Lilburn's Soccer Pedigree Shines

Only once coach Michael Tolmich dumped the box's contents for players to sift through, did he realize the impact.

There, scattered on the floor of the locker room in Tifton, were an estimated 150 letters, drawings, emblems and the like -- all from students and faculty of Camp Creek Elementary, located next door to Parkview High -- wishing his Parkview soccer players luck before Friday's eventual 1-0 elimination of Tift County in the state quarterfinals.

"From crayon, to pen, to misspellings; from pictures of soccer balls, to panther paw prints -- anything you could imagine was in there," Tolmich said of the decorated orange box with players' photos glued all over. "There was a whole lot of love going on there.

"Truly moving," he said of wide-eyed players sifting through. "It was one of those moments I'll always remember. You could just feel the support coming from Camp Creek."

Such enthusiasm isn't surprising in a town of Lilburn's soccer pedigree. Within just a quarter mile of Cole Drive stands Parkview's stadium of 13 boys and girls state championships, across the street from Gwinnett Soccer Association, one of the state's most prominent youth soccer associations. Only miles away is Providence Christian, a soccer-steeped school of two girls championships and a boys semifinal and final.

"These guys start at 5, 6 and 7 years old," Providence boys coach Todd Henry said of GSA's pipeline of high-school players. "If you don't start at that level, you likely don't make varsity."

And Wednesday, as Parkview's boys visit Walton and Providence's boys go to Pace Academy for their respective Class AAAAA and A semifinals, Lilburn's soccer enthusiasm remains at fever pitch. Even with the Panthers (12-9) in Marietta and the Stars (15-5) in Atlanta, Lilburn eagerly awaits the outcome.

"Every time you're at GSA, you see Parkview. And every time you're at Parkview, you see GSA," Tolmich said. "There's a connection there that's unavoidable."

Founded in 1977, GSA's estimated 1,800 players ages 3 to 18 comprise about 100 recreation teams and 55 select traveling ones. So near Parkview and Providence, "it's a real sense of family," GSA President Larry Green said. "It's a totally unique environment" where he said parents often come watch several games a day, beyond just those involving their kids.

And synergy flows from Parkview and Providence back to GSA, too.

"It's a two-way street," said Mike Farnham, GSA's director of player development. "The club fuels success of the high schools and vise versa."

In the Stars' 3-1 defeat of the Panthers in Parkview's Spring Break Showcase, more than a dozen GSA teammates competed against one another. GSA '94 Phoenix White players Jose Diaz, Zachary Kammer and Justus King of Parkview played Will Lowndes, Taylor Henry, Ryan Mozzone, Caleb McQuaig and Robby Lyew of Providence. Likewise, '94 Phoenix Red mates Matt McGlamery and Evan Flowers of Providence were across from Diego Casillas of Parkview.

"The players around Lilburn seem to be connected, and everybody pushes each other," said Stars senior midfielder Evan Pruitt. "They push each other in GSA, then go to Parkview and Providence and try to outplay one another. It's an incredible competition level."

A Parkview win Wednesday advances it to Saturday's final against either Lassiter or Collins Hill. A Providence victory pits the Stars against Walker or Paideia. Moreover, wins would be large for Lilburn, a soccer-crazed town that can't get enough.

For Parkview midfielder Santiago Gubitosi, avenging a second-round loss to Walton in 2009 would be particularly gratifying. "We want to get even with Walton," said Gubitosi, who played his freshman season at Berkmar, a Lilburn school, which by the way, won the Region 8-AAAAA championship and lost to Walton in this year's second round. "We really want to beat them."

For motivation, Gubitosi might re-read whichever of Camp Creek's letters he found most meaningful and put in his bag at Tolmich's instruction.

"I wanted them to realize they're not just playing for Parkview. They're playing for a lot of people," Tolmich said. "Playing for Parkview is more than just playing for Parkview. It's playing for a community."