For the second time in as many years, a girls' team from Belle Vernon Area won the 17-19 age division in the 22nd annual North American Sand Soccer Championship last weekend.
Tracy Lovett, an assistant coach on BVA's girls' varsity soccer team, has taken teams to the NASSC the last three years.
“It's the largest sand soccer tournament in the U.S.,” said Lovett. “This year there were 944 teams, including a pro circuit division as well.”
The event, sponsored by McDonald's and hosted by Hampton Roads Soccer Council, drew approximately 10,000 players from 20 countries. Sixteen pro circuit teams competed for the world title.
The NASSC is held during Virginia Beach's Oceanside Festival.
This “World Cup” equivalent of international amateur beach soccer events attracts teams from all over, including nearly 20 states and as far away as Africa, Portugal, Germany, Brazil, Norway, the Caribbean, and Canada's Northwest Territories.
Lovett said most of the teams are from the Virginia Beach area.
“We are one of the few teams from Pennsylvania,” she said.
Not only did the BVA girls' team successfully defend its title, but BVA's U-16 team advanced to the championship game, losing by one goal.
BVA also took a U-13 girls team coached by Pete Hrycko that won its age division.
Hrycko and Dave Colditz also served as assistants on the other BVA teams.
Sand soccer is played on the beach on a sand playing field that is 25 yards wide and 35 yards long. Instead of shoes, players wear what amounts to thick socks to protect their feet from the hot sand.
Jeff Oliver is a sports editor for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-684-2666 or joliver@tribweb.com.
