Six Youth Soccer Players Crowned Champions of Sierra Mist MLS Dribble Pass & Score
November 12, 2005 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
FRISCO, Texas (Saturday, November 12, 2005) - The National Finals of the Sierra Mist MLS Dribble, Pass & Score(tm) competition, the largest national grassroots soccer skills competition in the country, were staged Saturday during the 2005 MLS Cup Weekend at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX. The six youth soccer players who were crowned champions will be honored by Kansas City Wizards midfielder Chris Klein, who will present them with their National Championship medals during halftime of MLS Cup 2005 on Sunday, November 13 between the New England Revolution and the Los Angeles Galaxy (Live on ABC Sports - 3:30 p.m. ET).
The six age-group winners, including two San Jose Earthquakes supporters, represented five different MLS teams. The following are the names of the six DPS National Champions:
Amir Bashti Menlo Park, CA 8-9 Boys
Sarah Waldo Bedford, IN 8-9 Girls
Konnor Tranoris W. Des Moines, IA 10-11 Boys
Katie Hadfield San Jose, CA 10-11 Girls
Scott Poole Lumberton, TX 12-14 Boys
Marie Egan Littleton, CO 12-14 Girls
The Sierra Mist MLS Dribble, Pass & Score(tm) program provides young players ages 6-14 the opportunity to test their skills in three basic areas: dribbling, passing and shooting. The 24 finalists from around the country earned an all-expense paid trip to Frisco for the National Finals after advancing past three previous levels of competition within their local markets. Upon emerging from Local and Sectional Competitions, they moved on to the Team Championship with the top four scorers nationwide in each age division winning the opportunity to compete in the DPS National Finals at MLS Cup 2005.
Sierra Mist recently finished its second year as the official sponsor of the MLS Dribble, Pass & Score(tm) (DPS) program. Since the program kicked off in 1998 as Dribble, Pass & Shoot, over one million youth soccer players have participated in the free competition designed to test core soccer skills. The name of the program was eventually altered to Dribble, Pass & Score, which sends the proper message about the ultimate objective of the sport of soccer: scoring goals.
Sierra Mist is the refreshing lemon-lime soft drink brand from Pepsi-Cola North America, an Official Sponsor of Major League Soccer since the League's inception in 1996. Sierra Mist, the title sponsor of the 2005 Sierra Mist All-Star Game, is also the annual presenting sponsor of the League's Goal of the Year Award, which honors the best goal-scoring effort in the regular season.
Digital images of the winners are available by calling or e-mailing Carly
Chamberlin at 302.236.2370 or carly.chamberlin@mlsnet.com
The following are brief bios of the winners:
Boys 8-9 Division
Amir Bashti, 8, Menlo Park, CA - Amir was a winner in his first ever season of DPS. While he hopes to emulate his favorite MLS players Craig Waibel and Pat Onstad on the soccer field, he also enjoys chess and backgammon.
Girls 8-9 Division
Sarah Waldo, 9, Bedford, IN - Sarah excels in softball, basketball and tennis, and now she has a Sierra Mist DPS gold medal to add to her trophy case. She is active in Indiana Youth Soccer, where she recently won a Fair Play Award with her team, Orbit.
Boys 10-11 Division
Konnor Tranoris, 11, West Des Moines, IA - A DPS veteran, Konnor successfully defended the title he won at MLS Cup 2004 in Los Angeles. His club teammates from The Thunder would be proud, as would his MLS idol, Josh Wolff.
Girls 10-11 Division
Katie Hadfield, 10, San Jose, CA - A first time DPS participant, Katie made it from her local competition in Santa Clara, CA, all the way to MLS Cup 2005. Katie is a dedicated fan of the Earthquakes, and her favorite player, Pat Onstad.
Boys 12-14 Division
Scott Poole, 14, Lumberton, TX - Scott was thrilled to be crowned a DPS National Champion in his home state. He was recently voted Team MVP of his his club team, Swindletop Select. When he's not on the field, he loves playing guitar and drums.
Girls 12-14 Division
Marie Egan, 12, Littleton, CO - Marie loves Freddy Adu, and has copied his soccer skills to great effect. Her DPS National Finals championship will be a source of great pride for her club the Pulse, and the entire Colorado Soccer Academy.
Major League Soccer Stories from November 12, 2005
- MLS Board of Governors Meets in Frisco, Texas - MLS
- Six Youth Soccer Players Crowned Champions of Sierra Mist MLS Dribble Pass & Score - MLS
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