Everything You Need to Know About Surf College Cup 2017
Surf College Cup Showcase is just around the corner — this is an amazing opportunity for youth soccer players from all across the country to participate in a world-class showcase which attracts college coaches from around the country. This tournament was launched to provide college-bound players with a chance to reach for their dreams.
Youth Soccer News: Diane Scavuzzo of SoccerToday sat down with Michelle Romero, Tournament Director of Surf Cup and Surf College Cup Showcase, to discuss more of the details in preparation for the tournament. 382 teams and over 6,100 players will be playing in one of the largest tournaments in the USA. Surf Cup Sports is hosts these events in San Diego and brings more tourists to America’s finest city than any other youth sporting event.
Diane Scavuzzo: What states and countries will be represented in Surf College Cup?
Michelle Romero: There will be teams from Australia (2), Canada (4), Guam (4), Japan (1), Korea (2), and Mexico (1).
Teams from Arizona, Northern Californian, Southern California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington will be there.
Diane Scavuzzo: How many games will each team play?
Michelle Romero: Every team participating in the Surf College Cup Showcase play 3 full-length games.
Because we really believe in player development and minimizing injuries — respecting our players, each team only plays one game per day — in a true College Showcase format. This really worked very well for college coaches to have time to identify their top picks.
Diane Scavuzzo: What do you like about being a tournament director?
Michelle Romero: Seeing the hard work that is put into managing and creating this event — and, all of the behind the scene efforts by so many people who ask for no recognition. It just pays off in volumes for the players, the families and the college coaches who attend.
At Surf Cup, No detail is ignored. Nothing is done half-way.
For us, the event is all about the experience for everyone who attends. We focus on the college coach and player experience. It is about the great soccer on the field.
It’s rewarding to watch it all come together and be a part of an amazing group of hard-working people that care and work hard for the right reasons. People leave the event with memories of a lifetime.
I talk to people all the time that say “I remember when I played Surf Cup”.
That’s something that is pretty special to be a part of. Our high-quality grass fields are professionally maintained and the best in the industry. Everyone works together to make this an event that creates opportunities for the players to be scouted.
Diane Scavuzzo: What will the college coaches experience?
Michelle Romero: The college coaches that attend will see top teams from clubs around the country and around the world. Not everyone can be a DA or ECNL club. Those clubs are really in the minority across the country.
There are thousands upon thousands of top-level players that, just because of where they live, cannot be part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, (DA) or ECNL, so College Cup is a great platform for college coaches to watch these players.
Games are competitive and players are playing their best in front of the hundreds of coaches that attend.
We take care of the college coaches as well — free parking, a VIP with food throughout the day, Yours In Soccer is hosting a complimentary evening reception on Friday night for the college coaches, and Scouting Zone will be on site to assist all college coaches.
We basically want to make the experience as memorable for the college coaches as we do the players.
No one person, no one team and no one coach is more or less special than another. Every person that comes to this event is equally as important as the other.
We realize they all pay to be a part of this in one way or another and they are all giving up their Thanksgiving weekend to be here so we owe it to them to make it as special and as memorable as we can.
Photo Credit: Carey Schumacher
