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FALL 2017 VOL. 33
2017 Photo of the Year By: Stephen Ippolito
Are Kids Starting Sports Too Early? PG. 6
Winners From the First FYSA Championship Series PG. 14
IN THIS ISSUE 04 FYSA State Update
06 Are Kids Specializing in Sports Too Early?
14 Winners From
25 National
the First FYSA
Presidents Cup
.
Championship Series 18 Fostering Good Sportsmanship
26 USYS National Championships
12 Orlando City Opens
22 2017 Annual
24 Orlando Health
New Soccer Stadium
General Meeting
Partnership
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FLORIDA YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION
2017 State Update Affiliates & Members, Another year has come and gone! The 2016/2017 soccer season was a time for learning for us at the Florida Youth Soccer Association. This marked a year of many firsts for the state association. The start of the new US Soccer Federation birth year calendar took effect for all players, the restructuring of the Board of Directors occurred, and we officially launched the brand new FYSA Championship Series during the Spring. During all of this though, you the members stuck with us as we navigated and embraced these changes together. For that reason, we want to say thank you for all of the work that you do for the great game of soccer and the continued support you have shown towards FYSA. We as an organization are nothing without our members! Now that the transition has been made with the birth year calendar, changes were made to how we approve playing up guidelines. This process has been updated in our rules and bylaws for the season. Our Board of Directors are also committed to providing support throughout your regions. Get acquainted with your Regional Vice Presidents and Regional Commissioners! They are the best source of information should you need any help! For our first year of the Championship Series, this was a major accomplishment. We did have our fair share of hiccups during the course of the championship season though. This first year has served as a learning tool and many of the problems that we encountered have been corrected before the competitions start in 2018. Perhaps one of the biggest items that we heard about this past year was the need for more communication from FYSA. This is a pivotal concept that we absolutely agree on. In 2018, the association will be implementing a new communications program to better inform our members. Part of this initiative will include a revamped website, a stronger social media presence, better lines of contact to state office personnel/board members, and enhanced notifications to the membership on key topics. While these are small changes at first, we believe it will slowly improve the way we communicate with you! Please feel free to contact us anytime and thank you for the work this past season! For the Good of the Game! The Florida Youth Soccer Association Board of Directors & Office Staff TOUCHLINEÂ |Â 4
ARE KIDS SPECIALIZING IN SPORTS TOO EARLY? *STORY PROVIDED BY US YOUTH SOCCER
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As he wraps up a session with his personal trainer, John hurries to the car and quickly hops in to make it to training on time.
Kids are beginning to specialize in one sport with the end goal of earning a college scholarship and hopefully playing professionally.
With the car stopped at a red light, he glances at his coach’s practice notes and eats a spoonful of Greek yogurt — just a few berries on top because he’s focusing on his fitness. When the car finally pulls up to the soccer field, he grabs his gear from the trunk and hurries to join the rest of the team.
The year-round focus on a single sport forces kids to drop any other athletic pursuits they may enjoy in order to master their “main sport.” And the most startling thing is the decisions that shape their childhood and youth sports careers often aren’t made by the kids. WHERE DID SPECIALIZATION COME FROM?
Before he can get 10 steps from the car, he hears someone shout his name. John hastily turns around and jogs back to the car, where he gives his mom a kiss before she reminds him to ask coach for an excusal note for the upcoming tournament to give to his fifth-grade teacher. That scene may sound extreme, but it’s becoming far too common for children’s dreams of being professional athletes to become a reality before they even reach their teens.
