By FRANCIS FEDOR
Tampa Dynamo FC is a local youth soccer program that has been developing athletes since 2003. The program is now in its 22nd year. It is one of our Riverview neighbors, with a complex just east of Big Bend Road and has been creating a fostering environment for the growth of soccer players here in Hillsborough County. The Dynamo hosts all ages, from youth to adult leagues and has two full-sized turf fields in its complex. The two full-sized lighted fields can be split to host four youth contests (or recreational) games/workouts at a time. The complex also has a number of auxiliary fields on the backside of the turf fields.
There is no offseason with the Dynamo. When the school year isn’t in session, it hosts summer camps and keeps the complex vibrant with the sights and sounds of soccer. But the competitive leagues really hit their peak from the beginning of August, running through the end of April, with tryouts for the coming late-summer start in May. In a conversation with one of the coaches, he estimated that in its bracket, upwards of 100 folks competed for 40-43 spots. The program could see nearly 900 register for tryouts for the entire program. Coach Beck works with the one of the U-11 groups. There are three levels within the U-11 group, Red, the top tier; White; and Black. I was introduced to the parent of one of the players who is making a splash with the Dynamo, Adam, father of Micah.
Tampa Bay Dyanmo U-11 Coach Beck and Micah sporting their medals and trophy from their Tampa Cup tournament success.
I talked with both Adam and Coach Beck about the program. Micah is just one of many success stories in the Dynamo program. Adam was passionate about sports and thought his son would follow his route of basketball or football but found that Micah had a knack for soccer, and they found a YMCA program to start the journey. It wasn’t long before Micah was making waves in the Y program, growing his skills and, as Adam told it, other parents started recommending the Dynamo program. Micah is now in his third year with the Dynamo program, and Coach Beck had nothing but praise for Micah. He talked about how he is coachable and already a leader among his teammates. I came away with the feel that Micah plays the game the right way. While competitive, both Adam and the coach talked about how Micah is among the first to help an opponent off the turf, even apologizing for a swipe. The coach complimented how respectful he is to others and the great example he sets.
Micah had to earn his striker position, and Adam felt the move from the Y to the Dynamo was needed to get Micah playing among those who shared his rising skill level. The Dynamo has helped develop a thought process and analytical skills that transcend the soccer field to the classroom, where Micah also excels in academics. Adam also talked about how the Dynamo has a family feel to it, and Coach Beck has been a friend through some adversity. And even though the season is just getting underway, Micah is already making big plays, keeping a ball that was headed out of bounds live and passing it across to a teammate in the box who turned it into the game-winning goal. As Coach Beck tells it, it would have been easy to let the ball go out of bounds, but Micah’s competitive nature wouldn’t let that happen.
Tampa Bay Dynamo participates in a number of tournaments and the Tampa Cup is just one. The marketing features Micah, one of the many Dynamo rising stars, in celebration.
Adam considers their discovery of the Dynamo program as a blessing from their Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. The family atmosphere and dedication of the staff at Dynamo is the reason that Adam and Micah travel from East Tampa to Big Bend Road. They are getting set to travel to distant tournaments in North Carolina, Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, to name a few. Micah already has a collection of medals that he hopes to add to this season. The Dynamo also interacts with the Rowdies; the USL Championship team has hosted the group for games in St. Petersburg, and a number of their players have made their way to Big Bend to host camps to build the skills of the Dynamo players. Dynamo also made a field trip to a game at Raymond James Stadium where a soccer friendly match was played and had some of the players meet the Dynamo youth.
The Dynamo mission goes beyond just the on-field activities and extends into the learning realm as they have a partnership with the Soccer Parenting Association. The agreement, which all families associated with Tampa Dynamo can participate in, provides free access to the educational content on the SoccerParentResourceCenter.com platform.
More information on the Tampa Dynamo can be found on its website at https://www.tampadynamofc.com/
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