Soccer Tournament To Allow Graduating Seniors Last Opportunity To Represent School
May 27, 2020, 11:37 AM | Updated: Jun 3, 2020, 11:58 am
American Leadership Academy and Judge Memorial compete in a 3A boys soccer semifinals game at Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper on Thursday, May 9, 2019. (Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
(Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A soccer tournament for high school teams will be occurring in Farmington, Utah starting on June 8th. The event, which will take place at the Legacy Events Center, will have a 24 team limit.
All 24 teams will be split into different pools, from there quarterfinals, semifinals and a final will take place to determine the winner of The Graduation Cup.
The tournament is not be sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA). Teams from all regions will be allowed to enter and will compete against each other.
Already 13 teams have entered the tournament, there are only 11 spots of availability left.
The Graduation Cup was organized by Nisa Hancock of The Wasatch Soccer Club who informed KSL Sports that the tournament was originally discussed with the hope of giving graduating seniors another opportunity to compete at the high school level.
“I just feel that the seniors deserve one more time on the field,” Hancock said.
Earlier this year, the UHSAA announced that all 2020 high school spring sports would be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, that meant that graduating seniors would not be able to compete for their schools again.
UHSAA NEWS: The UHSAA Board-of-Trustees reaffirmed the April 14, 2020, board decision to cancel all sanctioned activities for the 2020 spring season, including state championships, in a special board meeting Tuesday. Read more HERE: https://t.co/fWVTQIbJKX
— UHSAA (@UHSAAinfo) May 5, 2020
This tournament allows high school athletes, including the senior class, to compete for their beloved high schools one last time. Albeit not for a UHSAA event.
The tournament has a list of health and safety protocols that will best ensure the safety of all players.
There will be no spectators allowed. All players and coaches on the sideline must wear masks while all players will be required to wear a mask upon arrival. There will also be a temperature check for all players. For a full list of the health and safety guidelines, click here.
To enter, visit the Graduation Cup website by clicking here or by visiting graduationcup.sportngin.com.
Tom Hackett is a Utah and Real Salt Lake Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the It’s Utah’s World Podcast (Utah Football themed) and The Lion’s Den Podcast (Real Salt Lake themed). Follow him on Twitter: @TomCantHackett.
