About
Built from nothing.
Now at the highest level.
Kai and Miko Oppenheim grew up a couple blocks from Beach Chalet Soccer Fields in San Francisco's Sunset district. No soccer family. No connections. No shortcuts. They built the system that got them to UC Berkeley — and now they hand it to your athlete.
The Origin
Cal was the dream.
As kids we would try to talk to Cal players after games, hoping for one tip. A piece of advice. Anything. They rarely had time. Our dad drove us to Beach Chalet after school, stood on the sideline in the fog, and never missed a game. He invested in everything he could find — clubs, camps, tournaments across California. What nobody gave us was a system.
We Started Late
Years behind. Forced to work smarter.
We did not touch competitive soccer until we were ten. Most of the kids we competed against had been in academies since they were four. We were years behind the curve on touches, on IQ, on everything. Every practice was catch-up. Every rep had to count. We could not afford wasted training the way kids with a head start could. That is why Ascend is a system, not a playlist — it is the exact framework we built to close the gap. It worked for us. It is working for the ten athletes who just committed D1.
The Journey
Broken feet. Gap year. Built it from zero.
Kai captained his U16 and U17 team — leading goal scorer the year they finished #4 nationally and reached the MLS Next Cup Round of 16. He broke his foot twice. He went on pro trial in Germany. He earned 10+ D1 offers, All-Big West honors at UC San Diego, and transferred to the ACC at UC Berkeley.
Miko played for top MLS Next programs in the country and was the leading goal scorer from U17 through U19. Doctors told him his health issues would end his career. He came back anyway, started at UC Berkeley early, was scouted by a Ligue 2 club in France, and has shared the field with Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí — now starting for FC Barcelona.
Why Ascend
We built the system we wish had existed.
Six pillars. Every session. Built on ALTIS sprint mechanics, Coerver technical progressions, Inner Excellence mental protocols, and Pep Guardiola’s tactical framework. Personalized to position, age, and equipment. Ten athletes have committed D1 using it. Now we hand it to your athlete — so the next kid does not have to figure it out alone.
10
D1 commits this year
0
Soccer connections in our family
D1
UC Berkeley · ACC
9–22
Every age, every position