Several girls’ soccer team players also participate in travel league play in the Florida Youth Soccer Association which sanctions the Florida State Cup soccer tournament each year. During the tournament, which this year began on March 10 and runs through May 28, every club team in the state of Florida plays against one another to see who ends out on top. During each round, a team is eliminated until there are two teams left in each age group. 

According to the Florida Youth Soccer Association website, the Florida State Cup is the first leg of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series and is the highest premiere competition at the state level. The National Championship Series is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing approximately 185,000 players on more than 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation.

“Every time we get ready to play on of our state cup my heart is racing,” senior midfielder Fallon Klenotich said. “The games are a rush for me. Every touch on the ball I’ m looking to see what I can produce in the play whether it be a pass, long ball, cross or even a shot on goal.” 

Sophomore midfielder Tyanna Tizol, on the other hand, said the high-stakes nature of the games makes her feel anxious.

“I love to play soccer but when it comes to State Cup, I honestly get more stressed with soccer than school,” she said. “The games are so stressful because of all the pressure that if I make one little mistake such as let the ball by me and the opposing team scores, there goes our entire season just like that and we are eliminated from state cup.”

By Jacob Klenotich