where they are. Every player who walks through the door gets real coaching.