Toys for Tots: PWSI’s Yeatts pleased with tourney’s 17th edition

By Roger Gonzalez

The 2012 edition of Prince William Soccer, Inc.’s Toys for Tots Tournament has reached its end. By and large, it’s been a sensational weekend with good competition and positive spirit. Plenty of goals were scored and even more gifts were donated for a great cause, the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.

PWSI general manager Mike Yeatts sat down with Soccer Wire on Sunday afternoon to discuss the end of the tournament.

“It’s been going great, the weather has been fantastic,” Yeatts said. “There has been some great competition, some great play.”

One of the main highlights to the preseason tournament has been the play of the home club’s teams. Several made it to their bracket finals, and four won division championships.

On the U-16 level, Grover Gibson’s 97 Courage team made the semifinals, and Mayowa Owolabi’s 96 Courage team made the final.

“We’ve done pretty well so far as a team, the games that I’ve watched,” Yeatts said.

The tournament served one main purpose for the teams.

“It’s really about getting yourself ready for the season and for the older teams, getting ready for the State Cup. That’s really our focus for the fall,” Yeatts said.

As always, Marines were there to take in the action over the tournament’s two weekends as hundreds of lovely presents were gifted. Many Washington, D.C.-area children in need will have a special holiday season thanks to the generosity of those who brought new, unwrapped toys, filling collection bins to capacity and beyond.

“It’s been going great,” Yeatts said. “I was just over at Hellwig Park and grabbed a bunch of toys. As soon as I’m done here, I’m going to head to Howison [Park] and we are going to start bagging them and getting them ready to hand over to the Marines.”

Overall, Yeatts and his PWSI colleagues felt the tournament progressed nearly perfectly, despite a smattering of adverse weather.

“We have got a lot of folks out,” the GM said. “It’s a nice day to be outside, a great way to spend the weekend.”