Many people contribute the rise of early sport specialization to the popularity of a theory by Dr. Anders Ericsson, which said it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert. With that rule in mind, youth athletes have started to focus on one sport in hopes of reaching an elite level by high school and college — even though Ericsson’s original work was intended for musicians, mathematicians and chess players, rather than athletes. TOUCHLINE | 7
An article by Brad Ferguson and Paula Stern, of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, said before the age of 10, kids are “typically not psychologically mature to understand the importance, responsibility, commitment and ramifications of year round training in sport.” Instead, they found coaches are often first to see a young player as gifted and recommend specialization in a single sport. But before coaches or parents accept Ericsson’s theory as fact, Dr. Matt Bowers suggests they think of all possible outcomes of specialization. “Think about playing a piano. If you had your kid playing the same note on the piano for 10,000 hours, that’s not necessarily going to make him or her an expert in playing the piano,” Bowers said. “That’s the worry with specialization — if you are so focused from a young age, it’s going to lead to some potential complications later on. Burnout leading to dropout, potentially.” US Youth Soccer Director of Coaching Sam Snow has seen the trend of youth players specializing in the sport at earlier ages. He couldn’t give an exact percentage, but Snow estimated that as many as a quarter of clubs around the country are pushing kids into specializing in soccer. TOUCHLINE | 8
That movement comes despite the US Youth Soccer Player Development Model — which aims to increase the level of play across the country while also instilling in players a life-long passion for the game — suggesting adults who want to achieve success in youth sports suffer from “too much too soon syndrome.” “It could be coaches or clubs are aware that they’re doing this incorrectly and doing it anyway in order to increase revenue streams, or it’s being done out of ignorance,” Snow said. “We have some clubs or organizations around the country that are pushing the kids and families by saying, ‘If you don’t do this now at age 7 or 8 or 9, begin to specialize in soccer and specialize in a position, that somehow or another you’ll be behind the curve.’” SPECIALIZED SPECIALISTS Bowers, a clinical assistant professor of kinesiology and health education at the University of Texas, has conducted research that focuses on how to develop systems and policies in youth sports to make them work better for kids and also produce better outcomes.
He said athletics in the United States are not only seeing a push for specialization into a certain sport, but also specialization within that sport — using a goalkeeper in soccer as an example. While it may seem logical to believe the more a player focuses on goalkeeping, the better keeper he or she will be, Bowers said that isn’t the case. “In actuality,” he said, “the more we develop a broad range of soccer skills, the better the keeper is going to be.” While it’s just one specific example, recent U.S. Soccer goalkeepers have provided evidence that playing multiple positions or multiple sports can result in better performance in goal once players reach the highest level. U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard grew up playing in the midfield, while U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo played forward for much of her youth career. Soccer America’s Mike Woitalla wrote a 2009 article that highlighted Howard, Solo, Tony Meola and Brad Guzan as four U.S. Goalkeepers who each played in the field as youth and high school soccer players, in addition to playing other sports such as basketball, volleyball and baseball.
AIn the Soccer America article, World Cup-winning coach Tony DiCicco said playing a variety of sports is “very good” for preteen athletes and even athletes in their early teens. DiCicco said that especially applies to goalkeepers, who can benefit from sports like basketball and baseball. After developing a full range of soccer skills and hand-eye coordination, Howard, Solo, Meola and Guzan each became one of the best players at their position in the world. But Bowers said the tendency for teams to focus on game results rather than development makes it difficult for players to get an opportunity to try multiple positions. “When you’re focused on winning, even with a group of 8-year-olds, you tend to focus on different things,” Bowers said. “You focus on gaining tactical advantages rather than emphasizing the development of the players. And when you’re focused on tactics, it makes more sense to focus on players staying in specific positions.” EFFECTS ON HEALTH As players begin specializing in a certain sport, Dr. Jay Hertel, the Joe Gieck Professor in Sports Medicine at the University of Virginia, said there can be some clinical injury risks.
He acknowledged baseball as a sport where year-round training can lead to arm injuries, likely due in large part to the amount of throwing specialized players experience in the course of a season. Hertel said soccer doesn’t carry as many injury risks related to overuse, but the bigger concern should be on the training volume of specialized players in the sport. He broke it down into two perspectives — how much a player trains in a given week and how much a player trains over the course of a year. He said it’s important to monitor weekly training volume but also to make sure the player gets a period to rest during the year. Snow said the stress put on a young body from high amounts of training on a week-to-week and yearly basis can lead to injury risks, in addition to the likelihood of mental fatigue and burnout. With a 13-year-old son and 9-yearold daughter who each play soccer in addition to other sports, Hertel isn’t totally dismissing the possibility of them specializing in soccer if they desired. But he said he’ll exercise caution if that situation arises. “I definitely do have concerns about overtraining. If they were to specialize, I would still want them to have an offseason and probably do something else during that time to stay fit,” Hertel said.
“I certainly appreciate the fact, that if they have the talents and want to pursue a sport in college, they will need to do that sport for a greater period of time than they’re doing right now. “On the other side of things, you at least want to make sure they get exposed to more than one sport because over a lifetime that’s important.” THE BEST COMPROMISE The increased specialization and competition in youth sports have made it difficult for kids to bounce from one sport to the next. Both Bowers and Hertel acknowledged that today’s sports landscape may make it necessary for athletes to specialize if they intend to play beyond high school, but each said the focus on a single sport shouldn’t begin until the early teens. In addition to Hertel’s emphasis on monitoring training volume to mitigate injury risks in specialized athletes, Bowers said players, parents and coaches should also think twice about the format of training. He said informal training, such as pickup games, can be beneficial and produce increased creativity.
