Soccer in the Sand - 2011 Nationwide Beach Soccer Series!

Santa Barbara Schedules Posted!

MBS NEWS RELEASE, Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Major Beach Soccer, Soccer in the Sand Renew Partnership

MBS National Championship to feature expanded field of competitors

TAMPA, Fla. – The nation’s beach soccer leaders - Major Beach Soccer and Soccer in the Sand - have announced a new two-year partnership that will allow for the return in 2012 and 2013 of the hugely successful Major Beach Soccer National Championship, which debuted this past December on Clearwater Beach, Florida.

“This is an exciting time for the ongoing development of beach soccer as Major Beach Soccer & Soccer in the Sand  continue to work together to develop a major national championship event for all age brackets,” Major Beach Soccer Director Peter Mellor said.

The renewed partnership adds eight additional qualifying tournaments for the MBS National Championship, in addition to existing MBS events in Daytona Beach, Florida, Fort Myers Beach, Florida and Clearwater Beach.  Soccer in the Sand will host events in Huntington Beach, Calif., Seaside, Ore., Grand Haven, Mich., Los Angeles, Calif., Cleveland, Ohio, Chicago, Ill., and New York City, with one additional site to be named.

For the second consecutive year, teams participating at the qualifying events will compete for a spot at the Major Beach Soccer National Championship. In 2012, 76 teams will qualify to compete for championships after a successful inaugural 2011 event, in which Men’s Open and Women’s Open teams competed with Florida Beach Soccer FC capturing the men’s title and the Peace Passers taking home the women’s crown.

The additions will mean Co-ed Open and boys and girls (U14-U18) teams may qualify by winning their divisions at qualifying events or through point accumulation from playing at multiple events. The inaugural MBS National Championship brought the nation’s top beach soccer talent to Clearwater Beach in December of 2011.

“Soccer in the Sand is again excited to be teaming up with MBS and USL in 2012 and 2013,” Soccer in the Sand’s Chris Lemay said. “Our Nationwide tournament participants are looking forward to having the opportunity to compete for a chance to represent their state in the national championships in Clearwater! The first annual MBS National Championship event was a great success and we are expecting that the buzz will only be better with the addition of the youth divisions.”

Major Beach Soccer is in its 22nd year of bringing the top beach soccer tournament action to Florida’s shores.  Registration is now open at www.majorbeachsoccer.com for this year’s tournaments in Daytona Beach (June 8-10), Clearwater Beach (July 13-15) and Fort Myers Beach (August 4-5).

Major Beach Soccer events feature teams competing five-on-five in 30-minute games with prizes for champions and runners-up in all age groups. Flicks and acrobatic bicycle kicks are the norm in beach soccer, where the fields and goals are small but the action is nonstop. MBS is supported by Umbro and TGI Signage Systems.

United Soccer Leagues

USL has become the largest organization of elite-level soccer leagues in North America by building on the vision, commitment, and passion of players, fans and investors. Now in its third decade of operation, USL continues to be a driving force in the growth of soccer in the United States, Canada and Caribbean. USL provides a clearly defined path for the progression of male and female soccer players beginning at the youth level (Super Y-League/Super-20 League), continuing through the amateur level (PDL/W-League) and up to the professional level, both outdoor and indoor (USL PRO/MISL). A platform for countless players to reach for their dreams each year, USL is devoted to developing the sport at the grassroots level in every community across the region.

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