Foley Sports Tourism is poised to welcome more than 100 youth club soccer teams for the 38th Annual Gulf Coast Invitational April 16 – 18.
The event, a partnership between Snap Soccer and Bayside Dynamo FC, has been a premier event on the FST calendar for years. After the 2020 tournament was forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Invitational is back in full force expecting boys and girls club soccer teams ranging in age from U9 to U19.
Tournament Director Zack Touchstone said the Gulf Coast Invitational has really set itself apart from other competitions not only by the level of play but also the location.
“The registration numbers are on par with previous years. We have teams coming from six different states,” Touchstone said. “Part of that is because of the quality of the complex. The number of fields allow us to host more teams at fewer complexes.”
FST Field Superintendent Rhett Brown said the staff and the facility are ready for GCI.
“It’s been a long year,” Brown said. “We’re very excited to see things start to return to normal. We have worked with the tournament planners on what COVID protocols to keep in place as standards and guidelines continue to change. Our first priority will always be safety, but after not even being able to play last year, this is a breath of fresh air. It may be a new normal, but it feels wonderful.”
The Gulf Coast Invitational will run Friday evening then all day both Saturday and Sunday. There is a $5 admission fee. For more information about this tournament or any FST event visit our events page.