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Snow stressed the importance of pickup games and free play among youth soccer players, saying it provides a “very healthy environment for the kids.” Free play allows kids to dictate the game, while coaches simply watch from the sidelines for supervision. If more clubs offered open free play, Snow said it would likely allow them to keep the players in the club for more years and also could end up raising the level of play of all the kids in the club. And if kids are to specialize, free play could help keep the game fun and give players a greater chance of continuing playing soccer when they become adults. Snow believes, for young players especially, free play should be a big part of their soccer experience. “Prior to age 12, 50 percent of training should be free play,” Snow said. “Frankly, I’d like free play to be a little higher than 50 percent, but that’s a good ratio to go with.” While the idea of free play sounds simple enough, coaches and parents often struggle to stay out of the game when at the field. And when managing a game turns into managing a young player’s “career,” it becomes even more difficult for adults to show patience. Bowers said what seems right in adults’ minds isn’t always correct, and they should think twice before beginning kids on a specialized path because the way adults look at sports and the way children experience them are often different.
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“If people do a little bit of digging on their own to think about what’s best for their kid, I think they’ll at the very least have some concerns about specialization as an approach,” Bowers said. “I’m not going to tell anyone that there’s only one way because there’s not. I would just encourage parents to think about their kids as more than just a potential elite athlete and think about what would benefit them in a more holistic way.”
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Orlando City Cuts The Ribbon At New Stadium By: Allison Cary - Article Provided By Partnership with Orlando City Soccer
Orlando City officially cut the ribbon on Friday, opening the new downtown stadium. Many city officials and Orlando City executives that made the stadium possible were there, including Mayor Buddy Dyer, Majority Owner Flavio Augusto da Silva, Mayor Teresa Jacobs, and Parramore City Commissioner Regina Hill. With the Orlando City and Orlando Pride banners hung over the west side entrance, these community leaders came together to cut the ribbon and welcome the city home. The Mayor of Orange County, Teresa Jacobs, spoke about the early days of stadium development. She noted that da Silva was able to see something in Orlando City fans before fans filled Camping World Stadium for their first MLS match. He believed in them, and they pulled through. “Flavio [Augusto da Silva] saw something in the really rambunctious, enthusiastic, passionate fans that I think a lot of us might have missed in the beginning and that is the potential for soccer to just takeover Orlando,” Mayor Jacobs said. TOUCHLINE | 12
“There couldn’t, I don’t think, be a better relationship or a better place for Orlando City Soccer to thrive and to show to this country what soccer can mean and what unity can mean and what diversity can bring in terms of the strength and richness of the quality of life that we are so blessed to enjoy here. And it just got a whole lot richer.” Da Silva himself was emotional at the unveiling, seeing the results of years of hard work and visionary dreams. “I’m very emotive because my heart is really filled with joy. Filled with joy not just because we have a beautiful beauty, an amazing facility, an awesome environment that we are going to create here for soccer. But I’m also very happy when I can see what is behind this achievement,” da Silva said. “If we won, we had support. If we lose, if we lost the game, we also had support. This amazing support in the community, and our fans, we had to find a way to make this happen. And today, when I came here, not only for the beauty. I know what is behind. I know it was teamwork. Every single person in the team worked very hard.”
Mayor Buddy Dyer declared warmly that this was the best soccer stadium in the world, and called on Commissioner Garber to recognize Orlando has the hub it has become for national sports. “This is the best soccer stadium in the world, declared here today,” Mayor Dyer said. “Commissioner, an MLS All-Star Game would be the next perfect event for this city.” In the end, the event was a warm introduction to the Orlando City Stadium. Citizens of the community, as well as staff and media, were allowed to walk around and see what has finally come into being. Next week, we’ll welcome the fans and the entire city of Orlando. “We are very proud to be here,” da Silva said. “For us, it’s a huge privilege to be part of this history. This is the reason I am very emotional today and very happy for what has been happening here. So, thank you.”
