Youth Sports Championship Series Presents The Third Annual Miami Soccer Festival, Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, 2013
(MIAMI, November 7, 2013) - The third annual Miami Soccer Festival returns to Kendall Soccer Park, Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2013, kicking off the new, year-long Youth Sports Championship Series of county-wide sports programs and events designed to optimize the development of young athletes in Miami-Dade County.
The two-day festival will feature back-to-back FYSA-sanctioned tournaments for children ages 12 and under. All games are open to both boys and girls. Youth soccer leagues made up of children ages U9-U12 will compete for the Youth Sports Championship Cup. Teams play elimination games – two games on Saturday, returning for one game Sunday morning and finals Sunday afternoon.
Soccer leagues made up of children ages U5-U8 will play for the Lou Confessore Cup in Festival format, where teams play as many teams as possible within their time slot and every child and every team WINS in the end. The Cup is named after Lou Confessore who founded the Coral Estates Soccer Club in 1966 and was one of the founding fathers of youth soccer in South Florida. He was inducted into the Florida State Soccer Association Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Florida Youth Soccer Associations Hall of Fame in 1992.
The event begins each day at 8 a.m. and will also feature entertainment for all ages, including food vendors, a soccer retail village, soccer tricks and juggling demonstrations, music, and more.
Admission for spectators is free. Team registration costs are between $50 for the younger teams and $150 for older teams, and teams play a minimum of three games.
“Youth sporting events, such as the Miami Soccer Festival, provide opportunities for children to learn and compete in a sport, as well as help in the development of a child’s character,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “When kids are involved in sports, they learn good sportsmanship and discipline, important qualities they will learn and keep into adulthood.”
To register or for more information, please visit www.miamisoccerfestival.org or call Scott Georgeson, 305-965-9855 or [email protected]. To become a sponsor, partner or to volunteer, please contact Alan Georgeson, 305-393-5230 or [email protected].
Miami Soccer Festival, scheduled for Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2013, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., at Kendall Soccer Park, 8011 SW 127 Avenue, in Miami , is sponsored by Publix, Buffalo Wild Wings, Soccer Locker, Radio Caracol 1260AM, Kendall Toyota, West Kendall Baptist Hospital, ESPN Deportes Miami 1210AM, The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, Miami-Dade Parks, and Soccer 5 Foundation.
About the Youth Sports Championship Series
The Youth Sports Championship Series was born in the spring of 2013 as a direct recommendation of the Joint Roundtable on Youth Safety. The roundtable, held by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho and various community leaders across the County, declared with deliberate action and a unified voice that there must be an emphasis of the advancement and safety of our area youths. The recommendations presented in their Action Plan aimed to ensure that the Miami-Dade community comes together for the long haul to develop a safe envelope around our schools and other public places where children gather.
The Youth Sports Championship Series 2014 event schedule includes: the Youth Track & Field Championships in spring of 2014; the Youth Baseball Championships in the summer of 2014; the Youth Flag Football Championship in July 2014, the Youth Golf Championships in August 2014, the Youth Swimming Championship in August 2014, the Team Tennis Challenge in September 2014, the Youth Cross County Championships in the Fall of 2014, the Youth Basketball Tournament in the Fall of 2014, the fourth annual Miami Soccer Festival in the Fall of 2014, the Cheer & Dance Championship in October 2014, and the Pop Warner Football Championships in November 2014.
About Soccer 5 USA and the Soccer 5 Foundation
Soccer 5 USA is the evolution of 5v5 soccer in the USA, a game for all ages and skill levels for all who play soccer, talk soccer, and shop soccer. Its mission is to promote the game of 5v5 soccer in every city around the USA via its platform of Soccer 5 USA operations, Soccer 5 live video and forums, the Soccer 5 Academy and a Soccer 5 shop powered by passion! For further information on Soccer 5 USA, contact Scott Georgeson, President, US Soccer 5, LLC, Tel: 305 873 8765. The Soccer 5 Foundation benefits from the donation of up to 10% of Soccer 5’s profits which are utilized to support the growth of soccer in Miami to promote and encourage a healthy, active lifestyle within the local community. Funds are distributed to create spaces to play, grants for coaching tuition and developmental scholarships, among other initiatives.
About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award, winner of the 2013 Florida Governor’s Sustained Excellence Award and the 2009 Florida Governor’s Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami, Deering Estate at Cutler and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more. For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/.
About The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade
The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that supports the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department’s effort to further develop Miami-Dade County’s world-class parks system for residents and visitors. Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.