Registration opens for 37th Annual Virginian Memorial Day Soccer Tournament

The Virginian Memorial Day Soccer Tournament is now accepting team registrations for its 37th edition, to be held in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. on May 26-28, 2012.

One of the oldest and most popular youth soccer tournaments in the United States, the Virginian takes place at several locations across Northern Virginia, with matches played on some of the best artificial turf and Bermuda grass fields in the state. Featuring a range of divisions from Under-9 to Under-19 level, it is a FIFA-approved event open to USYSA/ FIFA affiliated club and league teams as well as U.S. Club Soccer teams, and is also approved by the Virginia Youth Soccer Association.

“I’m excited to get our registration period underway, and look forward to welcoming another great lineup of teams and clubs,” said new tournament director Dorothy Talbott. “We’ve been hard at work on ways to improve our participants’ experience and we’re certain that 2012 will be our best year yet.”

After soliciting detailed feedback from previous participants, the Virginian will institute a range of changes in 2012. The tournament will move to a three-game format designed to streamline teams’ schedules and combat player fatigue, while the number of guest players has been raised, with five players allowed per team instead of three.

Other advances include digital program books, which will reduce paper consumption and allow for wider use among tournament attendees, and online forms for submitting comments about refereeing and other aspects of the event experience.

“You talked, and we listened,” said Talbott as she described the guiding philosophy behind the tournament’s revamped approach. “We’re committed to providing exceptional customer service and a responsive atmosphere for players, coaches, families and everyone else who makes our event so special.”

The Virginian is also building on its partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project, with a portion of each team’s registration fee going towards the nonprofit organization’s assistance and outreach programs for wounded military service members.

Registration closes on Sunday, April 15, though given the tournament’s historic popularity, team managers are urged to submit their applications early in order to ensure themselves of a spot.

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