Soccer stars show their skills at Apricot Jam Tournament
Nearly 1,200 youngsters compete in two-day event
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

WHAT A WEEKEND- Thirteenyear-old Sara McDonald, left, of Moorpark attempts to track down Deysi Eucario, 14, of Newbury Park during a game at last weekend's Apricot Jam Tournament at Arroyo Vista Park. It was the ninth consecutive year the Moorpark AYSO has hosted the event.

Sunshine, smiles and soccer- it all made for a funfilled weekend at the ninth annual Apricot Jam Tournament at Arroyo Vista Park in Moorpark.

According to tournament director Michael Head, the two-day event drew 104 teams from 28 cities throughout Southern California. Approximately 1,200 soccer players between the ages of 9 and 14 competed, two-thirds of which were girls' squads.

The tournament was conducted by Moorpark AYSO. The Moorpark Park and Recreation Department assisted in setting up 13 fields for the youngsters to play on.

"We've had parents, grandparents; there have probably been at least 5,000 people throughout the day at the park," Head said. "It's been phenomenal.

"The city was really great by allowing us to do this," he said. "The Park and Recreation staff here has bent over backward helping us out, making sure that things were running smoothly. It's been a great weekend. We haven't had any problems, and the kids seem to be having a great time."

Since its inception nine years ago, the tournament has more than doubled in size and is now one of the largest AYSO events in the southern half of the state, Head said.

Each team pays an entry fee to play. The cost varies from $325 to $375 per group. Head said Moorpark AYSO uses the proceeds to pay for league expenses throughout the year.

"The money helps pay for new goals, equipment; we have a scholarship fund. When we play our regular season during the fall, if we have children whose families can't afford to pay the registration fee, then we've got money on hand from this tournament to cover that."

All of the coaches, referees and members of the tournament staff are volunteers. According to Head, it takes eight months to organize the event, which includes sorting through team applications to find the right mix of talent on the field.

"We review all of the applications," he said. "We ask the coaches to rate their teams so when they're playing they're not going against a team that is much stronger than they are. We want every team to have a chance to play a team that's the same level as they are."

On Sunday afternoon, Simi Valley resident Jane Smith sat on the sideline watching her grandson Cliff compete in a boys' 1112 consolation match. It was the fourth game she'd attended in two days.

"The soccer has been very good," Smith said. "All the teams play well, and Cliff's team from Simi won a pair of shutouts yesterday. It's been fun to be out here. It's also nice that the tournament is so close to home."

With so many out-of-town visitors making the trek to Moorpark and the surrounding communities, local businesses benefit as well.

Valeria Auer, owner of Two Guys From Italy, a pizza and pasta resturant in Moorpark, said her establishment had one large group of players and family members come in Saturday night.

"There were about 11 people," she said. "I knew there had to be some type of tournament going on."

In the end though, it all boils down to the kids on the field and the parents and fans on the sideline, said Mike McDonald, head coach of the Moorpark U-14 girls' squad. If the kids and parents are having fun, he said, then the hosts have done their job.

"We run into some of the Conejo Valley teams at different tournaments throughout the year," McDonald said. "Sometimes you get to know them and they get to know you. It's fun.

"Like right now, we're rooting for Newbury Park and they're rooting for us. When we play each other we play hard, but it's good, friendly competition. It's a chance for our girls to see the bigger world that is soccer."