- March 24, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
Lakewood Ranch has an abundance of golf courses and pickleball courts, but those aren’t the only outdoor recreational options for older residents.
Lakewood Ranch Adult Soccer Club welcomes players of all skills and all ages, and that was on full display March 9 at Sarasota International Cricket Club.
The soccer club’s Over 50 team hosted the Saint Petersburg FC Aztecs, rallying from a one-goal deficit to win 3-2.
After trailing 1-0 at halftime, Lakewood Ranch players John Smyth, Alvaro Gonzalez and Geyy Carabali scored in the second half to complete the comeback.
The win secured the Lakewood Ranch Soccer Club team the Florida Suncoast Soccer League championship in the Over 50 division.
Though the win was clearly meaningful judging by the celebratory beer shower the players received, the wins and losses are far from the only way to judge the value this club brings to the community.
Lakewood Ranch isn’t the most diverse community, but that isn't reflected by the area’s adult soccer club.
The club has 145 members in three divisions — an 18+ open team, an Over 50 team and an Over 60 team — representing 38 nationalities.
That mix is easy to notice.
Volunteer committee member Ian Bowles, who moved to the area from England seven years ago, pointed out men from Ireland, Scotland and China passing a ball around to warm up together.
When the game started, players communicated in English, Spanish and a variety of dialects, but that didn’t deter their ability to communicate.
“You know what I love about it? Everyone has a story,” said Smyth, who moved to Lakewood Ranch from Scotland 11 years ago. “There are people in this club who came here from other countries with nothing and they’ve followed the American dream. It’s inspirational.”
Players for the Over 50 team also have varying degrees of experience and skill level.
Nick Cooke, 61, said he played soccer in the Navy. Upon moving to Lakewood Ranch, he met some of the club’s players while having a drink and has been a member ever since.
Ever Palacios, 56, played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup for the Columbia national football team. He said he came to the area to work for the Lakewood Ranch Chargers Soccer Club two years ago.
Palacios didn’t play for the Over 50 team on March 9 due to a leg injury, but showed up on the sidelines anyway to help coach the team.
“I like there are people here from many parts of the world,” Palacios said through Guillermo Callo, who helped translate. “We share our cultures, and we’ve created a brotherhood from it.”
When Victor Mahadeo first established the Lakewood Ranch Adult Soccer Club in 1999, there were just five members, which made playing competitive games a challenge.
Mahadeo said the group played pick-up games of two-to-three man teams at Summerfield Community Park.
Word soon spread, and as Lakewood Ranch grew, so did the club.
Mahadeo said the club has members ranging in age from 18 to 72-years-old and experience levels from novice to professional.
As the club grew, it moved from Summerfield to Premier Sports Complex.
However, Mahadeo said that the cost to rent the field had grown from $40,000 to close to $60,000 per year, and other issues were holding the club back as well.
He said even a slight drizzle meant the cancellation of games, and they could not host league games — forcing them to hit the road to find competition.
Mahadeo, who said he used to play cricket at Sarasota International Cricket Club, heard the rugby team that played there was past due on their field fees and offered to take their spot.
Lakewood Ranch Adult Soccer Club purchased goals, installed flood lights for nighttime games and have also utilized differing backgrounds of its members to improve the clubhouse.
“In the club we have professionals (with different expertise) who have volunteered to help fix up the clubhouse,” Mahadeo said. “Now we have a field of our own to play.”
