Roanoke Star Soccer Club U14 and U15 Boys selected to compete in Dallas cup.
Seven boys from Roanoke Star Soccer Club have been selected to play for the Virginia Club Champions League Select team that will participate in the Dallas Cup over Easter 2010. Jack Maxey, Christopher Pollock, Geinda Smith, Nick Garst, Matthew Erath, Devon Fitzgerald and Cory Cosner were all selected due to their continued high caliber performances for their Elite teams throughout the Fall Season. The VCCL is designed for the best youth clubs in Virginia. Players continually play at a high level against the top clubs from the State enhancing their development and opening doors to receive exposure from Colleges and professional teams.
On March 28th the boys from Roanoke Star will eagerly head to the Richmond Airport, jump on a plane and head off to compete in the Dallas Cup. When they arrive in Dallas, Texas, they will be taking part in the oldest and best International Tournament in the USA. The Dallas Cup has been running for 30 years and over this time has hosted teams from over 45 States, 100 Countries and 6 Continents.
The Cup, designed for boys aged 12-19, has seen on average 160,000 spectators a year watch games hosted at Pizza Hut Park, the home of MLS Professional Men’s Soccer team, FC Dallas. Additionally, The Dallas Cup receives 120 minutes coverage on major networks including ESPN, The Fox Soccer Channel and GOL TV.
The Roanoke Star players are going to have to be on top of their game as they will face top quality opposition from Professional Teams all around the world. The boys are excited about the prospect of potentially facing teams such as Chelsea (England), Tottenham Hotspur (England), FC Dallas (USA) and national teams including Japan, Mexico and USA. The tournament will also be an opportunity for the boys to perform in front of College Coaches from across the United States.
Pizza Hut Park contains a 21,193 seat state-of-art pro soccer stadium, along with 17 championship quality soccer fields located just north of the stadium. The 117 acre complex is used over 300 days a year, hosting Major League matches, US Men’s and Women’s National Team matches as well as International soccer matches and high school football. The Dallas Cup kicks off March 28th and concludes April 4th. Learn more at www.dallascup.com.
Roanoke Star Soccer Club U14 Girls, Emily Whitaker and Sydney Varney to Play in International Easter Tournament.
Roanoke Star Soccer Club U14 Girls Emily Whitaker and Sydney Varney have been selected for the VCCL Select U14 Girls team. Whitaker (Woodrow Wilson Middle School) and Varney (Benjamin Franklin Middle School) will be representing the VCCL Select team at the International Easter Tournament in Clearwater, Florida. The Star girls were selected for the Virginia Club Champions League team due to consistently high level performances for their club team. The accolade is a great testament to the girls considering only 18 players were selected for the roster out of approximately 126 players.
In the past, the tournament has attracted quality competition from as far away as Sweden. The girls will get to live like Professional players for the weekend as they prepare for the tournament. The team will wear the same outfits away from the field and Burger King and McDonalds are definitely out as the team coaches monitor the player’s diet. (And cell phones/iPods are banned!)
The girls will then play 3 highly competitive games on the Florida Charge’s fields in Clearwater before returning to club soccer in Roanoke. The International Easter tournament has always been a very positive experience for past Roanoke Star Players who have participated. For Whitaker and Varney, who have both also been selected for the Virginia State ODP team, this will be another step in their development as they continue to work hard for their success.
By Martin Smith [email protected]