JAY PARIS COMMENTARY: Soccer with a grain of sand

By JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | Friday, May 2, 2008 11:55 PM PDT ∞

OCEANSIDE ---- Charlie Atlas would be baffled. Where else could he find so many having laughs kicking sand at others?

Only at the Southern California Beach Soccer Championships.

"The response has been unbelievable,'' said Gino Rossi, one of the tournament directors.

Some 500 games in divisions ranging from kids to collegians to pros will dominate the sand this weekend near Oceanside Harbor.

Sand soccer, if you will, is a variety of the sport that usually provides a kick on the grass. Or it's a different look from the indoor version played on an artificial surface.

But sand? Doesn't that cause havoc with the juicy orange slices distributed at halftime?

"The teams don't mind," said Rossi, an Oceanside resident.

Nope, the sweet sensation of sand between the toes ---- if the player isn't wearing socks ---- and the chuckles tagging along compensate for anything.

There's nothing sour about chasing a ball, then chasing a game with a dip in the ocean or goofing off at the various attractions surrounding the grainy pitches.

"What we try to do is have fun,'' Rossi said. "Soccer has grown so competitive in the U.S. and internationally that we forget that we started playing to have a good time."

So the local event that started last year is bigger and stronger ---- like Charlie Atlas eventually became ---- than the inaugural run. Rossi turned away 51 teams hoping to sink their feet into sand soccer. He was able to, um, sand-wich in 227 squads featuring 2,800 players.

Jaime Arroyo will be there, coaching three girls teams from his Saddleback United program in Orange County. He will also play for Voodoo Doc FC in the pro division with Tom Dooley, a celebrated former U.S. national team player.

"Soccer has grown so competitive, especially at the club level," said Arroyo, who has competed in sand soccer for 11 years. "But at this event, you just play for fun. I tell my girls to go out and just kick the ball around on the sand."

Of the registered squads, 12 percent clog the 8-and-under division. But top-notch players are numerous in the pro division.

Among the women's stars are Shannon MacMillan, a San Pasqual High graduate, and Joy Fawcett; both starred for the U.S. national team when it won the 1996 Olympic gold medal and the 1999 Women's World Cup. From the men's ranks, there's Dooley and John O'Brien.

MacMillan attended the 2007 event to sign autographs. This May, she signed on to play.

"I came to it last year and walked around, and everyone was having a blast," said MacMillan, now an assistant coach for the UCLA women's team. "There are a lot of skills required. It is very challenging because of footing and the ball, of course, doesn't roll as much."

Rossi said the well-known players can teach others how to roll. He's not talking about technique on a header or bending it like Beckham.

"If those players who have won gold medals and World Cups can come out here and have a good time, then so can all the other players," he said.

Beach soccer has been around for decades, especially in South America. Rossi brought it to North County after reviewing a similar event in Virginia Beach, Va.

On Thursday, Rossi was rushing around, being pulled in various directions as he helped coordinate the West Coast's biggest beach soccer event.

By all accounts, it's an outing that is of the premier variety.

"Gino has done a wonderful job,'' MacMillan said.

The task of coaxing a soccer ball the proper direction on the sand isn't easy, Arroyo said.

"Absolutely, it's a different game,'' he said. "Imagine trying to control the ball on the sand with all the holes and everything else. And you can really fling your body around doing bicycle kicks and other things you wouldn't necessarily do on the ground."

The real dirt? Soccer is king starting Saturday, but this is more than shooting for a goal.

"I tell my players just don't come to play a couple of games,'' Arroyo said. "Come and spend the whole day at the beach. It's a festival, that is what it is."

It can also be tough on the feet. Some avoid blisters and tattered toes by wearing sand socks.

Sand socks? Muscle man Charlie Atlas wouldn't hear of such a thing.

But soccer enthusiasts arriving from six nations are pumped for their weekend on the Oceanside sand.

Bully for them.

Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.