For many of the players in the Cooper City Optimist youth soccer league, the most enjoyable day of the soccer season are the games that are played on Grandparents Day.
It is a day when all the grandparents get an opportunity to see their grandchildren play soccer, receive a free Grandparents Day T-shirt and get a free photo taken with their favorite player.
The family tradition started eight years ago, and it has grown in popularity and stature. Grandparents from out of town and locally mark the day on their calendar and become proud supporters for their grandchildren as they compete and have fun on the pitch.
The recreation league consists of players ranging in age from 5 to 17. From the youngest players to the older seasoned players, the opportunity to have their grandparents attend their games is a highlight they thoroughly enjoy.
In the featured 12U Boys’ match, the first-place Chelsea team locked horns with Team Liverpool and came away with a 1-1 tie. Chelsea coach Brian Shore and William Parson’s team remained undefeated with an 8-0-4 record, while Jaysen Price and Brian London’s Liverpool squad’s record improved to 2-7-3. For Liverpool, the tie felt like a victory as the coaches and players celebrated a good effort.
In the first half, Chelsea’s forward Sujay Mulukaladu found the back of the net with a 10-yard strike to give his team a 1-0 lead. In the second half, Liverpool’s Avon King III scored from 15-yards out to even the score 1-1.
Chelsea proceeded to up the tempo and put on an offensive onslaught, but the Liverpool defense stood up to the pressure. Liverpool goalkeeper Amia Dalal was up to the challenge and made some big saves down the stretch.
Chelsea’s forward Noah Shore and Timothy Belcher had a couple of scoring chances turned back and midfielder Leopaldo Gonzalez provided strong leadership on the field.
Chelsea coach Shore’s U10 club won the championship two seasons ago and he said he is hoping the U12 group will equal the accomplishment in the eight-team division.
“Our goal is to make it to the Soccer Fest playoffs and win the championship,” Shore said. “All my players have their own personalities and abilities. We play a strong defensive game holding the offsides line strong and drawing the offsides penalty often. The games are tough, and we had a lot of chances to score, but we’ll take the tie any day over a loss.”
Other members on the undefeated Chelsea team are Jaylen Bleus, Jayden Guncet, Arman Hussain, Ryan Kelker, Zakaria McGee, Brennan Parsons, Adrian Ruiz-Sanchez, Lawrence Tanase, Stefanos Vernicos and Christopher Williams.
