The month of November is packed full of soccer for Foley Sports Tourism (FST), and the action kicks-off with the Alabama Soccer Association (ASA) State Cup, November 1-3.
The tournament anticipates 120 club soccer teams, from around the state, to compete for the title of “best in Alabama.” Competitors will be a mix of boys and girls ranging in age from 14 – 19.
ASA State Administrator, Lynn Bertovic, said the organization has hosted the State Cup for about 45 years, and has seen it grow, especially in recent years.
“It continues to grow as soccer becomes more mainstream in our schools and parks across Alabama,” Bertovic said. “We hope with the increase publication and access to games on television and across the world (especially with the US Soccer Women’s Team winning the World Cup for the fourth time), the numbers in youth soccer will continue to grow.”
All participating teams have earned their spot in the State Cup by qualifying through State League Play. However, the hard work doesn’t stop here. The winning teams have an opportunity to compete in the next round of Regional Championships through US Youth Soccer.
FST Ground Supervisor, Rhett Brown, explained that his crew has been busy preparing the fields for the quality competition.
“We realize there’s a lot on the line for these teams, and the last thing they need to worry about is the state of the facilities,” Brown said. “Our staff works to make sure from the moment families drive in, to when they load up to leave at night, the only worry they have is how they play.”
The ASA State Cup is free for spectators looking to check it out. For more information on this or any FST event visit our events page.