News

November 17, 2009 – New Canaan, Connecticut – Beachside Soccer Club raised over $15,000 for the internationally renowned organization, Grassroot Soccer, Inc. Six Beachside soccer teams and their families participated in the fundraising over a three-week period.

Mrs. Jennifer Mines, of Ridgefield, and Beachside U12 Blue coach, John Chiavaroli, of Darien, organized the event. “I am so grateful that Beachside agreed to support Grassroot Soccer,” said Chiavaroli. “I worked as a field intern for them last year in South Africa and Namibia, so it is an organization that is close to my heart. With the World Cup in South Africa next year, it seemed like a good fit for so many reasons.”

Close to one hundred Beachside players (representing 15 Fairfield County towns) participated in numerous soccer activities throughout the evening, which included 4v4 small-sided games and dribbling relays, as well as juggling, shooting power, and shooting accuracy competitions. The winners of each competition received a Grassroot Soccer tee shirt. The most meaningful activity of the evening was the 100-mile dribble at the beginning of the event. Ethan Zohn, winner of the CBS hit television series: Survivor, and co-founder of Grassroot Soccer, dribbled a soccer ball from Boston to Washington DC last year in order to raise money and awareness for HIV/AIDS prevention.

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Huntington, WV. July 7

The U12 Boys won all three first round games, outscoring opponents 12-1, before defeating local rival FC Westchester 3-1 in the semi final on July 6

On July 7 they defeated the Manhattan Kickers 1-0 in a close game of very high quality. The winning goal was a 30-yard “Upper 90” strike by Austin Sims.

BSC’s U17 Boys won all three first round games without conceding a goal, before losing a close semifinal to Seacoast United of Maine 2-1.

The U14 Boys lost a close game 3-2 to 2008 champions Dix Hills, and then tied Empire United of Rochester, NY 1-1. Their third game was canceled due to heavy rain on July 5 that left many fields unusable.

*Note the Gotsoccer results for this bracket are incorrect as of 8am 7/8

At CJSA’s Presidents’ dinner on January 30, Carole Allers and Jill Robey accepted CJSA’s annual Sportsmanship Award on behalf of the club. Back in November these u13 Boys parents organized a “run for Lucas” event to raise funds to help an ailing player on FC Westchester’s u13 team – an arch rival.

The idea was born at FC Westchester’s Columbus Day soccer tournament, where efforts to raise money for Lucas Goldbaum, a Sleepy Hollow resident and FC goalie, were already under way.

Lucas was diagnosed with pediatric brain-stem cancer in July, and at the Columbus Day tournament, members of Lucas’ team played ”3-vs.-3” games and sold t-shirts to raise money and awareness.

Carole Allers, whose son plays for the Beachside under-13 team, saw the ”Play for Lucas” shirts and immediately decided to help.

“When I came home from that tournament, I said, ‘We need to do something,’ ” Allers said. “It could be my son.”

Allers went to team manager Jill Robey, and together they hatched the idea for ”Run for Lucas.”

So on Thursday November 13, members of six different Beachside teams – girls and boys under-12, -13, and -14 – along with some members of FC, coaches, family and friends, ran laps around the field to support and help raise money for Lucas.

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Wake Forest senior, Beachside Alumnus, and top American soccer prospect Marcus Tracy has decided to forego his chance to play in the MLS and has reportedly signed a deal with Danish champions Aalborg.

As reported the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, the 22-year-old Tracy has signed an agreement with Aalborg.

Click here to watch a Danish TV interview with Marcus.

Click here to read an interview with soccer365.com

Tracy will follow former Demon Deacons Jeremiah White of AGF Aarthus and Michael Parkhurst of Nordsjælland to Denmark, where he will play under new head coach Magnus Pehrsson.

Tracy won the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top player in college soccer for the given year, and was highly-touted as an early round pick in this year’s MLS SuperDraft.

Known for his tall, strong frame, incredible speed, and masterful touch, Tracy has been dominant in the air for Wake Forest, and will take that style of play to Aalborg, the former team of fellow American Danny Califf. His good showings last season caught the attention of teams in Europe, particularly in Norway and Germany, but the Danish club were able to get his signature.

