Super Y-League Feature
Sunday, February 24, 2013
BRADENTON, Fla. – When it came time for Southern Soccer Academy’s Tyler Edwards to decide whether he wanted to focus on playing soccer or baseball, the decision wasn’t a difficult one.
“I played both baseball and soccer, and it came out to be that I was going to have to play travel baseball or travel soccer, because they were in the same season,” Edwards said last week. “I had to pick soccer, because that was my main passion that I really like. I was like, the way I felt when on the field, it made me feel like more of a complete person. It gave me a lot of motivation to work harder and deal with training my very best.”
After his performance at last December’s Super Y-League North American Finals, and this past week’s ODP National Camp at IMG Academy, it certainly appears Edwards made the right decision. The standout forward scored both goals to lead his side to victory in the final of the Boys U16 Division in December, and this week was named to the 96/97 Select A Team after an impressive week of training and scrimmages at the world-class facilities in Bradenton, Fla.
When he arrived at IMG with SSA in December, while the goal of claiming a championship was at the front of his mind, earning the opportunity to return to this event was also present. After scoring four goals in five games, he earned that opportunity, and is now making the most of it.
“It’s great,” Edwards said. “This is exactly what I wanted, because my coach told me that you could be recognized in this tournament to come back for camp, and that’s what I wanted to do, to show our team what I can do. It’s great. They have a great facility, and I love playing on their fields, and we get the chance to have all the college scouts watch us, and even national team scouts, it’s great.”
Southern Soccer Academy has seen a number of players join Edwards at IMG this week, and he credits the club’s re-energized coaching staff for helping the club improve as a whole during the past year. Now led by Steve Gummer, the club has found success in the Super Y-League and elsewhere, and will also be a founding member of the Next Generation Series when the USL’s new youth development initiative begins later this year. Among its alumni are current New England Revolution defender Bilal Duckett, with Edwards among the current crop of players hoping to follow in his footsteps to a top college, and then potentially to the professional ranks.
To that end, the club has provided Edwards and others a platform to grow as they aim to take the step into the college ranks.
“That’s my goal right now, to go to a top program whether it be Division I or Division II,” Edwards said. “That’s my dream right now, that’s what I’m working for.”
The work Edwards has put in has been immersive. When he’s not training or competing, he is an avid viewer of games from throughout the world, being a fan of Real Madrid and SSA’s Training Development Partner, Chelsea. Continuing that immersion in the sport at IMG this past week, Edwards expected to take home important lessons as he continues to try and maximize his potential.
“That would be great,” Edwards said. “That’s exactly what I want, and that’s what drives me every day to become a better player. We’ve got top coaches here from everywhere, professionals, they’re teaching me everything they know, and you’re throwing your name out there to maybe get picked up one day by a college coach, or even a professional one.”