OKEECHOBEE- A soccer club in Okeechobee is looking to give local kids an affordable way to play competitive soccer in Florida.

Okeechobee F.C. is currently fielding two age groups, under 12 and 16-18, with hopes to add more.

“We are just starting this project and we hope to eventually add more age groups as time goes on,” explained coach Omar Ayala. “We have tremendous support from parents and a couple of sponsors who believe in the mission. I would love to see this as a year-round for them as it provides a safe place for them to learn and most importantly have fun doing it.”

Kids who play in travel leagues year-round often have a leg-up on their competitors at the high school level. The boys and girls soccer teams at Okeechobee High School have faced this problem during their seasons. Many times the teams they play from the coast are packed with players who play soccer year-round and have more experience.

“They need to play year-round so they can learn to play the game the way it’s meant to be played and they can improve on the fundamentals,” said Ayala. “Then when high school season starts they aren’t behind. We tend to hit our peak towards the end of season and having them play year-round will have us playing at a higher level when it comes that time.”

Okeechobee has already had some success from the concept of involving kids year-round in the sport.

When Jovanny Torres took over the reigns of the Lady Brahman basketball program in 2018, the team hadn’t won a playoff game in over three decades. He started getting the girls involved in the sport in the off-season with the travel basketball league Chobee Nation, and, sure enough, things turned around.

During his first season, the Lady Brahmans qualified for the district playoffs and managed to beat South Fork in the district quarterfinal. The next year they advanced to the district championship. Last year they won the district championship in dominating fashion, 50-13 over Fort Pierce Westwood.

“We want to get them as much exposure as they can so they have a chance to earn a scholarship and play at a higher level,” Ayala said. “There are many athletes around the United States who are phenomenal players but might not get the chance because they can’t afford the 'pay to play'.”

 “There is so much talent in the United States but it goes unnoticed because of the expense that it comes with,” continued Ayala. “It’s a pay-to-play system and we believe everyone should have a fair shot without worrying how they will cover the cost to do so.”

Lightsey’s has stepped up to sponsor the 12 and under team while Nunez Air Conditioning and Refrigeration is sponsoring the 16-18 squad.

Omar Reyes is a member of the 16-18 team and will be a senior this year at OHS. Ayala said Reyes has made tremendous progress from where he was when starting out as a freshman. He should be a good example for underclassmen on the team to look up to. Connor Rucks is a junior and according to Ayala has matured a lot on the field during his time with the team.

“I can go on and on about each one and they all make me proud,” said Ayala. “We currently have around 30 athletes who are such a joy to be around. As a coach I enjoy watching them compete but, more importantly, having a bond with them. It’s very hard to explain but you learn so much about each one as time goes by.”

“Both of the sponsors who helped get this project going truly believe in the mission of this club,” said Ayala of Lightsey’s and Nunez Air Conditioning. “We can’t thank them enough for helping us get this started.”

 Anyone who would like to contribute to Okeechobee F.C.’s mission or sponsor a team can reach out to coach Ayala via email at Ayalao@mail.irsc.edu.