Tracy will follow former Demon Deacons Jeremiah White of AGF Aarthus and Michael Parkhurst of Nordsjælland to Denmark, where he will play under new head coach Magnus Pehrsson.

Former Beachside player and Wake Forest senior  Marcus Tracy won the prestigious Herman Trophy on Friday night.  The Herman award is the equivalent to the Heisman award in football which honors college soccer’s best player.

Along the way he made history by becoming the first Wake Forest player to win the award in its 41-year history. The Hermann Trophy, which is voted on by college coaches, is considered the biggest individual award in Division I soccer.

The WFU Deacons lost to North Carolina 1-0 in the semifinals of the College Cup as they were denied a shot of repeating as national champions.

Tracy’s teammate, Sam Cronin, a former star at Mount Tabor, and Akron’s Steve Zakuani were also finalists. Tracy and Zakuani were at the ceremony on Friday night at the Missouri Athletic Downtown Club in St. Louis. Cronin wasn’t there because he was at the MLS Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The MLS Draft will be held on Thursday.

No Wake Forest player had ever been among the finalists, so to have two is something WFU Coach Jay Vidovich was proud of.

“These two guys are at different stages in their careers,” Vidovich said. “Marcus has signed to play in Denmark and Sam is preparing for the MLS Draft at the combine. Tracy, 22, is expected to fly to Denmark this weekend and sign a contract, according to Vidovich. Tracy was expected to be one of the top picks in next week’s MLS Draft, but will now take his game to Europe.

Tracy played in 77 games for the Deacons and along with Cronin were a part of three straight teams that played in the College Cup. Tracy scored 30 goals in his career with a career-best 13 this past season. He also added 23 career assists (10 this season) and had seven game-winning goals as he turned into one of the premier strikers in college soccer.

In 2007 Tracy was the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the College Cup in Cary as the Deacons won the school’s first national championship in soccer. In that College Cup he scored both goals in a 2-0 win in the semifinals over Virginia Tech and also scored the tying goal in a 2-1 win over Ohio State in the title game.

With a previous call up to the US under 14 National Camp and an impressive showing at last month’s Thanksgiving inter-regionals, Beachside U-13 goalkeeper Scott Levene was just named to the roster for the U.S. under 14 National Team heading to Guadelajara, Mexico this coming Jan 18-25th.

Scott, who started playing as a ‘keeper in rec. soccer when he was 6, found out that he had made the national team for the trip to Mexico when he was in school eating lunch. His mother Jane texted him to say “You have been selected to a National Team roster spot.” At that moment, Scott says “I shouted out, ‘I made the National Team!’ I was so happy that all I wanted to do was go home and read the e-mail.”

Scott likes playing keeper because he gets to see the whole field and all the action. “My goal is to stop others from scoring and the better I communicate with my defenders, the more likely we are able to shut down the other team’s offense” he says. Also, he adds: “it feels like you are flying when you dive.”

Playing at the state, regional, and national levels has given him the opportunity to play with the best players of his age group in the country. “Playing at this level has helped make me a better player. I have learned how hard I need to work if I want to play at the top level and hopefully some day at a Division 1 college and maybe some day as a pro.”

“On my Beachside team I am surrounded by great and supporting teammates” Scott continued.

“Unlike many other clubs, Beachside players are committed and come in knowing the game. My coach, Allan Zuniga, is a great coach. He has helped me a lot on what I should work on and how to improve my play. Also the help I have received from Pete Doneit since joining Beachside has been awesome. He has done some individual sessions with me to help me improve – two of these were just before I went to national ODP camp.”

“Thank you to Beachside for all your support for Scott and the training you have given him” said his parents Jane and Phil Levene

Mickey Kydes, Beachside Founder & Coaching Director a was inducted in to the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame on Saturday, January 26, 2008 in Farmington, CT.

Mickey was honored for all his accomplishments as a player and coach.

Click here

For his winning goal U.S.A. vs. Mexico in Gold Cup Final

Marcus Tracy scores 3 goals and one assist in semis and final game and is named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player.

Congratulations and Thank You to U16 Beachside player Ian Halter, who organized and set up this fundraiser event for the club.

Thanks to all the U12 – U14 Boys and Girls players, parents and coaches who participated in Light the Night Walk on October 4, 2007. It was a great success with over 100 Beachside participants.