Photo Provided by Orlando City Soccer Groundbreaking Ceremony in 2014
Photo Provided by Orlando City Soccer Featured Game in New Stadium
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A LOOK BACK AT THE FYSA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
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A RECAP FROM 2017
WINNERS FROM THE FLORIDA COMMISSIONER'S, PRESIDENTS, & STATE CUP COMPETITIONS In early 2016, the Florida Youth Soccer Association made the announcement about the launch of the brand new FYSA Championship Series for the 2016/2017 season. This new initiative was part of an ongoing effort by the association to unify and restructure all state-level competitions under a single banner. “From the moment we started talking about the FYSA Championship Series, we knew that this was going to be a fresh take on all of our state competitions,” said Marino Torrens, FYSA Board President. “The current restructuring of these games will greatly benefit how we operate and maintain state-run events. We hope that our members will be excited about the upcoming series next year.” The FYSA Championship Series is now comprised of three tournaments; the Florida State Cup, Florida Presidents Cup and the recently designed Florida Commissioner’s Cup.
FLORIDA COMMISSIONER'S CUP For its first year, the Florida Commissioner's Cup had an astounding 700+ teams participate throughout the Sunshine. This competition was designed to replace the original Region Cup Tournament that was played in years prior. Each Region held their own competition and winners were given the opportunity to proceed to the state finals in Auburndale at the Lake Myrtle Sports Park. Here are the winners from the first ever Commissioner's Cup: Boys: U11 Division I OCYS 2006B ACADEMY I, U11 Division II FORT LAUDERDALE FC 06 BOYS BLUE, U12 BOCA UNITED BOYS 2005 PREACADEMY, U13 MANASOTA YOUTH SOCCER LA MAQUINA, U14 NORTH MIAMI MACCABI FBS-FC/JCC U14, U15 DEBUS BAY UNITED SC 2002B STORM BLUE, U16 MST MIAMI PANTHERS FC, U17 WEST PINES UNITED FC U17 BOYS UNITED BEJARANO. Girls: U11 Division I JAYFC ARMADA WFC 06 ELITE 1 NORTH, U11 Division II ROYAL PALM BEACH STRIKERS RPB U11G, U12 BAY UNITED, U13 CNWHY WHYSA KICKS 2004 GIRLS, U14 CORAL GABLES SOCCER STORM GREEN 2003, U15 BREVARD SOCCER ALLIANCE BSA 02 GIRLS ELITE, U16 CNWPA 01 THUNDER RED, U17 BSSCS of ST CLOUD BSSCS2000FC1
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FLORIDA PRESIDENTS CUP In years past, the Florida Presidents Cup was the winding road that continued after the conclusion of Region Cup. Because of the restructure for the FYSA Championship Series, Presidents Cup was developed into a separate event for all teams during the 2016/2017 season. After nearly two straight months of fierce competition, the winners were announced on April 29-30, 2017. These winners progressed to the Region III Presidents Cup Competition in Tulsa, Oklahoma; with the U14 Boys MST United Stars winning Region III. Boys: U12 OCYS 2005B Academy II, U13 MST United Stars U13, U14 MST United Stars U14, U15 Manasota Youth Soccer Monarcas of Palmetto, U16 Miami Strike Force U16 Southern Homestead, U17/18 FKK Kraze Eagles 99, U18/19 Port St. John PSJ United 1998 White. Girls: U12 Tampa Bay United Premier Girls 2005, U13 CSCCS Cape Coral SA 2004 Cyclone Girls Black, U14 Warner ASG FL 2003G, U15 Strictly Soccer FC Select, U16 FKK 01 Florida Krush White, U17/18 Gulf Coast Texans 00 Girls, U18/19 Port St. John PSJ United 1998 Girls.
FLORIDA STATE CUP The Florida State Cup is the first leg of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series and is the highest premiere competition at the state level. The National Championship Series is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing approximately 185,000 players on over 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer State Associations the opportunity to showcase their skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play. State Cup started in March when 560 teams played for the chance to progress further to the state cup finals. By May 20-21, 2017, only four teams remained in the tournament. The winners were announced on Sunday after a thrilling day of competition from the final two teams in each age group. Boys: U13 GPS Florida West 04 Boys, U14 Florida Elite 2003B Elite ,U15 Ives Estates Thunder Premier, U16 Tampa Bay United Premier Boys 2001, U17 ACYS Spirit United B2000 Elites, U18 ACYS Spirit United B1999 Elite, U19/20 Leg-A-Z Soccer Caimans 1998. Girls: U13 OCYS 2004G Pre- ECNL, U14 Sunrise Sting 2003 Black, U15 Florida Elite 2002G Elite, U16 FC Florida 01 Elite Blue, U17 Sunrise Sting 2000, U18 FKK 99 Florida Krush Black, U19/20 Tampa Bay United Premier Girls 1998. TOUCHLINE | 16
FOSTERING GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP FROM KIDSHEALTH FOR PARENTS What is Good Sportsmanship?
