Impact Players

Words by Shelton Hull and Photos by Ambar Ramirez

From its earliest days, Jacksonville has been known for its ability to attract young people of great potential, across a wide range of fields. But just as crucial to our collective brand is the massive array of talent that we’ve exported, chief amongst them the men and women who’ve made their names in sports, both amateur and professional. Their ranks include national champions, gold medalists and hall of famers in almost every sport that has one, as well as many others, active now, who will reach that level themselves, someday. 

Part of that next generation of elite athletes of Northeast Florida were on display on a recent Tuesday morning, Oct. 22 to be exact. It was the second annual High School Soccer Media Day at the Winston Family YMCA on Riverside Avenue, just off the Northbank Riverwalk that leads into 5 Points. Athletes and coaches met with local media on the second floor basketball court. The acoustics helped contribute to the persistent buzz in the room, an exuberant hum that only teenagers can produce. (It might be interesting for live music, actually.)

The event was sponsored by the Sporting Club of Jacksonville, one of the groups working to build the pro soccer scene here. “One of our goals with the team, besides just winning, is elevating soccer around the community,” says Technical Director Mauricio Ruiz. “We’ve just started our foundation, which is going to go out into the community and start bringing soccer to areas that maybe haven’t been introduced to it yet. And in the areas where it has, we can maybe give them more recognition, and events like this are part of that.” Odds are almost 100% that some of these kids will end up playing for soccer clubs locally.

Food was provided by The Bearded Pig, pulled pork and brisket that many kids regarded as the highlight of their entire day. Organizers had a photo booth, giving kids the ability to basically posterize themselves, which makes perfect sense in the NIL era. They even had a big blow-up soccer game in one corner of the court. The kids showed solid accuracy, even on the hardwood in that casual setting. At one point, a few started playing target practice with each other, but that was quickly shut down. It was basically a day off for kids and adults alike, and the athletes had full run of the 72,000 square foot facility, which opened in the 1950s, but was demolished and entirely rebuilt on the same spot in 2016, for $21 million. 

“The Y is a really good partner. Also, it’s weather-controlled,” he added with a laugh. “Where the basketball gym is located, they get to walk through the entire facility, see what it all looks like, maybe run into some familiar faces.” Some of the cross-country teams stage practices there, and many of them are already familiar via their families.

“It hasn’t only grown in numbers,” he said, “but it’s grown in interest. We’ve added a wellness fair to it, as well. We have a lot of local partners in the wellness space who can benefit coaches and athletes, whether it’s mental health, physical recovery, or diet and workouts — anything that’s relevant to an athlete. Going forward, we want to continue getting feedback from players and coaches, and what we’re getting today is: Why not make it an actual playing event? So we have an opportunity to elevate this even more, by making it a two-day event next year.”

We got the word via my friend Tiffany Valla Hutto, which is kind of ironic, because her father was one of my coaches in high school. We actually became friends through a shared love for the city’s jazz scene, but her passion for youth sports is basically genetic. Personally, I never had the makings of a varsity athlete, unlike most of my family; I’ve always felt more at-home in the press box. “Folio” was just one of the organizations represented; we were joined by colleagues from WJXT, WJCT 89.9, 1010 XL, Shop Radio and “The Florida Times-Union.” Local media has always been great about covering high school sports. We even feature the spelling bee on local TV, which is a delightful quirk of the local culture.

“There’s a separation between boys and girls. Girls are really strong in the North Florida area. Our girls are going to the Power 4: Kentucky, Florida, FSU, Alabama. But our boys are also in Division I, Division II.” In other words, high performers on the varsity level, locally, are virtually assured a look from top colleges in the region. This is true for most sports, but the rapid growth in youth soccer nationally has benefited our area, more than most.

Mauricio’s not just a soccer executive, but he’s also a fan, a hardcore fan, so he’s already looking at these kids like the potential pros they are. “We’ve got Creekside, they won state last year. St. Johns Country Day has won. Mandarin didn’t win state, but they made the final four. You’ve got Bolles. So you’ve got a lot of programs coming out of our region that are not only competing stateside, but they’re being ranked nationally, as well.” He pointed out some of the emerging rivalries and some key matchups for the upcoming season. “In girls’ soccer, Creekside and Bartram Trail are always a draw. I went to that game last year, and the stands were packed on both sides. It felt like a high school football game.”

The event was scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon, but it ran well past that with representatives from nearly 50 high schools across Duval, Clay, Nassau, St Johns and Alachua counties. Between the food, the friendship and the general clout of being there, no one was bored. “This is good recognition,” he said. “This is a good way to reward the kids who are doing the right things, as leaders on their teams. So, sports typically do that, right? They teach leadership skills, they teach life skills. Most of these kids will eventually stop playing, at some point in their careers, but they will take these lessons with them for the rest of their lives.” 

Anytime you can get teenagers to tolerate the presence of adults for any longer than necessary, it’s usually a good thing.