Congratulations to all Spring Challenge participants:

 

Players, coaches, parents, spectators, referees, and volunteers all conducted themselves  extremely well all weekend.  In spite of the smothering heat, everyone remained cool headed and set world class examples of behavior.   

 

While there was some great soccer played throughout the weekend, a lot of folks distinguished themselves by the way they played the "Bigger game"  the game of life.  Here are a couple of examples....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: U12 Space Coast Cyclones Girls coach Richard Floto was overheard answering this question posed by a player as she came off the field after a substitution.....  "Coach why did the referee call me offside on that last play?"   We have all had the question or one like it from players or spectators and there is a wide variety of answers we have heard.  I think Richard's answer is the one we should all use:   "I don't know, but the referee had a better view of the play than I did"   I plan to use that answer when I hear that question in the future, especially when an eagle eyed spectator standing at midfield questions a call made around the 18....  I think the referee had a better view......                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: The Under 10 Boys Wellington Wave, MEGU Fusion, and Miami Stars were involved in the closest tiebreaker we have ever seen when Group 2 of the National Division ended pool play in a three way tie for first place.  Coaches from all three teams gathered around me as I tried to figure out who was going to go to the Championship match as the First place team in the Group.  The other two teams, as second and third place teams in the group, would be finished for the weekend.  The first tiebreaker eliminated one team leaving  Miami USA and the MEGU Fusion teams still tied after going through all the tiebreaker rules,  all were even except one, head to head where MEGU had beaten Miami USA in the first game on Saturday.  The MEGU team and their fans were ecstatic and celebrated the news that they would move on to play in the finals.  While the Miami USA team and coaches must have been very disappointed at missing the Championship by the narrowest of margins (the closest tiebreaker we can recall in more than 15 years of Challenge Tournaments). Coaches Carlos Ventura, Carlos Jones, and  Director Olman Quesada accepted the news with a world class attitude and showed the kind of grace and sportsmanship that is extremely rare.  They looked at the facts and the tiebreaker rules and acknowledged that this was just not their weekend to make it into the finals.  These great men did not try to tarnish or cheapen the good news for the Fusion team and also made it possible for the players on their team to be proud of their accomplishments for the weekend. They did not let their players get caught up in playing  "what if" or blaming someone (like a referee) or something (like a bad break) for their "failure".  Instead the players were able to go home feeling good about themselves and the way they played all weekend. In our opinion, there is no soccer skill or technique that would be nearly as valuable to a young player as the example of sportsmanship and grace set by these gentleman.  Our hat is off to Coaches Carlos Ventura, Carlos Jones, and  Director Olman Quesada  of the Miami USA organization.

 

Text Box: LINK  TO  RESULTS  and  SCHEDULES                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the link to the results and final standings for all Divisions in the Spring Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenge Tournaments College Scholarships - We award 2 College Scholarships every year to High School Seniors who are planning to attend college in the fall.   Participants in Challenge Tournaments are eligible to the Scholarships. 

Go to http://www.challengesports.com/Scholarships/ScholarshipInfo.htm for in formation and an application.  The application deadline is May 10th

 

Challenge 3 v 3  Florida State Championships - There are two local qualifiers left before the Inaugural Challenge 3 v 3 Florida State Championships in Melbourne June 8 and 9. 

The Press Journal Hobart Park 3 v 3 Challenge May 18, and the Port Orange 3 v 3 Challenge May 18/19. 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Link to 3 v 3 Information 

If your team doesn't qualify for the Cup Division, they can enter the Classic Division in the Championships.  In the Cup Division the Coach and all players on Division Champion teams receive free passes to Universal.  In the Classic Division the Coach of Division Champs gets a free pass to Universal.

 

 

 

Text Box: Contest!!!! For those faithful readers who read all the way to here.  We had such a great response that we are going to give Epic Sports Miniballs to the first 12 correct answers to this Cryptoquip instead of the first 5 as originally planned.  Text Box: Y  FWIGG PIQIPIIG HPI SHPIQPII DHTTE-FU-XWSJE FWEG KDIE RDYGKXI RDYXI KDIE RUPJ  

 

 

 

 

You even get a clue   I = E

 

 

Prizes will be available at Friday night team check-in.  Ask you coach to claim your prize for you at the Goody Bag table.

The first correct answers came from

1)    Angie Hunt - mother of players on the U8 Terminators and the U11 Westside Eagles (that makes Angie one of Shirley Holstein’s flock.. a good reference if there ever was one)

2)   Dale Segler – Coach of the U13 MEGU Fusion Girls (with a little help from his father Sid)

3)   Debra Scheurer – U10 Space Coast Storm Girls Team Mom

4)   Tom Walden – Palm Bay Volunteer and Referee

5)   Nick Morris - A happy, go lucky referee

6)   Amy Schmid with help from her son Eric   U-11 palm bay fire   Pbys

7)   Christina Castellanos. Sister of a U12 Palm Bay Boys soccer player.

8)   Susan Sheehan (Coach Steve Sheehan's wife)  Space Coast United U9 Boys

9)   Jerie Olsen CBS U11 Girls Parent

10) Coach Pat Walther Indian River Stealth U10 Boys

11) Renee Jones - mother of U12 Titusville Shockwave and U15 Titusville Spartan.

12) Jami Oliva  - Palm Bay U9 Girls manager

13) Laure Normandin   Mother of Palm Bay Fury players Brittany and Jaclyn.