Good sportsmanship occurs when teammates, opponents, coaches, and officials treat each other with respect. Kids learn the basics of sportsmanship from the adults in their lives, especially their parents and their coaches. Kids who see adults behaving in a sportsmanlike way gradually come to understand that the real winners in sports are those who know how to persevere and to behave with dignity - whether they win or lose a game. Parents can help their kids understand that good sportsmanship includes both small gestures and heroic efforts. It starts with something as simple as shaking hands with opponents before a game and includes acknowledging good plays made by others and accepting bad calls gracefully. Displaying good sportsmanship isn't always easy: It can be tough to congratulate the opposing team after losing a close or important game. But the kids who learn how to do it will benefit in many ways. TOUCHLINEÂ |Â 18
A child who bullies or taunts others on the
The best coaches - and parents - encourage
playing field isn't likely to change the behavior
their kids to play fair, to have fun, and to
when in the classroom or in social situations.
concentrate on helping the team while
In the same way, a child who practices
polishing their own skills.
good sportsmanship is likely to carry the respect and appreciation of other people into every other aspect of life.
Good Sports Are Winners Ask a first or second grader who won a game, and that child may answer, "I think it was a tie." It's likely the question isn't of any real interest at that stage. Kids may be more eager to talk about the hits they got or the catches they almost made. But as they move into older and more competitive leagues, kids become more focused on winning. They often forget to have fun. Without constant reminders and good examples, they may also forget what behavior is appropriate before, during, and after a sporting event. If a child has a coach who cares only about being in first place and says that anything goes as long as they win, that child picks up the message that it's OK to be ruthless on the field. If parents are constantly pressuring them to play better or second-guessing every move they've made, children get the message that they're only as good as their last good play - and they'll try any method of achieving one. Adults who emphasize good sportsmanship, however, see winning as just one of several goals they'd like their kids to achieve. They help young athletes take pride in their accomplishments and in their improving skills, so that the kids see themselves as winners, even if the scoreboard doesn't show the numbers going in their favor.
Fostering Good Sportsmanship Remember the saying, "Actions speak louder than words"? That's especially true when it comes to teaching your kids the basics of good sportsmanship. Your behavior during practices and games will influence them more than any pep talk or lecture you give them. Here are some suggestions on how to build sportsmanship in your child: - Unless you're coaching your child's team, you need to remember that you're the parent. Shout words of encouragement, not directions, from the sidelines (there is a difference!). TOUCHLINEÂ |Â 19
- If you are your kid's coach, don't expect too
- Set a good example with your courteous
much out of your own child. Don't be harder on
behavior toward the parents of kids on the other
him or her than on anyone else on the team, but
team. Congratulate them when their kids win.
don't play favorites either. - Remember that it's your child, not you, who is - Keep your comments positive. Don't bad-
playing. Don't push your child into a sport
mouth coaches, players, or game officials. If
because it's what you enjoyed. As your child
you have a serious concern about the way that
gets older, let your child choose the sport he or
games or practices are being conducted, or if
she wants to play, and let him or her decide the
you're upset about other parents' behavior,
level of commitment he or she wants to make to
discuss it privately with your child's coach or
it.
with a league official. - Keep your perspective. It's just a game. Even - When you're talking to your child after a
if your child's team loses every game of the
competition, it's important not to dwell on who
season it's unlikely to ruin his or her life or
won or lost. Instead, you might ask your child,
chances of success.
"How did you feel you did during the game?" If your child mentions that he or she didn't do well
- Look for examples of good sportsmanship in
at a particular skill, like throwing or catching,
professional athletes and point them out to your
offer to work on these skills with your child
kid. Talk about the bad examples, too, and why
before the next game.
they upset you.
- Applaud good plays no matter who makes
Finally, don't forget to have fun. Even if your
them.
child isn't the star, enjoy the game while you're thinking of all the benefits your child is gaining - new skills, new friends, and attitudes that can help him or her all through life.
