Saturday, July 16, 2011
CLEARWATER, Fla. - On a warm and breezy day on Clearwater Beach, dozens of youth teams kicked off the 21st annual Major Beach Soccer Clearwater Beach event. The first day of the tournament saw plenty of competitive action and intense matchups as teams begin the fight to book their place in the MBS National Championships, which will be held on December 17-18 in Clearwater.
Thanks to the continued support of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission and the City of Clearwater, teams from all ages and sizes will be able to put their beach soccer skills on display this weekend. More than 115 teams will take to the sand this weekend with divisions from U-8 up to Men’s & Women’s Open division.
The youth teams that kicked off Friday tried to start the tournament on a strong note. Some familiar faces were on hand from last month's MBS tournament in Daytona Beach, so the majority of teams had beach soccer experience. This added to the competitiveness and overall skill level of participants on Day 1.
Moving the ball as quickly as possible and keeping possession will come a lot easier during the weekend on the Clearwater sand. Unlike Daytona, the sand in Clearwater is much more compact this weekend than it has been in past tournaments. This smoother surface will help teams keep control of the ball as well as add to the quality of shots in and around the attacking zone.
The Clearwater Beach MBS Tournament continues through Sunday when the Open Division champions will book their place to compete for a national championship in Clearwater. MBS Clearwater Beach is supported by Umbro, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, the City of Clearwater, Powerade, Red Bull, Kellogg’s, Orlando City Soccer Club, Hooters, TGI Signage Systems, and Farpost Soccer Company.