Florida Discount Signs wins in overtime

The Sun Sports Game of the week was the championship game for the Anna Maria Island Community Center’s 4 v 4 adult co-ed soccer tournament. The final match of the day saw the Florida Discount Signs team battle the Dream Crushers for the first annual championship.

Both of these two teams were undefeated in regular pool play and through the tournament bracket before entering the championship game. Setting the pitch up for a fantastic tournament finish.

Florida Discount Signs came out ready for action. One minute into the game, Danny Anderson dribbled down the right side and snuck a low hard shot into the right side for the first goal of the game, 1-0. Not wasting any time, The Dream Crushers bounced right back when at the two minute mark in the game, Tony Rudacelli ripped a beautifully placed shot into the upper left 90 to tie the game 1-1.

With a little over one minute left in the first half, Rudacelli assisted with a crossing pass to Kris Yavalar on the left side. Yavalar shot to the lower left corner past the goalie and in, 2-1. With only 30 seconds left in the half, Yavalar stole a misdirected pass in the middle of the field and blasted a shot again into the lower left corner that gave The Dream Crushers the 3 – 1 lead at the half.

Two minutes into the second half, Danny Anderson assisted with a center pass to Will Kretzman who one timed the shot into the back of the net, 3-2. A minute and a half later Anderson scored his second goal of the game on a breakaway and a nifty pump fake that put the goalie to the ground and enabled him to go around and score. This tied the game 3 to 3.

The rest of the second half saw incredible goalie play on both sides of the field. Tony Rodriguez, from The Dream Crushers, and Josh Sato, from Florida Discount Signs made spectacular save after spectacular save. Both teams were unable to score, and the game remained a tie 3-3 after regulation.

In a tournament there has to be a winner. No going home with a tie in soccer on this day, so the game went into the golden goal format where the first team to score in the five minute overtime wins. Will Kretzman didn’t waste any time. With the tournament championship in sight, he picked up a loose ball on the right side. He dribbled into scoring range and blasted a 25-footer into the left upper 90, off the post, and in for the celebrated final goal. Florida Discount Signs won the match 4-3 in overtime.

Tournament Results

Pool A
The Dream Crushers  4
Island Pest Control  0

The Dream Crushers  3
Wash Family Construction  2

Wash Family Construction  5
Island Pest Control  2

Pool B
Florida Discount Signs  5
Island Cup  1

Florida Discount Signs  4
Center of Attention  3

Center of Attention  5
Island Cup  3

Bracket Elimination Pool
Island Pest Control  4
Center of Attention  3

Wash Family Construction  5
Island Cup  3
in O.T. Shootout

The Dream Crushers 2
Island Pest Control  1

Florida Discount Signs  8
Wash Family Construction  1

Championship Game

Florida Discount Signs  4
The Dream Crushers  3
in Golden Goal O.T.

 

Competing in the Senior Games

So this is it. I’ve been training much of this year for the Florida Senior Games. I’ll be competing in several sprinting events, but my main focus is the 100-meter race. My local qualifying time is :06 slower than NCAA college girls’ personal records at USC. I have the 2012 USC Track and Field Guide, since my daughter goes there.

Just two years ago, you may recall that I did my first marathon (Palm Beaches) and was the 5th oldest to finish. So, you might wonder, “Why is she doing a track meet?”

Several reasons. First, as you may know, slow and fast twitch muscles are genetic. We all have some of both, but usually more of one than the other. Slow twitch muscles help with endurance running of longer distances. Fast twitch muscles help with sprinting.

I’ve never consider myself to be a fast endurance runner. While I’ve placed in my age group at 28 5 or 10K races since 2008, I’ve definitely seen women my age do a 5K 2-3 minutes faster. But the 100 meter is another story.

Now, I’m no speed demon there either. But as I studied the times in state and national 100 meters, I thought, I could place, depending who shows up on race day. It always depends on that, of course.

Another reason is that Title 9, which gave women the right to compete equally in collegiate sports, didn’t exist when I went to high school or college. The only choice we had back then was after school field hockey and home economics.

As I began to work out with high school girls and then compete at races, I saw that my speed at the beginning of runs and races was remarkably fast. While that is somewhat normal, I began to wonder what it might be like to compete in shorter distances. The only problem was, there aren’t many track and field events for adults in southwest Florida. In fact, the closest races I could find would have been out-of-state. I don’t like driving 45 minutes to a 5K in Sarasota. So driving to South Carolina just wasn’t an option.

That really only leaves the Senior Games. They occur locally in Sarasota/Manatee County once a year. But only every other year is what is called a qualifying year. So even though I competed locally two years ago and got two gold medals in my events, it didn’t count until I competed this year, the qualifying year. I got three golds earlier this year in the 50 meter, 100 meter and 400 meter races.

Another reason is that family legend has it, I had an uncle who broke a track record at the high school he went to. None of his children or any other relatives know what it was. I’ve checked records at the school, and they don’t go back to the 1930s. But just knowing that gives me inspiration to discover if fast twitch muscles rule.

And finally, my youngest daughter took up running in a big way in high school. While there were several sprinters faster than her, her times were good enough to be on a relay team. And she broke the high school pole-vaulting record, and placed 15th at a state meet.

Although she has found other interests in college (communication – imagine that?), she continues to run for fitness. I hope that she continues to enjoy the love of running for many years. By competing at my ripe old age of 60, I hope to inspire that age is just a number and that genes that gave my mom, aunt and both sisters breast cancer don’t determine fate.

Speaking of 60, so now, tomorrow included, I get to be the youngest in my age group. I have the best chance I ever will of placing in races for my age group. Whether I place tomorrow remains to be seen. Sprinting is much harder on the body than endurance running.

Part of me can’t wait to get back to longer, slower runs when the body doesn’t complain so much. My real goal for tomorrow, as it always really is to finish without injury.

Oh, btw, stay tuned for my cooking classes that will resume in January. Save Fridays at noon. Details later.

Gotta run!

You can follow Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones on her Facebook page and keep up with her just released book:,"Eat Vegan on $4 a Day," or her website: www.vegcoach.com. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and running coach. For training in a gym or private hire, contact Ellen at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.