AVON PARK – With its closest Region 8 opponent nearly 95 miles away, Polk State Soccer is no stranger to having to travel lengthy distances. Traveling to spread the game of soccer, however, doesn't stop during the offseason.

Earlier this month, Polk State players and coaches made the trip south to Avon Park to put on a free soccer clinic for the girls soccer team at Avon Park High School. During the clinic, they gave hands-on instruction and shared their stories with the high school athletes.

"It meant a lot to us," said Kristazsa Feliciano, Head Coach at Avon Park. "Our school hasn't always been big on soccer. We have eight seniors and many were looking into Polk State to continue their education. A lot of people their age are dreaming about big universities. For some of our girls, Polk State is everything."

In her first season as coach at Avon Park, Feliciano guided the Red Devils to a 10-5-2 record and a share of the district regular season championship. Feliciano said she never intended to coach, but after her predecessor resigned, the school had proposed not fielding a team for the 2024 season. With nearly half of the 18-player roster comprised of seniors, Feliciano wanted to make sure their high school careers didn't end prematurely.

Located in a rural area, access to travel teams and club soccer is limited. Only one of the players on the roster plays for a club team and she travels to Polk County to play for Polk State Assistant Coach Tawanda Kaseke.

"The coaches did a great job of meeting the players at their level," Feliciano said of the Polk State staff. "You could tell they were very experienced soccer coaches. They all related really well to our players."

 The clinic was held during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Polk State Head Coach Dee Shivraman, Assistant Coach Brian McNulty, and players Paula Cortijo Garrido, Leona Kraus, Sofia Salas, and Janessa Crespo volunteered.

"I appreciated how Polk State's players came from all over the world and our girls got to see how talented they were," Feliciano added. "The biggest takeaway was that no matter where you're from, you can make it. It was an eye-opening experience."

Hoping to expose her players to college soccer, Feliciano said her first interaction with the Polk State coaching staff came in an effort to have her team come by and watch a Polk State home match. Shivraman, instead, volunteered to come to Avon Park to facilitate the clinic – an endeavor nothing new to Polk State. Last year, Polk State coaches and players went all the way to Live Oak to facilitate a clinic.

"We feel that there are too many barriers for families to overcome in order to play club soccer," Shivraman explained. "The pay-to-play model obstructs kids who are passionate about the game and denies them the opportunity to play competitively. The Avon Park community is a good example of this because very few kids play travel soccer and often this too is a financial hardship because of coaching, tournament fees, etc. We as Polk women's soccer coaches can't fix this complex problem but if we can help in a small way to spread the passion, coaching, and stir the imagination of these kids, then it's worth our time and efforts."