Soccer Summit 2013

As a sports obsessed kid growing up in the 80's and 90's, soccer represented a source of great frustration for me. It signified change, which I thought I was not ready for. It meant new schools, new friends (hopefully not enemies), new cultures, and most likely new challenges. A challenge that would most likely result in more defeats than wins.

In the urban landscape of the US, soccer had never been a dominant sport. With changing demographics it is beginning to climb the ladder of importance and popularity. In the decades preceding the World Cup and the MLS, playing soccer or even being interested in it meant you lived on a few blocks in the Ironbound or probably had an affinity for Pele from his Cosmos days or that random movie that featured a strong bicycle kick.

With that backdrop, there was a soccer Mecca in Newark. Enter St. Benedict's Prep.

When I experienced the aforementioned change I fretted, being a Newarker was a polarizing trait, which could be a fetter on my growth or at times bolster it with just as much force. One of the most appealing sources of awe from my peers was that, as a Newarker, I had some innate kinship with the soccer Gods of St. Benedict's.

Tab Ramos. Claudio Reyna. Gregg Berhalter. Petter Villegas. Maaaaaaaaan, are you serious!?

If those names mean nothing to you, it means you probably started watching soccer when the models, champagne, and hairless CK and body tanning ads started to appear. But when those guys played, St. Benedict's was routinely considered the best soccer program in the country. IN THE COUNTRY!

St. Benedict's is the St. Anthony's of soccer. Point. Blank. Period.

And I didn't mention how the tradition continued and lives on. Ever heard of Juan Agudelo? Yup, he's a Gray Bee. Not only is he one of the most promising US players on the international stage, he's doing it with the local flare we love. Check this out.

So I say all of that to conjure up the rich tradition that lives on High Street, which is further evidenced in the The International Soccer Summit - formerly known as the Newark International Classic. Running from August 25th through September 1st, St. Benedict's will play host to 8 teams from around the globe.

Some of the best and most popular teams (and not just on FIFA on your playstation) will be sending their youth teams. Inter Milan - want to see who will one day dethrone Balotelli and El Shaarawy? Queens Park Rangers - who might follow Julio Cesar in net one day? Liverpool - is there a Daniel Sturridge understudy in our midst?

I can remember going to school with soccer wunderkinds, and hosting counterparts from other countries. It was akin to being able to see your favorite Yankee shag flies in the minors before the stardom of the Bronx was reached.

The International Soccer Summit is now in its 16th year, but was first produced way back in 1992. Besides the local Gray Bees, there will be 2 teams from the US (New Jersey and Boston) as well as teams from Italy, Israel, Colombia, and England.

The tournament will be held NJIT and will include youth clinics, along with the round robin-style tournament.

For ticketing, which includes single and day passes, and all information please go here http://www.sbp.org/athletics/soccer/soccer---international-soccer-classic.

Another proud day to be a Newarker, with our rich history of success and the continued flame of the future.