96/97 Girls' Team Wraps Up the State League Season

Sunrise, Florida (February 2, 2009) - The 96/97 Sunrise Sting wrapped up their State League season by playing first place West Pines (95/96) to a 1-1 tie. The Sting, a true u12 team, played up in the u13 State League. The team had dual objectives for the season. First, was for the girls to develop, to improve their skills, to learn to compete against top u13s that were bigger, faster and talented, and to learn how to play 11v11. Second, the team set a measurable objective of finishing with a 500 mark. The team met both objectives.

All of the girls got much better during the season. While the players and the team looked a little rough at the beginning, by the time the team finished the season, the players on an individual level and the team together looked like a much more polished unit and they were able to compete with every u13 team they met, including some of the best in the state.

In terms of wins and losses, the team finished in the middle of the standings with a 5-5-5 mark. The team was competitive in every game. Only first place West Pines and second place Boca United scored more goals than Sunrise. And most important, the team was playing at a much higher level at the end of the season than it had at the start.