Gulfport, MS (April 2nd) – Gulf Coast United Soccer Club joins Gulf Coast Premier League with both a women’s and a men’s team for the 2021 season.
“Gulf Coast United is very excited to join the Gulf Coast Premier League,” said Board Chair Walt Himel. “Working with Port City FC, we are looking forward to providing a top level women’s and men’s team for Mississippi coast soccer players to continue to enhance their playing careers, and to get ready for their college or professional seasons. The teams in the GCPL are many of the same teams our youth teams play in the Gulf States Premier League, so we believe it is a natural extension of what we currently offer.”
Port City FC board president, Steve Simkins, expressed Port City is very excited about this partnership with Gulf Coast United, and the ability to provide more opportunity for local college players to enhance their playing careers.
“Providing our local players an opportunity to play in both the National Premier Soccer League and the Gulf Coast Premier League is a dream come true for many of our high school and club coaches across the coast who have worked tirelessly to grow soccer in this area,” Simkins said. “It is our hope that over time, kids will look to these teams as a means to further their playing careers beyond high school and junior college. Further, it is our hope that we can develop opportunity for underserved communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast to learn the game, and make it part of their lives. Adding a women’s team and an another men’s team only serves to strengthen the long term success of soccer in this area.”
“The Mississippi coast has a great level of coaching and culture that produces a lot of high level youth players,” said GCPL VPO, Jonathan Rednour. “The stage for developing these players beyond the youth game is something truly needed in the gulf south and we’re happy to continue offering a platform that offers that critical need for development to our young adults.”
Former William Carey All-American, Donevin Esterhuizen will coach the women’s GCPL team, and former Mississippi College player and St. Stanislaus coach, Zack Villarrubia, will coach the men’s GCPL team. “I’m looking forward to putting together a collection of local talent from across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, giving college age players the opportunity to continue to improve, and some of our former locals stars a place to continue their soccer careers,” said Esterhuizen.
Games will begin in early May and home games will be held at the Herbert Wilson Soccer Stadium, or the Gulfport Sportsplex.
Learn more about Gulf Coast United at www.gulfcoastunited.com
“The Gulf Coast Premier League (GCPL) serves as the leader in amateur soccer along the gulf coast region of the United States, offering a pathway for players pursuing their competitive careers further and assisting our member clubs to organically grow in their communities. The GCPL is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA); a member of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
The GCPL is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization organized and operated with the ultimate goal of growing soccer and soccer culture in the gulf coast.”
