Every year, I love volunteering at the Cubby’s Indoor Futsal Tournament! I’m a big soccer fan and it can get cold in the Midwest during the winter months (duh, right?), so when I can’t be outside enjoying the sport, this tournament gives me the chance to stay warm and STILL enjoy this sport.
As a quick recap, this tournament brings in teams from all over, as far away as Spearfish, Sioux City, Brandon, Yankton and Vermillion, to name a few. This year there were nearly 100 teams and 19 divisions for boys and girls ranging in age from 10 to 19 years old.
Games kicked off at 5pm on Friday night and roughly 200 games were played throughout the weekend on five courts at four different locations around Brookings. Camelot Intermediate School, Mickelson Middle School (two courts), Dakota Prairie Elementary School and the 5th Street Gym all hosted games for the three-day event. The tournament culminated with the championship games at 5pm on Sunday night.
The coordination and work needed to pull off the event is nothing short of extraordinary. Numerous volunteers pitched in to help coordinate the sites, referee the games and run the concession stands. Mike VanHofwegen, President of the Brookings Futbol Club, and Kyle Eide, Tournament Coordinator, put in many hours to pull this off. And it didn’t go unnoticed.
Throughout the tournament I heard so many positive comments from players and parents in attendance. They said things like, “This is a very well-run event” and “We really love the courts.” My favorite, and I might be a little biased, was hearing, “The staff is so friendly!”
That last comment is partially why I’ve continued to volunteer for about 10 years now. I love the opportunity to help out and, of course, to be able to watch some great soccer all weekend long. My love for the game started when my youngest daughter began playing soccer and it quickly became her sport of choice. Even though she hung up her cleats (or indoor sneakers depending on the time of year) more than five years ago, I still like to help out. And, wouldn’t you know it, they keep letting me!
So, if you like soccer and want to watch some games when the weather is cold, look for the Cubby’s Indoor Futsal Tournament next year. It’s great to fill the stands with spectators that are there to cheer on their teams and players, or just to get out of the cold and enjoy the game of soccer!
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