Check out some of the new additions to this local-favorite annual event!
* “Ramiro Amarelle Beach Soccer Camp” – first time in the USA for such. On the Oceanfront June 4-9. Amarelle is a beach soccer legend from Spain and the Captain of the FC Barcelona beach soccer team. You can google him to see all his heroics. He will be bring over 6 Barcelona clinicians; then stay on to play with his incoming team in the U.S. OPEN and also serve as the 2016 NASSC “guest celebrity”. Chance for local soccer kids to be mentored by the best in the sport! Hails from the same FC Barcelona club as superstars Messi, Neymar and Suarez…
* USA National Beach Soccer Team tryout June 4/5 Oceanfront – first-time event here, conducted by United States Soccer Federation (USSF); will be held adjacent to Ramiro Amarelle youth camp
* New U.S. OPEN international entries – in addition to FC Barcelona (who won the 2015 OPEN over local 3-time winners HRSC Elite), we have attracted the Costa Rican National Team, a professional entry from Meta, Colombia, Team Canada from Toronto and Team Pugg consisting of top athletes from several countries. Also, the Florida Beach Soccer FC Brazilian veterans who have won the OPEN twice…
– NASSC will stage a U.S. OPEN players welcoming reception on Thursday, June 9 at Peabody’s Night Club, during which the official “draw” will occur for placement in the several competitive brackets.
– Peabody’s will also serve as the viewing site Saturday evening for a “COPA AMERICA” professional match between the USA and Paraguay.
* New Title Sponsor! Our title sponsor this year is a civic and sports-minded consortium of four organizations led by Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group and including London Bridge Trading (LBT), Il Giardino Ristorante and 37 North Restaurant. LBT is also serving as the Presenting Sponsor of the U.S. OPEN.
* New NASSC Presenting Sponsor – the City of Virginia Beach has joined the NASSC as Presenting Sponsor of the Festival itself
* New video sport – thanks to Studio Center and Perfect Event Rentals, NASSC will feature first-time live video and streaming coverage of its “U.S. OPEN” pro division
* Shannon Lane, Miss Virginia 2015, will be with us, the 3rd consecutive Miss VA to participate as a celeb. While here, she’ll be speaking to the local Special Olympics group June 11 at 4 PM on the sand
* NASSC will again present its highly popular “SideKick” beach venues including coed football, lacrosse, sand hockey, wrestling, All-volley futbol and new attractions “Spikeball”, involving 2v2 competition using a mini-trampoline, and “Knockerball” (bubble soccer) coming to the U.S. from overseas
After 23 years of operation, the mission of NASSC remains that of:
– generating revenues to support the development and maintenance of the 75-acre privately operated “Hampton Roads Soccer Complex” in Va Beach; tournament volunteers come from the HRSC-affiliated soccer clubs of Beach FC, the Virginia Rush, the men’s Over-30 Soccer League and the Southeastern Virginia Women’s Soccer Assn
– provide youth and adult athletes the opportunity to enjoy a rapidly developing sport. NASSC remains the largest amateur and pro/am beach soccer festival in existence worldwide
– sport of beach soccer growing rapidly in the USA; when NASSC began in 1994, it was only one of two such competitions in existence. Now there are about 60+
Beach compared to grass soccer:
– faster paced overall; more akin to ice hockey
– more shots on goal: typically average 60 shots per match
– less dribbling due uneven sand surface
– usually played bare-footed; sand socks optional; nice if temps get toasty
– more aerial action – headers and “bicycle” kicks
– less chance for injuries.. sand more forgiving than grass
– more festive atmosphere; termed “salsa on the sand”
– sand viewed as the “great equalizer” in skill and endurance
– and finally, what’s not to like about surf, sun and sand with your soccer?