AYSO Holds 8U Tournament

The 20th annual AYSO Region 69 Sportsmanship Tournament was held at Will Rogers State Historic Park on Saturday, December 2, for both the boys and girls.

In 2003, Region 69’s Referee Staff, led by Dennis McCarthy, proposed that the region support a year-end mini tournament for the 8U division as a means of promoting and rewarding sportsmanship and to encourage 8U referees to upgrade and continue volunteering as referees in the future. Up until 2019, the 8U division was a 24-month age span, so it was necessary for the boys and girls to play on different weekends due to space limitations. That season, the Board decided to split the division into 7U and 8U for the following season, which covered a 12-month age span, the boys and girls tournanents were consolidated into one. The 2020 Covid-19 year was a “practice only” season and no tournament was held.

Teams qualify for the tournament by earning five volunteer referee points during the nine-week season. If there is not an even number of teams, a 7U team is invited to participate. This fall, nine 8U and one 7U Boys team participated in the round robin style format along with eight 8U Girls teams.

Players had a fun family experience at the scenic Palisades venue, playing three 28-minute games, enjoying their teammates between games and eating cookies.

Credit goes to Tournament Director Cameron Parks, the 8U Girls Division Commissioner; to Coach M, who orchestrated the event; and to Lauren Colahan, RC, all of the coaches and referees as well as to the manydedicated volunteers who set up and took down the goals.

For the first time in the tournament’s history, two teams tied as pool winners and for the Sportsmanship Award and each received trophies. They were the Orange Socks, coached by Daniel Branscome and the Pink Leopards, coached by Cherie Hollingsworth who shared Girls Pool B honors.

Other pool winners were the Black Tornadoes (Girls Pool A), coached by David Swift and Michael Hendifar; the Green Messi’s (Boys Pool A), coached by Jason Morrow; and the Black Titans (Boys Pool B), coached by Seidahl Hakimi.