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2017 FYSA Annual General Meeting A RECAP OF THIS YEAR'S EVENT.
The 43rd Annual General Meeting took place at the Marriott Orlando Word Center Hotel in Orlando, FL. in August of 2017. This marked a fresh start to the season as the association addressed and improved on many topics from the previous year.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes this year came in the form of a sold out vendor showcase. With over 50 exhibitors in attendance, new products and services were displayed during the course of the AGM. TOUCHLINE | 22
Along with new vendors, new workshops were presented to the membership this year. Topics such as player safety, mobile apps, tax info for clubs and clubs were just a few of the changes that were made to meeting. We acknowledge that some issues occurred during the general session in regards to voting clickers. We are looking at ways THE MARRIOTT for us to correct this process in ORLANDO WORLD 2018.
CENTER
Clubs, coaches, and volunteers were recognized during the Annual Awards Banquet. Winners are listed in the right column. The next annual general meeting is currently being planned and scheduled for August of 2018. FYSA has received ongoing feedback about the 2017 event and we will be applying these changes in the years to come. The 2018 Annual General Meeting will be held again at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, FL.
THE 2017 ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET WINNERS Boys Competitive Coach of the Year Les Moore Girls Competitive Coach of the Year Calvin Dixon Boys Recreational Coach of the Year Hamed Abdelbary Girls Recreational Coach of the Year Allie Goff TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year Natalie Bress TOPSoccer Volunteer of the Year Brian Hall TOPSoccer Coach of the Year Joni Al-Shabibi TOPSoccer Club or the Year Cape Coral Soccer Association
THE 2017 VENDOR SHOWCASE
Referee of the Year Jacob Aaron Hutchinson Volunteer of the Year John Holcombe Admin of the Year Eric Eichmann Photo of the Year Stephen Ippolito (featured on cover) Goal of the Year Johnnie-Joy Bryant Save of the Year Alex Buttery Hall of Fame Inductee Barb Newton
HALL OF FAME MEMBERS
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2017 National Presidents Cup AUBURNDALE, FLA. (July 16, 2017) – After four days of play, champion teams were decided Sunday at the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup finals in Auburndale, Fla. Division Champion Team 13U Boys TFA SFV 04 (CA-S) 13U Girls Beach FC LB 04 Nunes (CA-S) 14U Boys Downtown LA Soccer Club 03 (CA-S) 14U Girls FC United 2003 Predator (IL) 15U Boys RGV FC Dallas 02 (TX-S) 15U Girls Colorado Storm North 02 Select (CO) 16U Boys Santos Laguna White (CA-S) 16U Girls BAC Blitz (VA) 17/18U Boys Inter America Halcones FC (CA-S) 17/18U Girls IE Surf 00 Kooiman (CA-S) The winning teams were among 40 participating US Youth Soccer Boys and Girls teams in the 13U through 17/18U age groups that came from all over the country to compete for a national title. Region IV teams took home seven titles with winners from Cal South and Colorado. Region III had one champion from South Texas, Region II was represented by one champion team from Illinois and Region I was represented by one from Virginia. TOUCHLINE | 25
National Championships FRISCO, Texas (July 30, 2017) — The remaining champions were crowned Sunday at the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championships at the Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas. The country’s top teams in the 15U through 19/20 Boys and Girls age groups met to conclude the final stage of the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series. Sunday’s final matchups featured teams who earned the right to play for their respective National titles through success in group play and victories in their semifinal games. 2017 US Youth Soccer National Champions 13U Girls San Diego Surf (CA-S) 13U Boys St. Louis Scott Gallagher Pre Academy 04 (MO) 14U Girls LVPSA 03 Red (NV) 14U Boys USA/MP 2003 Premier (SC) 15U Girls Nationals Union 02 Black (MI) 15U Boys Solar Chelsea Red 02 Stricker (TX-N) 16U Girls Nationals Union 01 Black (MI) 16U Boys Tampa Bay United (FL) 17U Girls CUP 00 Gold (OH-S) 17U Boys Baltimore Celtic SC 2000 (MD) 18U Girls TSC Showcase (TN) 18U Boys BRYC 99 Elite (VA) 19/20U Girls 98 CR Academy (NC) 19/20U Boys Challenger Crew Jrs Gold 98 (OH-N) Nationals Union (MI) was the lone club to capture two National Championships, as its 15U Girls and 16U Girls sides lifted trophies on Sunday. The victories marked the third straight National title for several players on both teams who were members of the back-to-back champion PSG MI Gators 02 Orange (MI) in 2015 and 2016. Nationals Union coach Jeremy Harkins said he was thrilled to have both teams who earned the chance to enjoy winning National Championships this year in Frisco. TOUCHLINE | 26
