Beach Soccer News: Soccer in the Sand Hits the Beaches of Coronado
The seventh annual Soccer in the Sand (SITS) San Diego Tournament will take place on June 1-2 at Coronado Cays along the beautiful Silver Strand of Coronado. Kids, parents and coaches can’t wait for the start of this special beach tournament which signals the beginning of imminent summer for many soccer lovers in the San Diego area.
San Diego’s Soccer in the Sand is just one in the 2013 Nationwide Beach Soccer Series, beginning in Santa Barbara, California, on May 18 and continuing through the summer. Other locations in the series include Seaside, Oregon (June 15-16), Jacksonville, Florida (June 22-23), and Rochester, New York (August 3-4). The series will close out in Erie, Pennsylvania, on August 10.
This will be the San Diego event’s third year at Coronado Cays, a location that SITS Director Chris Lemay calls “terrific.” Age divisions for the competition are U9 through U18 for both boys and girls. The deadline to register is May 18, and with a limit of 150 teams the tournament is expected to be sold out.
“Beach soccer is cool and everyone enjoys it,” said Lemay. “It is great for the highest-level players as it places them in an environment where they have to have good technical skills and think outside of the box. Some of the best players have developed playing on the beach and on the streets around the world. Free play enables great creativity. In our country, youth soccer is usually two practices a week with a coach.”
“Playing soccer on the beach enhances skill development,” Lemay continued. “It is important to play in different environments, not always on a manicured field. Playing soccer on the beach allows kids to think for themselves. The players with greater technical abilities always perform better. You have to be able to receive and play the ball in the sand, which is not easy.”
“The sand fields were great, the beach access perfect and the state parks people were awesome.” Lemay said of the Cays. “The entire experience was wonderful and I hope we exceeded everyone’s expectations. Having the ability to swim in the ocean always makes a soccer tournament terrific.”
Lemay is the founder of Soccer in the Sand and an accomplished coach on the regular pitch as well. Currently a coach at San Diego Surf, he has led several girls’ teams to Cal South State Cup Championship finals, bringing back a total of seven trophies overall. Lemay is excited to welcome clubs from around Southern California and from as far away as Arizona for the tournament. Lemay recently won Coach of the Year at Surf and is well known for his leadership and player development.
Once again SITS has partnered with Nike to provide participants with the highest-quality experience. For the fourth year the San Diego event will be co-hosted by San Diego Surf Soccer Club. New this year is a partnership with Coach List, the ultimate sports performance network.
“We are excited to have Coach List as a partner as we kick off our 2013 Nationwide Beach Soccer Series,” said Lemay. “Coach List’s services will allow our participants to network with private coaches, and find college soccer camps near to them, all at the press of a button.”
For those who may not be familiar with beach soccer, the game is played 5v5 with goalkeepers and consists of three eleven-minute periods with two-minute breaks in between. Playing in the sand creates a totally different experience, and much of the action takes place in the air. Every team is guaranteed three bracket games, with the top teams advancing to semifinal and final rounds.
Once again this year the championship teams in several divisions will earn an automatic berth in the USL Major Beach Soccer National Championships. In 2012 both the Men’s and Women’s Open champions qualified through SITS tournaments. In the Men’s Open division, Rush BSC from Cleveland, Ohio, defeated Calvary Chapel 6-5, while in the Women’s Open division De Best Orange County (Calif.) took a 2-0 victory over IABS.
The Soccer in the Sand beach soccer tournament takes place at Coronado Cays. The address of the beach fields are 3700 Silver Strand Blvd., Coronado, CA 92118. Every team participating plays a minimum of three games. The entire family is encouraged to come and enjoy the games and the beach. This is one soccer tournament you won’t have to drag the siblings to.
So mark your calendars and bring your swimsuits, beach towels, sunblock and have a great weekend at Soccer in the Sand.
For more information, visit Soccer in the Sand.
