UMass SoccerFest Gears Up For Its 6th Year

AMHERST, MA, April 1, 2008 – The University of Massachusetts-Amherst Sport Management Department at the Isenberg School of Management announced today that SoccerFest, the popular soccer tournament run by the school’s event management students, will be returning this year on May 10th. The non-profit tournament is supported solely by partners and participant registration fees. Tournament proceeds go toward the Erik Kjeldsen Scholarship Fund, named after former UMass Sport Management professor Dr. Erik Kjeldsen. Each year the Sport Management Department awards scholarships for two to its students who exemplify academic excellence and superior work ethic.

The 2008 incarnation of the fast-growing tournament will see Clif Bar return as title sponsor along with Platinum sponsor, Coca-Cola. This year the tournament will add PUMA athletic footwear and apparel to its impressive list of partners. SoccerFest has also increased the capacity to a total of 120 teams to accommodate the growing popularity of the event.

"The SoccerFest marketing team is eagerly anticipating this year’s event and all the activities we are going to be offering," says student Samantha Lewis. "Along with the inflatables everyone loves, we have many exciting activities available in the Clif Kid Fun Zone, including, but not limited, to a dunk tank, FANtasy Fenway Park, a rock wall, new carnival game activities and live music. However, most of all we are looking forward to seeing all the smiling faces of our participants, spectators and parents."

This year marks the third consecutive year that SoccerFest will work with the Amherst Youth Soccer Association. All AYSA players will participate in Clif Bar SoccerFest 2008, making it the largest spring soccer tournament for the entire community. Director of Coaching for AYSA Christopher Streeter remarks, "SoccerFest gives Amherst Youth Soccer an opportunity to be a part of an incredible day of soccer. More importantly than that, it's a community event that uses soccer as its platform, encompassing music, games, food, soccer clinics, a FunZone, and prizes. The UMass Sport Management students are professional, competent, attentive, and committed to making the event bigger and better than the year before, which is very difficult to do."

SoccerFest is pleased to have once again both the UMass Men’s and Women’s Varsity Soccer teams playing exhibition games. This year the teams will play a double header on Saturday with the Men’s team playing at 1:00 pm and the women following afterwards. The UMass Men’s team is coming off the most successful season in the program’s history as it advanced to the NCAA Final Four. They will take on the Western Mass Pioneers in their SoccerFest match, which will feature a special ceremony honoring the 75th anniversary of the soccer program at the university. The Women’s team will take the field against the Adirondack Lynx, a member of the Women’s Premier Soccer league, with special Mother’s Day festivities featured during the game.

For more information on Clif Bar SoccerFest 2008, registration forms, and tournament schedules, please visit http://www.soccerfest.org.