Manatee Area Youth Soccer Organization coach Rui Fernandes and some of the league’s Manatee Magic players — part of the youth soccer club based at G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton — arrived May 5 at the Center of Anna Maria Island to put on a free soccer clinic.
About 30 kids, ages 7 to 14 years, showed up ready to learn. Magic players helping out at the clinic were islanders Thomas Heckler and David Thompson, along with Pedro Santibanez and Elijah Hager of Bradenton. They represent the U17 Manatee Magic team coached by former islander Brett McIntosh.
MAYSO was founded in 1976.
Currently it is under the direction of this reporter, who serves as vice president of competitive soccer alongside recreational soccer director Rui Fernandes, a career counselor at Palmetto High School.
Fernandes also is a partner in the Florida Soccer School, which puts on camps throughout the state.
Fernandes’ soccer experience includes the University of Connecticut, 1999-2003, with a national title in 2000. He served as team captain 2001-03.
He served as an assistant coach at the collegiate level at USF Tampa and Southern Connecticut State University while club coaching at Fishhawk Soccer Club before joining the Mayso team.
Fernandes and his assistants put the clinic kids through an array of drills for skills — dribbling, passing and receiving — while emphasizing the need to communicate and have fun.
The Florida Soccer School will be host two camps at G.T. Bray Park — June 7-11 and July 26-30.
Mayso will be back Wednesday, May 12, for another clinic at the center, with signup at 941-778-1908.
Manatee Magic tryouts on the horizon
Tryouts for the 2021-22 Manatee Magic soccer season are set for the week of May 17-19 at G.T. Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave. Drive W., Bradenton.
There is no cost to try out, but registration is required at mayso.org. Click competitive tryouts to find teams by age group.
The tryouts are 6-7:30 p.m. with check-in starting at 5:30 p.m. Ages and tryout dates are as follows:
- May 17: U9-U10, birth years 2012-13;
- May 18: U11-U12, birth years 2010-11;
- May 19: U13-U19, birth years 2004-09.
May 20 is reserved for any needed rainouts.
If kids can’t make their tryout dates, email info@mayso.org for an alternate tryout.
More soccer action
The spring soccer league at the center completed its fourth week of action May 4 with a bevy of games.
The 8-10 division saw Solid Rock Construction and Shady Lady battle to a 1-1 tie in the opening game of the night. Jesse Zaccagnino scored for Shady Lady, while McKenna Darak scored for Solid Rock.
The second 8-10 match was another close one, as Tidy MD held on for a 1-0 victory behind a goal from Kirra Quinby.
Next up, an 11-14 division match saw Grooms Automotive slip past HSH Designs 1-0 behind a goal from Cecelia Kroth. Victor Albrecht made nine saves to help keep HSH Designs in the match.
The final match of the night was a barnburner. AM Bath Time outlasted The Gitt Team 6-5 behind four goals from Maddox Culhane and a pair of goals from Jack Mattick.
Hamish Robertson scored three goals to lead The Gitt Team, which also received a goal each from Jason Magee and Cyrus Ryan in the loss.
Adult soccer continues
Four weeks into adult soccer at the center finds CABB Cleaning and Beach Bums on top of the standings with matching 3-0-1 records. Right on their heels is Flynn Law at 3-1, just ahead of third-place Slim’s Place, which boasts a 2-1-1 record. The records go south from there with Salty Printing, Sandbar Restaurant and Sato Real Estate all at 1-3, while Killer Bait completes the standings at 0-3-1.
The first match May 6 saw Killer Bait and Slim’s Place battle to a 7-7 tie. Chris Scott and Daniel Hampton scored two goals each, while Chris Culhane, Ethan Hampton and Ryan Moss each scored one.
Keith Mahoney led Slim’s with three goals, while Daniel Adan and Raul Loera added two goals.
Sato got into the win column with an 8-6 victory over Salty Printing behind three goals from Rico Beissert and two goals from Selena Gonzalez. Josh Sato, Lyn Clarke and Thomas Mangotic completed the scoring with a goal each.
Kevin Roman led Salty Printing in the loss with three goals.
Beach Bums rolled to a 7-1 victory over Flynn Law behind four goals from Emily Fischer and a goal each from Tyler Brewer, Lucky Durmaz and Jamie Hutchinson.
Hakan Toka notched the lone goal for Flynn Law in the loss.
The last match of the night saw CABB cruise to a 5-1 victory over Sandbar. Luca Vechio scored three goals to lead CABB, which also received a goal each from Timo Vechio and Kali Richardson.
Jessica Williams scored for Sandbar, which also received nine saves from Kevin Mulcahy in the loss.
Key Royale golf news
A full week of golf at Key Royale Club started May 3 with a men’s modified-Stableford system match.
Bill Koche and Bill Shuman both carded plus-5s to tie for top individual honors.
A trio of teams finished in a tie for first, including Ken Butler, Koche, Quentin Talbert and Joe Tynan; Buddy Foy, Dale Hudson, Jerry Martinek and Blake Ress; and the foursome of Marty Hicks, John Kolojeski, Tom Nelson and Shuman all with scores of plus-5. No word on who purchased the post-match drinks in the clubhouse.
The women played a nine-hole individual-low-net match in three flights May 4.
Betsy Meyer fired a 4-under-par 28 to win Flight A by a stroke over Lisa Edmonds.
Margrit Layh carded a 1-under-par 31 to grab first place in Flight B.
Sally York’s 2-under-par 30 gave her first place in Flight C by one stroke over Janet Razze.
The men were back on the course May 6 for a nine-hole shamble that saw the team of Jon Holcomb, Hoyt Miller, Larry Solberg and Terry Terras card a 3-under-par 29 to earn bragging rights for the day.
Horseshoe news
To say Rod Bussey is on fire in the pits would be an understatement after earning his fourth consecutive victory with the AMI horseshoe group.
On May 5, Bussey teamed up with Bob Heiger to post the lone 3-0 pool play record to win the day’s championship and his third in a row.
Two teams posted 3-0 records during May 8 horseshoe action and battled for the day’s title. Bussey, this time teamed up with Steve Doyle, rolled to an easy 21-11 victory over Jerry Disbrow and Billy Silver for Bussey’s fourth consecutive victory.
Play gets underway at 9 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. There is no charge to play, everyone is welcome.