For the love of the game

This week’s Sun sports Game of the week does not single out just one game but focuses on the entire Instructional Soccer League at the Community Center. This article is for those of you who enjoy watching kids laughing and playing, for those of you whose kids are now older, and for those of you who like to really feel good about the youth of our great nation and watching grass roots soccer. The 4- to 5-year-old and 6- to 7-year-old recreational instruction leagues are all about fun. These kids are just out there playing because they love the game. You can’t help but smile and feel good inside watching a group of kids, knee high to a grasshopper, chasing around a soccer ball like a swarm of bees. All the while laughing and giggling trying to kick the ball. This is contagious and gets the crowd of fans chuckling and cheering about how cute they are.

The league focuses on trying to teach the basic skills, but emphasizes creating a love for soccer. It all starts with the positive motivation of the wonderful volunteer coaches. Dedicating their free time to insure that these young players love the game of soccer and doing it because it makes them feel really great. So many sponsors and donors year after year also give freely to insure that these children have quality uniforms to feel proud of wearing and electricity for lights to play under. The players and parents are all on board, too. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the emotions of the game when everyone around you at the field is feeling the same way.

Island soccer has a long tradition that continues to grow with these youngsters. So many people over the years have been responsible for creating and maintaining this athletic enjoyment. You can still hear the names of the past whispering through the nets. Great coaches like Woody Candish, Ken Trent, Dennis Granstad, Mark Howard, Scott Lindsey and Sam Sato just to name a few. Great player names like the Bowers' boys, the Lease boys, Skyler Purcell, Joey Hutchinson and many others still hallow the halls of the new Center. Will these coaches and pint-sized players of today be the next Island soccer legends of the future? Only time will tell, but for now, they are having a ball just playing the game! If you want to see and feel the love first hand, just go to the field during any 4- to 7-year-old instructional league night.

Check out the Sun sports Game of the Week every week as we feature game play from around the leagues.

Division III (8-9-year-olds)

Fran Maxon remains unbeaten and shuts out Connie’s Landscaping 3-0 with a combination of strong defense and powerful offense led by Taro DeHaan who scored all 3 goals in the victory. Fran Maxon picked up its second win of the week 4-2 over Jessie’s Island Store. DeHaan led all scoring again with two goals. Josh Class and Ava Zink added one goal apiece in the win. Jack Barnes and Hannah McCracken each scored one for Jessie’s. Connie’s Landscaping won big 5-2 over Jessie’s Island Store and took over second place. Corbin Gregg led the way with four big goals and Jaclyn Schlossberg added one for Connie’s. Hannah McCracken scored both goals for Jessie’s.

Division II (10-11-year-olds)

Mr. Bones and Wash Family Construction moved up in the standings. The first game of the week saw fourth place Mr. Bones knock off second place Southern Greens 5-3. Ben Connors led his team to victory with two goals. Miles Fischer, Jake Miller and Leo Rose each added one goal for Bones. Michael Latimer scored two goals and Abby Achor added one for Southern Greens. Sparks Steel Art remained in first place and took control of the division defeating Wash Family Construction 5-2. The dynamic offensive duo of Dylan Joseph and Tyler Yavalar each scored two goals and Sullivan Ferreira added one. Gavin Sentman scored two goals for Wash Family. Mr. Bones tied first place Sparks Steel Art 2-2. Tyler Yavalar scored both goals for Sparks and Ben Connors scored both for Bones in the barn burner game. Wash Family Construction won a nail bitter 5-4 over Southern Greens. Nico Colleja and Gavin Sentman scored two each and Joe Joe Rogers got his first of the year for Wash Family and the win. Michael Latimer had three goals and Brandon Mills scored one for Southern Greens. Sparks Steel art got the win over Southern Greens 7-3. Tyler Yavalar led all scoring with four goals and Dylan Joseph picked up three more goals for Sparks. Michael Latimer scored two and Reese Helvey added one for Southern Greens. Wash Family Construction picked up a big win over the red hot Mr. Bones BBQ team 2-1. Nico Colleja and Gavin Sentman each scored one for Wash Family and Leo Rose got the lone goal for Bones.

