Braden River Soccer Club is building shade structure at Lakewood Ranch Park

There’s one request Antonio Saviano hears often as the director of a soccer club in Florida — "More shade, please." 

So the Braden River Soccer Club is kicking its facilities up a notch at Lakewood Ranch Park with a 5,000-square-foot, open-air building to provide shade for both players and parents. 

Saviano took on the role of executive director for the Florida Premier Football Club Southwest Florida when the club partnered with the Braden River Soccer Club in April 2024. 

However, Saviano is not new to the sport or the Lakewood Ranch area. He’s been a player since the age of 8, and he eventually became the general manager of the Premier Sports Campus for six years until he became the technical director for the Lakewood Ranch Chargers in 2019.

The merger of the Braden River Soccer Club and Florida Premier came at a time when Saviano was stepping away from soccer, but as he says to his departing coaches, “I know you’re done now, but you’re going to come back.” 

Saviano simply couldn’t resist the excitement of the merger because it’s bringing more than just upgraded facilities. The level of competition is being upgraded, as well. 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Josh and Rachel Batey are entering their 11th season as Braden River soccer fans. All three of their daughters have been in the program. Their oldest, Avery Batey, graduated from high school last year and aged out of the program. 

Rachel Batey said Avery is jealous of her sisters now because the program has grown so much in just the one year she’s been gone.

“We’d develop girls for so many years, and then we’d lose them to other clubs once they turned 13 or 14,” Josh Batey said. “The bigger club has been a draw for more quality coaches. It’s more organized, and the parents’ voices are heard more.”

Teenage players would leave the club prior to the merger because the club wasn’t competitive on a national level. 

Any athlete looking to play in college or beyond didn’t have much of a choice but to leave for a program in Brandon or Tampa that offered more opportunities. 

Saviano said only a small percentage of players will play in college or at the professional level, but the dream is still there. 

“We try to offer that,” Saviano said. “If a player is really into it, he could build the skills, then we have that pathway.”

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Since the merger, Saviano has brought in 20 additional coaches, and players can compete regionally in the Elite Clubs National League.

The ECNL program is performance-based, so high performing regional leagues can be promoted into the main league. Saviano said the teams performed well last year, but called the progression a two- to three-year project.

Participation in the ECNL opens players up to national showcases, where they can play in front of hundreds of college coaches. 

But for as serious as Saviano takes player development, competition is not his only focus. The club welcomed its players back this fall with a party before the first practice. 

The fields were packed with players and parents eating hotdogs and hamburgers and getting to know one another. 

“We have almost 1,700 kids, but I still try to make it a family,” Saviano said. “At the end of the day, not all the kids are going to play in college, but they can play a sport that they love. They may go back to it when they have kids or to coach, so having that connection is very important to me.” 

Made in the shade

The installation of a 5,000-square-foot, open-sided building for Lakewood Ranch Park is being built through a partnership between the Braden River Soccer Club and Manatee County. 

The club uses the fields, but the county owns the park. 

Saviano said the club will be kicking off a fundraising campaign to raise $180,000 for the project, but he noted that a few sponsors have offered to help cover the costs. 

Manatee County agreed to chip in $43,000 to lay down the cement pad for the building, which will be located between the entrance to the fields and the concession stand. 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

While it will be nice for parents to watch their children play and practice without getting a sunburn, the building will also be used to take the kids out of the sun for agility and coordination drills. 

Manatee County staff anticipates that the building will reduce field maintenance by keeping players off the grass after it rains. Playing on wet grass adds more wear and tear to the fields. The building will provide more time for the turf to dry out and recover. 

Saviano hopes the building will be finished by February 2026.