Meredith Waropay, NJ Youth Soccer
The second-ever New Jersey Youth Soccer Skills Challenge was recently held in Allentown, with the event hosting more than 200 players from different clubs and teams throughout the state. On the day of the challenge, players showcased their abilities in five different soccer skills.
“It was a great event, well-formatted, and there were really good stations that were appropriate for helping kids develop their skills,” said Evan Dabby, Executive Director of New Jersey Youth Soccer.
This year, the NJYS Skills Challenge tested passing, dribbling, shooting, chipping and juggling skills. In the passing station, players attempted to place six balls into a net, alternating from left to right while avoiding cones around the area. For dribbling, players moved the ball through cones while trying to get the fastest time possible. At shooting, players switched from left to right to try and make goals in open targets of the net. In the chipping station, participants attempted to get six balls to land in a designated box. Lastly, for juggling, players tried to achieve the highest number of touches with their laces in a one-minute timeframe.
“I want to thank the staff of NJ Youth Soccer for all their support and participation introducing the US Youth Soccer Skills Challenge to our communities,” said Glenn Gargan, President of Hometown FC. “The event’s success showed in over 200 players’ smiles and determination to show off their skills. The Skills Challenge’s focus is to promote player development through a fun platform to boost players’ skills, elevating the level game and a lifelong enjoyment of soccer. We look forward to building upon our successful launch and hosting more events in the future.”
“It was a pleasure to host, commentate and be the Master of Ceremonies for the US Youth Soccer Skills Challenge,” said Joe Castro, Chief Entertainment Officer of KEC Entertainment. “As I grew up playing soccer, I know and understand the game perfectly. I was elated to see just how well this event was run. My hats off to staff, volunteers and players for making this such a huge success.”
The NJYS Skills Challenge was made possible by the support of US Youth Soccer, and NJ Youth Soccer would also like to thank Hometown FC for providing a venue for this event. Additionally, NJ Youth Soccer is very grateful for the generous sponsorship support of Gotham FC, Skyhawks Sports Academy, SCORE Sports, New York Red Bulls, JAG-ONE Physical Therapy and Hudl.
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