Sanibel Air youth soccer team captures championship
Sanibel Air’s team Cameroon beat out Brazil, Italy and England in the Sanibel Youth Soccer championship game played on Nov. 20. Scoring a total of 18 points to secure the first place, the winning team plays in the club’s U-12 (under 12) division.
Coached by Andy Jonson and Sanibel Air Conditioning’s Bryan Hayes, Cameroon took a lead over Brazil with a 7-2 score in the final game.
“They played their hearts out and I’m so proud of them,” said Hayes. “Sanibel Air is proud to have sponsored such a fine team.”
Sanibel Youth Soccer is a recreational club for children ages 4 through 14 who live on Sanibel and Captiva islands or whose parents work there. The program is co-ed and with nearly 200 children, making it one of the more popular youth activities on the islands.
The club prides itself for its focus on giving the children with any skill level maximum participation in the games, allowing each child to play at least half of every match. Coaches in the club don’t make winning a priority and there are no tryout camps or powerhouse teams.
U-12 teams practice one or two times a week, with games primarily on Friday nights. This division allows 10- and 11-year-olds to compete solely amongst themselves, instead of with teenagers.