Division I (12-13-year-olds)

Autoway Ford took over first place outlasting a late surge by Mike Norman Realty in a 6-3 game. Autoway led the game 3 to 1 at half but two quick goals by the Mike Norman’s Michael Duffman tied the game 3-3 in the second. Autoway bounced back though and won the game with spread offensive goals by Henrick Brusso-two, Sydney Cornell-two, Neil Carper-one, and Mikey Ellsworth-one. Michael Duffman scored all 3 for Mike Norman Realty. The Gathering Place won its first game of the year 1-0 over first place team Autoway Ford. The Gathering Place scored early on a great pass from Jake Parsons to Knox Wheels for the goal. In the second half The Gathering Place stacked up its defense with Parsons, Emma Terry and Eliza Scott, which helped goalie Blaine Jenefsky record his first shutout.

Premier (14-17-year-olds)

Beach Bistro took over 1st place with two important wins. In its first game, the Beach Bistro team defeated West Coast Surf Shop 5-3. Julius Gomes dominated scoring all five goals for the Bistro. On the flip side, Helio Gomez did the same for the Surf Shop team scoring all three. The Beach Bistro picked up another win in a grudge-match 5-4 game over West Coast Surf Shop. A very good game again where Julius Gomes scored three, Hunter Parish got one and Eva Teitelbaum scores her first goal in the win. Helio Gomez did everything he could again and scored all four for the Surf Shop. Wash Family Construction had the week off.

Adult Co-Ed (21-Up)

The Sarasota Veterinary Emergency Hospital team handed The Island Sun its first loss 4-2. The Island Sun scored its only two goals in the first half, both by Zoran Kolega, and led 2-1. In the second half, Kris Yavalar scored the tying goal with 10 minutes left on a sweet banana hook corner kick. Soon after, Yavalar took a throw in which found the head of Paul Hayward for the go-ahead goal. Toby Wickland led the S.V.E.H team with two amazing goals. Beach to Bay Construction defeated Back Alley 5-3. Enrico Beissert led all scorers with three goals, Scott Eason and Tony Frudakis added one for Beach to Bay. Back Alley gave it a good fight but two goals by Nate Tulucci and one by Tim Tedesco were not enough. The Fish Hole moves into a tie for first place with S.V.E.H by defeating Ross Built 5-0.Goalie Scott Rudacille recorded his first shutout, Brent Moss and Josh Sato scored two goals apiece and Ed Moss gets 1 goal on a nice header.

This week’s action:

Instructional (4-5-year-olds)

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 6 p.m. LaPensee vs. Oyster Bar
Tuesday, Oct. 26, 6:30 p.m. Island Dental Spa vs. Air & Energy
Wednesday, Oct. 27, 6 p.m. Island Dental Spa vs. Oyster Bar
Wednesday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m. West Coast Air Conditioning vs. LaPensee

Instructional (6-7-year-olds)

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m. Dojo Athletics vs. Sandbar
Wednesday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m. LPAC vs. Beach Bums

Division III (8-9-year-olds)

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 5:30 p.m. Connie's Landscaping vs. Fran Maxon Real Estate

Division II (10-11-year-olds)

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m. Sparks Steel Art vs. Wash Family Construction

Division I (12-13-year-olds)

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 6 p.m. Mike Norman Realty vs. The Gathering Place
Wednesday, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m. Autoway Ford vs. Mike Norman Realty

Premier (14-17-year-olds)

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m. Wash Family Construction vs. West Coast Surf Shop

Adult (21-Up)

Thursday, Oct 28, 6 p.m. Island Sun vs. The Fish Hole
Thursday, Oct 28, 7:20 p.m. Sarasota Veterinary Emergency Hospital vs. Back Alley
Thursday, Oct 28, 8:40 p.m. Beach To Bay Construction vs. Ross Built