Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC Announces hiring Anthony Martin as Head Coach for new USL-Super 20 Team
The Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC announces hiring of local Anthony Martin as the Head Coach for their newly formed USL Super 20 team that will play in the nationally known and prestigious United Soccer Leagues.
Cape Coral, FL – May 23, 2015
The Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC proudly announces the hiring of Anthony Martin as the Head Coach for their newly formed USL Super 20 team. The team will compete in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) Super 20 League, which is a national league for players 17 to 20 years of age.
Introduced in 2006, the league’s main goal is to provide opportunities to elite youth players to keep playing during the summer without having to join a senior level team. The 2015 season will see 26 teams divided among six divisions. Teams will play eight games during the regular season while competing for a spot in the Super-20 League Championship presented by Nike, set for July 16-19, 2015 at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
The Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC Super 20 team will play in the Florida Division along with IMG Academy in Bradenton, Miramar United in Miami and Tampa Bay United. The team will hold open tryouts on Wednesday, May 27th and Friday, May 29th at Jim Jeffers Park in Cape Coral. All home games, which are FREE of charge for visitors, will be played at the Island Coast High school stadium, which is located at 2125 De Navarra Parkway in Cape Coral. The first home game is Sunday, June 7th at 11:00 a.m. against Tampa Bay United.
Youth Academy
The Super 20 team is part of the Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC youth academy system. The entire playing schedule and additional information about the club’s Youth Academy, that will start in August of this year, can be found on the Florida Gulf Coast Dutch Lions FC website. The Fall Youth Academy will feature both a Youth Developmental Academy for ages 5-8 and a Premier Developmental Academy for ages 9-18. The Premier age group will also compete in a, newly formed, U.S. Club Soccer League featuring teams from SW Florida and beyond.
Try-outs
Youth Academy try-outs will be held on Tuesday, May 26th, Wednesday, May 27th and Saturday, May 30th. Check the website for more details and to register www.fgcdlfc.com.
Anthony Martin
Newly named Head Coach, Anthony Martin, has been a resident of Cape Coral since 2012 and has a long history of competing and coaching at a high level. Most recently, he coached the U12 & U18 boy’s soccer teams with the Cape Coral Soccer Association. During the 2013/14 season, he successfully coached the U17 Boy’s Cyclones team that won the President’s Cup and went on to compete in the National Regional’s and making it all the way to the National Final 4 teams.
“Although, it's a short season”, states Martin, “I have great expectations in the way that we will prepare this team for competition. There is no victory without sacrifice. With commitment, hard work and grace, we will be up to the challenge of building a team that will contend for the playoffs.”
Coach Martin holds a NSCAA Advanced National coaching diploma and is on Florida ODP staff. He played soccer for Igbobi College, which is in the Yaba suburb of Lagos, South-western Nigeria. He then went on to play semi-pro for the Great Nigeria Insurance Football Club where he was team captain during the 1990-91 season. In 1992, he earned a soccer scholarship to Liberty University where he received his Bachelor's in Sports Management. Coach Martin began his coaching experience under the direction of Bruce Arena (former U.S. Men's Soccer Head Coach) in the summer of 1994 at the University of Virginia Camp of Champions. In 2001, Coach Martin received his Masters in Human Resource Development from Bowie State University. While working on his masters he assisted the men's soccer team at the University of the District of Columbia. He also coached as a NCAA Div. II national clinician in the Youth Education through Sports "YES" program for inner city youths from 2002-2005. While head of the men's soccer program at Washington Adventist University NCAA Div II from 2001- 2012, in 2007, Coach Martin took WAU's men's soccer team to the USCAA National Championships in Michigan. That year Coach Martin was named Coach of the Year for Independent DII Schools from the NCAA.