The Davie United Sharks Soccer Club continues to grow in stature and popularity to the benefit of children ranging in age from 5 to seniors in high school. There are about 25 boys’ and girls’ teams that compete in a variety of leagues based on skill levels.
Davie United has what they describe as a 360 Degree Program that focuses on soccer development and preparation that incorporates academics and soccer abilities as well as Health and Wellness. The brain trust of Christian Goffi, Leo Vega and Matt Parry have created a successful soccer program that is the pride of Davie.
“Since we have gotten together 11 years ago our numbers have really grown,” Parry said. “Teams have been very busy with various tournaments throughout the season. Our teams play in different leagues and we match them up according to their appropriate skill level.”
Many of the players and their families have different sets of goals that they gravitate toward when they join the Davie United Soccer organization.
“Our objective is for everyone to play the sport at the level they want to play at,” Parry said. “We can accommodate whatever aspirations a player wants to achieve whether they just want to compete at a travel league level or a collegiate level. Some players are super competitive and are seeking to earn a college scholarship, while others may not have the skill level to compete at that level but just love the game. We try to cover all bases and try very hard to take care of our Davie residents. We find a home for every player.”
The Davie United Sharks recently competed in the United Soccer Cup that featured about 175 teams from the South Florida area. Games were played at Coral Springs, Davie’s Bamford Park and Plantation. The Sharks sent about a dozen teams to compete in the tournament and had a couple teams battle through the brackets to earn tournament championships as well as being runner-ups.
The Sharks 2011 boys’ team coached by Kohyi Sanchez claimed the United Soccer Cup championship as well as the 2012 Sharks girls’ team with Coach Mike Scandizzo. The 2013 boys’ club coached by Jared Rey stepped up in competition this year and was the tournament runner-up. Coach Fabricio Armendariz’s 2010 boys’ team was also a runner-up in the tournament.
Rey is a product of the Davie Sharks having gone through the program as a player and is now coaching the 2011 Blue and 2013 Blue boys’ clubs.
“We stepped up this year in competition and are now playing in the more competitive EDP league, which has been a very good experience for the boys,” Rey said. “Our 2013 team was started in January this year. We made that jump to EDP because we wanted to play against the best of the best. We are small in size but discovered that we can compete with some really good division 1 teams.”
Success is not measured in wins or losses at this early stage of a player’s soccer career.
“It’s not always about winning, but development always comes first,” he said. “As long as you see the progression in the kids that’s all that matters. I’m more than happy on how the players are progressing.”
Members on the Sharks 2013 team are Stefano Campo, Ian Chapui, Andre Del Rio, Dylan Disalvo, Christian Esquivel, Spencer Gleason, Nathan Gonzalez, Jason Guillaume, Jacob Hochman, Jacob Prager and Jude Zelnick.
Scandizzo has been coaching soccer for 12 years. He is the director of the U9-U12 Girls’ Program. The Sharks 2012 Girls’ Blue club played four games in the United Soccer Cup and made it to the finals against Coral Estates. It was a close match at halftime as the Sharks were down 3-2. In the second half, the club responded with an offensive burst that propelled them to a 7-3 victory and the tournament championship. Elyse Rodriguez scored four of the team’s goals. Kamila Cruz provided the energy the team needed and defensively Mariah Tucker and Amaya Hernandez were able to shut down the opposing team’s offense. The Sharks play in the Alliance League.
“We went crazy in the second half and won going away,” Scandizzo said. “We are an unusual team that just competes at a super high level and we do that without a true goal scorer or a true goaltender. We are scrappy and super athletic.”
For Scandizzo, it’s all about player development with the belief that everything else will eventually fall in place.
“My objective is to develop them individually from a technical standpoint so they can fit in no matter where they go in the future,” he said. “If we develop the kids to the best of their abilities than the team concept will follow. My main goal is not focused on winning trophies, but to make every individual the best player they can be. I have nine super athletes who have a passion for the game and they are a blast. They all want to compete.”
The Davie United 2012 Girls’ Blue team comprises members Kamila Cruz, Amaya Hernandez, Arianna Penella, Elyse Rodriguez, Aaliyah Sibilly, Reace Soto, Cataleya Thomas, Mariah Tucker and Olivia Umana.
There is always soccer on the fields at the Bamford Sports Complex. Beside the Sharks travel program, the Davie recreation soccer program will feature around 650 players. The new artificial fields have made a world of difference for the soccer programs especially during the rainy sessions.
Visit daviesharks.com.
