AVE MARIA HEATS UP THIS WINTER! THE CHICAGO FIRE of MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER OPEN PRE-SEASON TRAINING THIS WEEK
January 17, 2012
NAPLES, FL., -- January 17, 2012 – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced the start of its 2012 preseason schedule this month, with its first leg of preseason training in Ave Maria from January 20 through February 3.
In conjunction with the Chicago Fire Juniors-Florida, based out of Naples, the team will spend 15 days training in Ave Maria, Florida. This is the second year the team has chosen Ave Maria as a site for its preseason training. “It’s always a very exciting time in the town when the Chicago Fire arrives,” adds Blake Gable, president of Ave Maria Development. “It’s Southwest’s Florida only chance to see professional soccer up close for an extended period of time, to take part in player-supervised clinics, and watch some outstanding soccer.”
The team will be practice at the North Park in Ave Maria and fans are welcome to watch practices. Practice times are scheduled daily from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and at night from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The schedule is subject to change; please call the Ave Maria Information Center at 239-352-3903 for the latest updates.
Special events and clinics begin Saturday, January 28 with a Chicago Fire Juniors Player-only Clinic from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and a special team Meet n’ Greet from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. during the Sunshine State Steak Cook-Off. The Chicago Fire Regional Talent School will be held Saturday and Sunday, January 28 and 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and is open to all high school students. A community soccer clinic for boys and girls ages U6 – U14 will be held Sunday, January 29th from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and will be limited to the first 100 participants. Later that day, high school students are invited to attend a Chicago Fire College Recruitment Seminar from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Ave Maria University. For more information, visit www.chicagofirejuniorsflorida.com.
-more-
PAGE 2
CHICAGO FIRE PRESEASON IN AVE MARIA
The team will take on FGCU in a friendly-match on Wednesday, February 1st at 7:00 p.m. at the North Park in Ave Maria. A town tailgate will be open to the public in the Ave Maria Town Center from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. and feature live music, food and drink specials at The Queen Mary Pub and Tropical Smoothie. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase at the game.
The Town of Ave Maria has been designed as a hometown for the 21st century, a place where residents of different generations and backgrounds can find all they need to live life to the fullest – schools, shopping, employment opportunities, recreational facilities, and more. In addition, the presence of Ave Maria University offers educational and cultural experiences unlike any other in the area. At its build out, it will include 11,000 residences in its 4,000 acres.
Ave Maria is located at the intersection of Oil Well and Camp Keais Roads in Eastern Collier County. The main entrance, on Oil Well just west of Camp Keais, leads to the Town Center. For more information, please visit www.avemaria.com or call 239-304-1236.