Who we are
Founded in 2011 as the 70th chapter of what is now more than 200 American Outlaws chapters nationwide, AO Santa Maria began with a group of friends and US Soccer supporters looking for a place to watch the matches together.
In the early years, AO SM was built by a mix of local supporters and active military stationed at the nearby base, first Vandenberg Air Force Base and now Vandenberg Space Force Base. That connection to the base has always been part of who we are. What started as a small group gathering for US Soccer matches quickly became a community for people looking for connection through the game.
Santa Maria has never had many dedicated soccer bars, but the soccer culture has long been here. It has lived in the parks, in youth leagues, in immigrant families, in pickup games, and in the people who followed the sport long before it felt mainstream. For many of us, growing up as soccer fans in a town historically dominated by baseball, and other sports, meant feeling like outsiders at times. Over the last 20 years, that has started to change. Soccer has grown in the valley, and our goal has always been to give that culture a visible home.
Supporting the national teams gave us a place to gather, celebrate, and build friendships across backgrounds, professions, and generations. Over the years, our chapter became a reflection of Santa Maria itself: working class, diverse, proud, and deeply tied to the people who call this valley home.
As the chapter evolved, so did our understanding of what we wanted our identity to represent. Our original crest centered around the Santa Maria ship, but over time we felt disconnected from the symbolism and history attached to it. It also felt too generic. We wanted something that better reflected the actual culture, people, and place that shaped this chapter.
That led us back to the valley itself.
Santa Barbara County’s number one industry is agriculture, and the Santa Maria Valley is known around the world for its strawberries. For many of us, the phrase “Strawberry Fields Forever” carried a meaning beyond the song itself. It represented escape, belonging, and finding comfort in a place that felt like your own. That feeling resonated deeply with supporters who found community through the beautiful game.
Our new crest reflects that connection. It honors the fields that shaped this valley, the families who worked them, the military members who made the Santa Maria Valley part of their story, and the supporters who continue building this chapter today.
The valley itself has always been shaped by movement, work, and service. Santa Maria’s identity was built by generations of immigrant families, agricultural workers, local businesses, and the military presence on the Central Coast. Vandenberg’s history dates back to 1941, when the area was first established as Camp Cooke, a US Army training site before later becoming an Air Force base and eventually a Space Force base. That history matters because it mirrors the chapter’s own foundation: locals and service members coming together in the same valley, finding common ground through the game.
At the end of the day, we are here for one simple reason: to create a welcoming home for anyone in the Santa Maria Valley who loves the game and wants to support US Soccer alongside their community.
If you love the game, you belong here.