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March 13, 2008
Simon bringing soccer to Asbury Park's beaches Little Silver resident Pete Simon had an idea. As he stood in the driveway of good friends Jack and Diane Davis sharing his plan, it was snowing. Simon is proof that when you live on the Jersey Shore, it is never too early to start thinking about the sun and the sand. He is the driving force behind the creation of the First Annual Copa Beach Soccer Tournament to be held on the beaches of Asbury Park on Sept. 6. "A lot of people are really on board with this thing," said Simon, 47. "I'm going to give this my best shot." Simon's main goal for the tournament is to give back to the kids. Aside from giving the participants a good time, money is a motivating factor for Simon. "Unfortunately, the world of youth soccer today is all about the money," said Simon. "Too many of these soccer leagues watch these kids play and all they see is dollar signs. We want all the money that this tournament makes to go right back to the kids." Simon and his wife Maggie plan on plugging the registration money back into the event, in the way of t-shirts, hats, refreshments, and entertainment. Simon has worked out an agreement with the School of Rock, Matawan, to put on a concert the day of the event. In addition, Simon would like to use any additional funds made to be used for donations to charity. "We want to make sure all of this money goes to the right place," said Simon. "This is not a money-making situation. We are just trying to cover our expenses and make sure the kids have a good time." To ensure that finances go smoothly, Simon created Training 4 Soccer LLC and registered it with the state of New Jersey to collect and distribute the funds properly. According to Simon's website, "the families (Simon and Davis) will not give just money but will purchase the requested items to make sure the entire donation is spent toward that item. This will ensure that there are no administrative costs associated with the donation." The team registration fee is $350 and the event plans to host 144 teams of boys and girls ages U9 to U13. Registration began on March 1 and is available online at www.copabeach.net. Simon is confident that registration will be full before long. "There are plenty of kids and teams that want to be involved in this thing," said Simon. In fact, many of those prospective teams were shut out of a similar tournament that helped inspire Simon's idea in the first place. A benchmark event in the beach soccer community, the Cape Express Beach Blast Tournament will hold its sixth annual event on the beaches of Wildwood on June 28 and 29. Registration is already closed for the event which will host 1,062 teams ranging in ages from U8 to an over-30 division. It is one of the largest events of its kind in the world. Beach soccer is rising in the United States with tournaments being held across California, Florida, and even Chicago this summer. However, Simon's tournament is only the 18th such tournament in the country. To help boost awareness and support for the event locally, Simon got Goodsports USA on board to sponsor the tournament. "It was great to get them behind us because they are a credible name," said Simon of the Wall Township athletic complex. Goodsports was eager to get involved. "We know Pete very well here, " said Danny Pepe, general manager and partner of Goodsports USA. "His own kids and teams have played here. He has organized mini-tournaments for us, so we know that if he is going to do something like this he is going to do it right. According to Pepe, 36, the company will assist Simon in the way of implementing the logistics of running a tournament, as well as supplying referees and some of the teams involved. Goodsports USA also has a history with this type of event having hosted successful sand soccer tournaments in Belmar during the 1990s. Top beach soccer supplier, Soccadelic, has also partnered with Simon for the inaugural event. Registration is available at $50 per child. After searching for just the right location, Simon decided on an old childhood hotspot. Simon spent many summer days in Asbury Park back in its heyday and relishes the opportunity to bring such a unique and exciting event to Asbury's beaches. "Aside from my personal ties to Asbury Park, the town offered the best beaches," said Simon, who also was looking into locations such as Sandy Hook and Long Branch. "We needed a boardwalk and the parking situation is huge too." The Asbury Park recreation department listened to Simon's pitch and jumped at his plan. "The number one reason why we liked the idea is that it was for the youth," said Leesha Floyd, Program Specialist for the City of Asbury Park. "We have a lot of youth here in Asbury Park that are interested in soccer so this is a great opportunity for them. We are very excited that Pete came to us on this." According to Floyd, Simon has most of the event under control but added that the city would help with extra trash cans on the beach, as well as police and medical presense. Beach soccer differs from the traditional game in many ways other than just the playing surface. A Copa Beach Soccer Tournament field is a much smaller 25 yards by 30 yards. Participants are not allowed to wear shin guards or shoes of any kind. Most players play barefoot or in beach socks. Each team has only five players on the field at a time, one of those being a goalie. Thanks to the softer surface, players try more daring moves, thus resulting in faster game action and higher scoring. "This is going to be an extremely fun event," said Simon. "Anyone is welcome to join which is a great part of this whole thing. A lot of times there are cousins and friends that never get the chance to play together because of the leagues they play in. This is their chance." Roster sizes require a minimum of five players and can be as large as ten. All team members must meet the determined age requirements. |