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Canfield Cardinal Classic prepares players for fall
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Canfield Soccer Boosters parents volunteered at the concession stand during the Canfield Cardinal Classic Soccer Tournament July 16.
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Kalin McPheron of Massage Café, gave a soccer player a free massage during the Canfield Cardinal Classic Soccer Tournament July 16.
By ABBY SLANKER
The third annual Canfield Cardinal Classic soccer tournament was July 16 with 48 boys and girls high school teams from Ohio and Pennsylvania participating.
The tournament was played on five fields, including the football field, at Canfield High School.
It was a fundraiser for the Canfield High School boys and girls soccer program and was organized by the Canfield Soccer Boosters.
Each team played three to four 40-minute games with no elimination. The main goal of the tournament was to give the coaches a chance to view the players in preseason and to prepare for the fall season.
Coaches used this opportunity to see the players with the ball and to learn what the team needs to work on for the upcoming season. It also gave the coaches a chance to watch the players and get an idea of which players to select for the junior varsity and varsity teams.
“Twenty-one teams participated the first year of the tournament, and this year we have 48 teams. It has grown every year and we anticipate it growing every year in the future. The tournament gives the coaches a good preseason look at the kids and helps them with their selection of teams,” said Phil Simone, Canfield High School boys and girls soccer team coach.
The tournament also had community support and corporate sponsors, including the Massage Caf , which offered free massages to players and discounted massages to any attendee.
According to Kevin Johnson, licensed massage therapist, it depended on the athlete’s schedule as to what type of massage he would give them.
“If it is a pre-game massage, it would help the player warm up and stretch out, and if it was a post-game massage, it would help the player relax and slow down,” Johnson said.
Canfield Soccer Boosters parents volunteered at the tournament in every aspect from the concession stand to taking photos to selling T-shirts to helping set up the tournament the day before. Approximately 40 parents worked the concession stand throughout the day, selling various items, including Chick-fil-a sandwiches, doughnuts from Canfield Dunkin Donuts, subs from Canfield Subway and pizza from Canfield Pizza Hut.
Several National Honor Society students also volunteered at the event to earn service credit. Students parked cars, sold raffle tickets to a Columbus Crew game and sold water and Gatorade to the spectators.