Center soccer season — Spirit Day — on horizon
Tryouts are over, players are picked for teams and practices are underway. It must be soccer season.
All that’s left are matchups on the field for the recreational soccer league at the Anna Maria Island Community Center.
Spirit Day — a dress rehearsal for players and fans of the game — is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26. It’s an all-day jamboree of spirited mini-games that allow the coaches to test the players in their positions and formations.
Spirit Day also is a contest to see who — parents, players, fans — has the most team spirit. All are encouraged to dress in team colors and the event usually produces a plethora of wacky hair styles and colors and spirited attire.
The regular season of games will start the week of Sept. 28.
Stay tuned. The schedules haven’t yet been provided.
The league has five age divisions competing, starting with two instructional leagues where scores and standings aren’t kept, and the focus is on learning the game and having fun. The 3-5 division has four teams, while the 6-7 division has three.
The 14-17 age group has only12 players, so it appears they will train together and mix six-on-six games.
The 8-10 division has three teams and it looks like parity will be the rule of the day. Each team is evenly matched on paper, so how they settle on the field will determine which team rises to the top.
Team Johnston, coached by David Johnston, will be led by Josie Alderson, who has a motor that never stops.
Team Culhane, coached by Chris Culhane, will look to Julian Lazzara when the chips are down. With two sets of siblings — Matthew and Landon Bell and Makaela and Marley Culhane — this team should come together quickly and might be the class of the division.
Team Coleman, coached by Jon Coleman, will look to Aiden Templeton for leadership, there’s support coming from Frankie Coleman and Juliet Greene.
The 11-13 division is packed with talent, including another Team Johnston, which boasts budding star Anthony Monetti from the 8-10 division. He will receive support from Jackie Schlossberg and Gavin Johnston.
Tyler’s Ice Cream is another team in the mix for 11-13 division supremacy. It is led by Javier Rivera, David Daigle and Thomas Heckler.
However, the division could come down to Sugar Beach Digital, which boasts Tyler Brewer, Ava Zink, Daniel Sentman and Lilah Bowers and looks to be the deepest team in terms of talent.
Wash Family Construction counters with the powerful left foot of Sean Rodgriguez, who will be supported by teammates Fiona Turner-Leatham, Angelina Sculco and Sam Waterman.
Two more weeks of practice, including the Sept. 26 jamboree, will take players into another fun and exciting fall soccer season on the outdoor fields at the center, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.
Horseshoe news
Two teams advanced to the knockout stage during Sept. 9 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits. The team of Tim Sofran and Jay Disbrow rolled over Steve Doyle and Tom Skoloda by a 23-11 score to earn bragging rights for the day.
Three teams advanced during Sept. 12 action. The team of Sam Samuels and Bob Heiger drew the bye into the finals and watched as Hank Huyghe and Neil Hennessey knocked out walker, Jay Disbrow, 21-12. Huyghe-Hennessey stayed hot and easily defeated Samuels-Heiger 22-8 to earn a trip to the winner’s circle.
Play gets underway at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection.
There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.