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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Some of the folks who are keeping close watch on the weather this weekend are those with the Express Soccer Club as they host their 18th annual tournament at McGee Beach.
Organizers say they are not only preparing for the crowds — an estimated 3,000-5,000 people the event will bring — but also for the extreme heat.
It’s the beautiful view of Corpus Christi Bay that sets this soccer fest apart from the rest, played in the sand at McGee Beach.
12-year-old Julian Flores is showing off his fast footwork as he gets ready to take part in his very first beach tourney.
“It’s a very unique tournament so I’m excited to play on the beach,” Flores said.
Jose Valadez is back again after his team won last year.
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“This is pretty unique because you don’t always see beach tournaments that are as big as the one in corpus and the amount of traction it brings,” Valdez said.
The players prepare in their own way but each one knows how important it is to hydrate before and during the big event.
“I’ve been drinking water daily,” Flores said.
“Drinking water, put on my sunscreen, ask for a sub when I can,” another player Jaden Castro said.
“Can’t have anyone not being hydrated or not playing at their full potential,” Valadez said.
The players were among those setting out the goal and helping measure the borders of the one-of-a-kind soccer field in the sand.
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The five-on-five games will feature over 165 teams from across the state.
“The majority of them are from the Odessa/Midland, San Angelo area,” said DeeLynn Torres.
Torres is the president of the Express Soccer Club which has seen the competition grow into what it is today and involves players as young as 6 and even adults up to 44 years old.
“The very first year was at North Beach, we had a big 13 teams,” she said. “Players that were there at that very first event that are now in the under 30/under 40s.”
The steps of the seawall will provide their own stadium seating.
While the winds off the bay will bring some relief from the hot summer sun, Torres also knows the heat can be brutal for players.
“We limit the amount of time between games, anywhere from 5-6 hours between games, time to refresh, cool off and replace those electrolytes and fluids,” she said.
Cold drinks will be on hand and event organizers are sending out a reminder to players to drink up.
“They should have started two days ago,” Torres said. “It is the most important we do have first aid, we have a lady coming out, a firefighter, she knows what to do when it gets hot.”
The event kicks off at 8 a.m/ Saturday and will go until 8 p.m.
It’s free and open to the public.
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