“It’s incredible. It’s something you would dream of in the beginning of the season, but very rarely is it a reality,” Harkins said about having two champion teams. “We’re very excited and proud of the girls. It’s so rare to get one. Most players — the best players in the world — will go their entire careers and not get one championship. For those players to get three is as close to a miracle as you can find.” While Nationals Union defended its title, 17U Girls CUP 00 Gold (OH-S) defeated 2016 National Champion Midwest United FC 00 Royal (MI) in kicks from the mark for an overall 1-0 win. As the final game served as a rematch of the 2016 National Championship match, this was a familiar yet tough matchup for the two sides. “It was two fantastic teams — the two teams who have met in the final the last two years,” CUP coach Bobby Puppione said of the matchup. “Hats off to Midwest for a fantastic performance and year. We got them this year. What an amazing performance from our girls.” Recap of the 16U Boys Team From Tampa Bay United It took all of regulation, but Tampa Bay United (FL) final got the goal it needed to win 1-0 over WCFC Armour 2001 (CA-S) in the 16U Boys National Championship final.
Both Tampa Bay and West Coast continued to test each other to look for opportunities to score and the deadlock finally broke in the 79th minute of play. Tampa Bay earned a corner kick, and Robert Soronellas whipped a ball in to find Nicholas Scargle, who rose up above the West Coast defense and knocked in this chance for the game winning goal. Tampa Bay played out the last minute and as the whistle blew all rushed onto the field and into the history books as the 2017 16U Boys National Champions. “We started off the tournament slowly in our first game but have only been getting stronger as we’ve moved forward, said Tampa Bay head coach Kelvin Jones. “Defensively we were very good today, it just took time for us to get going offensively. With 10,000 teams that start the hunt for a National Championship each year in State Cup the feeling of completing the journey as National Champions can feel surreal. “It’s euphoria, pure euphoria,” continued Jones. “This group has been together for a long time now and to finish it like this with the biggest game of the year, and this late, is something you just can’t write into a story.”
Both teams looked for chances early in the first half with Tampa Bay earning a great chance as Brennan Breuer whipped in a cross that found the head of Alejandro Rodriguez. Rodriguez connected well with the chance, but the header went over the top of the bar. Tampa Bay continued to press, and a long ball over the top was closed down quickly by Armour’s Carlos Gonzalez, who raced out to clear with a big boot. TOUCHLINE | 27
Florida Youth Soccer Association announces new relationship with Orlando Health Sports Medicine
Auburndale, FL and Orlando, FL -- The Florida Youth Soccer Association (FYSA) has selected Orlando Health Sports Medicine as its official medical advisor. Orlando Health Sports Medicine will provide important safety information for parents, coaches, players and the greater community and help facilitate players’ medical care as needed. “In an effort to lead the way on player health and safety, we made the commitment to find the right partner,” said Dale Burke, FYSA Executive Director. “Orlando Health Sports Medicine is a leader in healthcare and we are thrilled to work with such a prestigious organization.” “We are excited about our partnership with FYSA and the potential impact to reduce injuries and increase overall player health and safety,” said Daryl Osbahr, MD, Medical Director & Head Orthopedic Surgeon for Orlando City SC and Chief of Sports Medicine for Orlando Health. “Our goal is to provide educational information on a range of health related topics. With these resources, parents and coaches will have a better understanding of player injuries and concussions as well as the return-to-play guidelines.” The Orlando Health Sports Medicine program provides extensive services in the care and management of athletic injuries. The sports medicine and orthopedic physicians, surgeons, physical therapists, nutritionists, pain management specialists and certified athletic trainers all work together as an integrated team. The goal of the outreach program is to deliver education and injury prevention programs to a wide range of sports’ organizations. Orlando Health Sports Medicine is the official healthcare provider to Orlando City SC and provides medical care for the entire Club, including the MLS Orlando City Lions, NWSL Orlando Pride, USL-Pro Orlando City B, US Soccer Men’s Development Academy, Elite Clubs National League and the Orlando City Youth Soccer Association. In addition, Orlando Health Sports Medicine is the orthopedic & medical consultants for the US Soccer Federation.
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