Coach Eric Edwards knows a picture can tell 1,000 words — and then some.
After leading the Tropical Storm under-10 soccer team to a Kick It 3v3 world championship last month in Orlando, Fla., the image that sums it all up for him is the five girls, arms around each other’s shoulders, walking off the field at Disney Wide World of Sports.
“That’s just who they were the whole weekend,” Edwards said.
And it was a championship a long time coming for the young girls, who competed in the top gold division and are the January winner of The Denver Post Youth Excellence in Sports award.
YES!
The Tropical Storm had taken third place at the national tournament the previous three years. Two of the players, Eliot Edwards (Eric’s daughter) and Ally Schlegel, had been on every team. Cassie Hiatt and Jessica Hixson were in their second year on the team, while Sydney Pulver was the newcomer.
With the right mixture of talent, teamwork and dedication, the Tropical Storm was a force to be reckoned with at this year’s final, which included teams from 42 states and three countries.
The Tropical Storm went 8-0 over three days, outscored the competition 61-9 and dispatched the Chicago Sol 6-2 in the final.
“That was great,” Eliot Edwards said. “I loved it.”
Kick It was founded by Dan Cramer, whose daughter, Aleisha, was a standout at Lakewood’s Green Mountain High School prior to playing at BYU and with the U.S. national team. Cramer wanted to create a tournament like basketball’s Hoop It Up, played on a small field that was fast-paced and focused on teamwork and technique. Kick It annually attracts nearly 70,000 participants.
“It’s really a difficult task,” Cramer said of the Tropical Storm’s victory, “because you’re typically playing against the best players, not just from a club, but from the city.”
Real Sharks win silver division.
The Real Sharks won the under-7 boys silver division last month at the Kick It 3v3 tournament. The players are Sean McNair, Grant Bell, Luke Wood, Kyle Cooper and Sebastian Anderson. The Sharks are coached by Gary Cooper and Paul Anderson.
Honorable mention
COLORADO SELECT 14AAA
Michelle Harcrow and Maura Kieft scored goals and goal- tender Kyra Smith made 27 saves in a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Lady Ducks in the championship game of the MLK Invitational girls hockey tournament Jan. 18 in San Jose, Calif. Brooke Ahbe led the Select with six goals in the tournament.
FRONT RANGE PANTHERS
The squirt-A hockey team went 3-0 before losing to the Omaha Junior Mavericks 5-2 in the semifinals of the International Silver Stick tournament in Sarnia, Ontario, on Jan. 17. Forward Matthew Kopperud was selected to the all-tournament team after scoring 12 goals.
JESSICA JORTBERG AND MIKE VIGERS
The Boulder High School students traveled to Finland last month to participate in the Scandinavian Cup, a cross country ski competition. Vigers, a junior, finished 35th in the 10K classic and sprints and 15th as a member of the U.S. relay team. Jortberg, a senior, placed 32nd in the sprints, 40th in the 5K classic and 12th in the relay competition. Al Daniel, The Denver Post
