[HONORS] Soccer America Founder and Chairman Clay Berling and Lynn Berling-Manuel, the former CEO of Soccer America, have been inducted into the California Soccer Association North Hall of Fame.

Clay Berling founded Soccer America Magazine in 1971 after being enchanted with the sport four years earlier when he took his wife, Ruth, and six children to a National Professional Soccer League game at the Oakland Coliseum. He soon helped launch boys and girls soccer in Northern California and served as president of a youth league.

In 1971, his frustration at not being able to find enough soccer news prompted him to launch a biweekly newsletter called Soccer West. By 1972, the publication had gone national, changed its name to Soccer America, and became a weekly.

Lynn Berling-Manuel became Soccer America’s first full-time managing editor in 1975. She went on to serve as Editor-in-Chief, Publisher and CEO, leading the company’s launch of SoccerAmerica.com in 1995 and Soccer America's e-newsletters, beginning with SoccerAmericaDaily in 2001.

In December of 2007, Berling-Manuel left Soccer America to become the American Youth Soccer Organization’s Chief Marketing Officer.

Clay Berling was inducted into National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1995 and into the California Youth Soccer Association Hall of Fame in 1983.

Also inducted this year into the CSAN Hall of Fame was John Murillo, the organization’s former vice president and longtime referee. Murillo was inducted posthumously.