Orlando, Fla.- For the fourth consecutive year, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS), in conjunction with the Central Florida Sports Commission and Seminole County, hosted the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Winter Showcase at Seminole Soccer Complex, Sylvan Lake Park and Central Winds Park.
In addition to sustaining quality exposure, the ECNL Showcase also yielded a tremendous economic impact for Seminole County. Approximately 158 teams participated in the showcase, resulting in over 5,000 visitors and 6,500 room nights throughout the three day span.
“We are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to host the ECNL Winter Showcase this past week for the fourth consecutive year,” said Seminole County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Danny Trosset. “The ECNL event has been coined as the Superbowl for Seminole County, as it truly was a community-wide effort in partnership with Orlando City Youth Soccer, Central Florida Sports Commission, Seminole County Parks and Recreation Department, our hotels, restaurants, and attractions- who all chipped in to make this year’s event a success.”
The ECNL Winter Showcase featured premier youth girls teams from across the country and provided an excellent platform for the participating players, as roughly 400 college coaches were in attendance.
“The ECNL showcase events are the ultimate test and environment for female players,” said OCYS Senior Girls Academy Director Alan Hough. “This was a great event for our teams to participate in because the showcase provides the highest exposure in player identification from US Soccer to college scouts. With over 400 college coaches in attendance, there was a great ratio of two college coaches per team in the showcase, and as a result, the sidelines for each game were flooded with coaches during all three days.”
The OCYS U15-U18 ECNL teams all participated in the Showcase and held mixed results against strong sides. The 17s and 18s both won two out of their three games- including a distinctive 5-1 rout by the 17s against CASL. However, the U15 and U16 sides had a difficult three-day run, as both teams lost all three of their matches.
“I’m extremely proud of the Orlando City family for the volunteer hours that they put in, and also for all of the support that we received from the community,” said OCYS Executive Director Stephen Rammel. “We partnered with the ECNL, Seminole County and the Central Florida Sports Commission, and all three groups were instrumental in facilitating such a great event that featured high–calibre players and numerous college coaches.”
Orlando City and Seminole County have been strong partners both on and off the playing field, with the County funding $2 million toward the club's new, downtown soccer stadium for a Major League Soccer (MLS) team. The $2 million in funding is tied to guarantee hotel room nights associated with the facilities. The stadium is expected to break ground in 2014 and be completed in 2015, when the club enters into MLS for its inaugural season.
