US Club Soccer increases Florida presence, adds Sunshine State Premier League and Academy Cup

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Following the success of the Florida Premier League and the Florida Cup, US Club Soccer announces the addition of the Sunshine State Premier League and the Academy Cup.

Featuring U-8 through U-12 boys and girls, the Sunshine State Premier League will launch in Fall 2014 as a part of US Club Soccer’s nationwide Premier Leagues platform.

The Premier Leagues platform is a network of leagues in local, statewide and similar geographic regions for competitive clubs and teams, created along the principles that league-based competition is the primary means for long-term player development and growth of the game.

Several Florida clubs have already joined the league including: Orlando City SC, Space Coast United, Florida Kraze/Krush, PDA Florida, Jacksonville FC, Boca United, Greater Tampa Bay FC and West Florida Flames.

The Sunshine State Premier League’s mission is to improve the competitive environment by combining forward-thinking youth clubs that share similar ideals regarding long-term player development of youth players. Following the U.S. Soccer Player Development Curriculum, the league will employ 7 vs. 7, 9 vs. 9 and 11 vs. 11 playing formats for appropriate age groups.

With the addition of the Sunshine State Premier League, the Premier Leagues platform gained its ninth member league.

The Academy Cup will kick off in Spring 2015 featuring three regional tournaments in the south, central and north districts of Florida for the U-9 through U-12 age groups. It will mirror the U.S. Soccer’s recommended playing format and Sunshine State Premier League rules to promote a player development-centered competition format.