We Are Bay United!

“For soccer training there is Bay United Soccer Club and after that there is long time nothing…” is the common understanding among soccer enthusiasts in Bay County. The “long time nothing” undoubtedly refers to the long list of achievements, trophies and wins and the dedication that many of the club members, volunteers and coaches have shown throughout the years.

Bay United’s mission and goal is to position young players to excel in soccer and play competitively. The success is measurable. The players come home as winners frequently and not just on regional level. The impressive track record of Bay United’s teams includes regular participation in the State Cup Final Four, advancing to the first-ever Regional President’s Cup, advancing to USYS Southern Regionals, winning the Disney Championship and playing on national level and winning second place in the National Presidents Cup, just to name a few.

Recently U14 players, Kristy Jones and Maddy Flamia were selected to participate in the State Olympic Development Program (ODP) for which only a select number of players qualify each year. There have been close to fifty players who signed scholarships and went on to play soccer in college, club president Theresa “Tessie” Goicoechea recalls. Some players are presently playing with the Panama City Beach Pirates.

What started as a group of parents getting together in 1991 to enable their kids to play competitively is now a club with approximately 200-300 players (this number fluctuates seasonally) and currently eleven coaches with one of them being a full-time professional coach, Marek Betkowski, who is also the Director of Coaching and holds a Master’s Degree in Physical Education with a Soccer Specialty Degree. Coach Betkowski holds a United States Soccer Federation B and C license and an FYSA D license. He was named the 2003 Florida Youth Soccer Association’s Coach of the Year. Since 1996, he has coached Bay United Soccer Club teams reaching tournament finals games 215 times and winning over 140 Tournament Championships.

The undeniable backbone of Bay United is Tessie Goicoechea, one of the original founding members of the club. Her husband Juan continues to coach and Bay United is a family affair for them. Tessie and Juan’s daughters and son were avid soccer players and today their grandchildren follow in their footsteps. But the many devoted soccer parents are ultimately the reason the club has continued to thrive throughout the years. Without these dedicated parents there would be no club.

The licensing of all coaches is one of the rules the board and the members of the club are holding high. All coaches are licensed ranging from Youth Module License to National B License. The club has hosted the youth module course and paid the cost and opened it up to anyone who wished to attend, not just coaches who want to coach at Bay United. The club also reimburses some of the costs for a coach to attend and get a license. All coaches are required to upgrade their licenses to the next level within two years of working for the club until they reach a National C license, thereby assuring that every coach will be properly trained and licensed.

Several of the coaches have over 25 years of coaching experience at all levels from youth to college and a number of the coaches are alumni of the club who have returned to coach after having graduated from college and some even have their own children now playing in the club.

Bay United’s player development program uses licensed coaches to train their youngest players and two tournaments are being organized every year and geared specifically towards their age groups and level of play, the Cinco de Mayo Tournament and the Halloween Kick or Treat. Bay United also hosts the Endless Summer Soccer Tournament each year.

Her dedication to the club, love for the game and community spirit is palpable when talking to Tessie. Her hard work culminates in one more major achievement for the club. Vividly she discusses the club’s future and explains that the club’s main playing field, Frank Nelson Park, will undergo a complete renovation. Work will start in October 2014 and the $850,000 project will be finished in phases. The final design should be in place within the next three months. There will be one full size 80’ x 100’ fully lit competition field on one side and another four fields that can be turned into another full size competition field in place by 2016.

If soccer is your game, then Bay United is where you want to be. Tryouts for all ages are beginning on MAY 22(US Club), 27, 29 and 31from 5:30PM – 8:30PM and 9:00 am to noon.

Find out more at http://www.bayunitedsoccer.org

By Val Schoger