Cole Lewis delivers a cross kick from the right side in a High Country United tryouts drill on May 19, 2021, at Ted Mackeroll Soccer Complex. Lewis was among more than 230 candidates trying out for multiple age groups’ travel teams.
BOONE — Top flight organization usually invites participation, especially when it comes to youth sports. Parents like to know that their children are in good hands, where they will grow and develop.
In warmup drills while trying out for High Country United travel teams, (left to right) Claudia Hooker, Elizabeth Bishop, Kaye Campbell, Lauren Yu, and Annabelle Stewart are put through their paces on May 19, 2021, at Ted Mackeroll Soccer Complex.
From well-manicured soccer fields to more than 30 well-trained coaches, lots and lots of soccer balls for individualized training, an academy for kids even younger than six years old, and multi-colored, numbered soccer “Pinnies,” it is not surprising that some 235 young athletes participated in tryouts for High Country United travel teams on May 17-18, from Under 10 to Under 19 age groups and all ages in between.
“These are tryouts,” said High Country United executive director Rick Suyao, “but we rarely cut anyone. Instead, we try to fill out multiple teams in an age group if we have a large number of players interested. And that is for both boys and girls. There have been very few left out because we didn’t have enough to fill out a team roster.”
Suyao noted that there had been a surge in interest among girls this year.
Aiden Hart takes dead aim at the goal during drills while trying out for a High Country United travel team on May 19, 2021, at Ted Mackeroll Soccer Complex. Hart was one of more than 230 boys and girls trying out for United travel teams at multiple age levels.
“There are a couple of age levels for the girls where they may be enough for more than two teams. We’ll see what we can accommodate, but it is great to see the growing interest in soccer,” said Su
High Country United has grown significantly over the years. According to non-profit information website GuideStar, High Country Soccer Association, AKA High Country United, was formally organized in 2001. Today, it annually fields various levels of youth teams with more than 550 youth and more than 250 adults.
“We are not just about Watauga County,” said Suyao. “In fact, we have players from Ashe, Avery, Wilkes, and Caldwell counties, too. One of the great things about travel soccer is that a player’s teammates may be adversaries from another school. And that is especially true on high school level teams where the skill level is greater and the play is more demanding.”
The longtime executive director of High Country United said that, speaking of schools, a youth soccer program like this can have a profound effect on the play of local high school teams.
“There are athletes on the Watauga High School teams that started their player development as early as age six with High Country Soccer Association, maybe in our academy program. Once a kid plays eight to 10 years of soccer in our programs, he or she can step confidently into a middle school ro high school program. And the success of the high school program brings a surge of interest in High Country Soccer Association. It is a very symbiotic relationship. Whatever is great for soccer and grows the game, that is what we are about.”
