Futbol Club of Santa Rosa
| Futbol Club of Santa Rosa | |
| Founded | Barry Shuck |
| League | Youth, Rec, Adult, Select |
| Team History | 1991-present |
|---|---|
| Arena | Santa Rosa Soccer Complex |
| Team Colors | Blue, Red & White |
| President | Robert Breland |
| Head Coach | Louie Levent Sahin |
| Championships | |
The Futbol Club of Santa Rosa (FCSR) is a soccer organization and complex located just 12 miles north of Pensacola in Pace, FL. The complex contains 23 soccer fields, 3 pavillions, offices and ample parking. FCSR has the largest soccer complex in West Florida with availability for 150+ teams with one venue and ODP coaches present. The organization has recreational soccer for ages U-6 through U-18 for boys and girls, an Academy program, tournaments, an adult league, and also a select program called the Revolution. The main soccer season is in the fall, but winter and spring seasons are offered also.
The primary objective of the Recreational Program is to instill a love of the game within each player so that every player enjoys him or herself and, hopefully, returns the following season. This positive experience can have far reaching effects on young children and has immeasurable value for players.
The Academy is a developmental program designed to help young players further develop a passion for the game while simultaneously learning the skills needed to play soccer at the competitive and high school level.
Tournaments are exceptional at the complex. The main tournament, held the first weekend in September is the Annual Labor Day Classic. 2009 makes the 11th event.
The Adult Soccer League at FCSR is generally a summer operation played early June to mid-August. Registration is completed in person or online. The registration fees for adult leagues cover the costs for referees (U.S. Soccer Federation certified), registration with US Club Soccer (the adult league affiliation), and player passes.
FCSR competitive program is for ages U-13 to U-18 and runs August through May. It is geared toward players who have outgrown the recreational program and are looking for a more challenging soccer environment. The competitive philosophy is to provide each player the opportunity to play soccer in a supportive and rewarding environment that emphasizes fun, enjoyment, and skill learning at a level that fits his/her interest and ability. Players are required to go through a tryout process and if selected, players and parents alike have team responsibilities with costs involved, such as uniform and tournament fees, as well as a monthly fee.
FCSR’s goal is to develop each and every players soccer skills, character, and self-esteem to his or her fullest potential in a safe, enjoyable, competitive environment. Their goal is to put the development of each individual player above winning. FCSR is built on the emphasis of the club as a whole not on any individual team. FCSR focuses on promoting the very finest soccer education for its players and coaches.
Address: 3360 Joppa Dr., Milton, FL 32571..........Registrar email: FCSRsoccer@gmail.com
History[edit]
FCSR first originated in 1991 with 11 teams. The original name was the Pace Soccer League (PSL) and played all of its home games at the Pace Athletic and Recreation Association (PARA) complex on Woodbine Road. With so few teams, PSL had to play "friendship" schedules with other local leagues on the road as well as home games. It was started by local soccer enthusiast Barry Shuck and was a recreational-only league for children U-8 through U-15. Shuck, a 10-year soccer coach and high school soccer referee, was on the board of the only soccer league in North Santa Rosa County at the time--Milton Optimist, which involved both Milton and Pace players. PARA wanted another revenue venue and approached Shuck about starting a new league for Pace residents. Milton Optimist soccer was spearheaded by longtime Santa Rosa soccer guru Dan Millham.
The charter season of PSL had several girls' teams, a first for the metro-Pensacola area. Until that time, all female players were placed on boys teams on what was referred to as "mixed" teams, which was problematic for older girls who wanted to persue soccer. The first season the league played its games on three fields: two teener-sized baseball outfields plus a football field, which sported a very prevelant crown and was not well-suited for soccer. The PSL was the first in the area to offer night games. It also had an in-house concession stand and held a tournament for U-8 and U-10 teams from Pace, Milton, Gulf Breeze and Pensacola. After two seasons and the league underway, Shuck stepped down and the husband and wife team of Charles and Donna Kimsey took controls. The Kimseys eventually relocated the league to outlining fields such as Dixon Intermediate School and left PARA. Later, grants were obtained from the county to relocate to its present location on Chumuckla Hwy.
Girls Teams[edit]
Back in the 1980s and spilling into the 1990s, all girls who wanted to play soccer in the Pensacola, Navarre, Milton, Pace and Gulf Breeze areas were placed on boys teams. Usually, a team would have no more than two girls. It was extremely rare for a girl to continue to play soccer past the U-12 level, but there were a few such as Liz Kintner and Emily Morgan; each of who played on varsity boys high school squads.
Barry Shuck was a father with several daughters, two of which were coming up in the rec leagues of Milton Optimist. When the PSL was realized as a league, Shuck along with Gulf Breeze father Ken Roose decided to take on the responsibility of making girls-only teams in the Florida Panhandle. The first things to occur was that the newly formed PSL seperated all their girls onto teams of their own. Gulf Breeze did the same. Then Shuck and Roose went to the City of Pensacola (COP), Panhandle United Soccer Association (PUSA) and Milton Optimist about seperating their girls onto teams. This would allow leagues to friendship with each other since it would be obvious no singular league would have enough girls teams on their own.
Initially, COP, Gulf Breeze, PSL and Milton Optimist all made girls teams in age groups U-10, U-12 and U-14. It was decided to keep girls mixed on all U-8 teams. PUSA did not want to seperate their girls mainly because the few girls they had were starters (and stars) on respective boys teams. PUSA did, however, offer "friendly" games for purposes of scheduling teams to play. This meant that PUSA did seperate all of their girls from various boys teams onto one team so that they may play the other leagues in games, but only for "friendly" purposes.
The first season, PSL had four girls teams (two U-10, one each U-12 and U-14) while Gulf Breeze had six girls teams (two in each age bracket). Milton Optimist had three teams (one in each age group) while COP had three teams (two U-10 and one U-12). PUSA had one team in U-14. All of these leagues worked together to offer a girls "friendship" schedule with home and away games. To fill out the schedule, games were arranged with the Police Soccer League in Niceville, FL. This league had an abundance of girls teams, and offered to play "friendly" games home and away.
It took quite a bit intially to ask parents (of female players) to subject themselves to the amount of traveling involved. In the past, parents would register their children and then games would be convenient to their homes. Suddenly, by seperating all girls onto teams of their own, parents had to travel to other cities, and in the case of PSL having night games, contests would be on school nights. After that initial season, more and more female players began to sign up in all leagues.
Once upon a time, soccer leagues in the Florida Panhandle may have a total of two dozen girls playing in their leagues on boys teams. Today, girls teams flourish. It did not happen by mistake, but by two men who wanted their own daughters the opportunity to continue to play the sport that they loved, with physically-like athletes to compete against.
