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05/18/2017 12:00 AMIt can be a daunting task for anyone to run a two-day soccer tournament that features 80 to 100 teams, 80 to 90 referees, and 200 games. However, for the past 14 years, Steve Mansfield has been true to that task by helping to make the Clinton Invitational Soccer Tournament (CIT) one of the preeminent events of the year in town.
Steve was born and raised in Guilford, where he played soccer at the high school from 1975 to 1978, serving as a utility player on a pair of Class L state title teams.
Steve moved to Clinton in 1988 and got involved in the local soccer scene as a youth coach for his sons’ teams. Steve went on to become a youth soccer official in town, and he also had stints as an assistant coach with Morgan’s boys’ and girls’ soccer squads. Involved with the Clinton Youth Soccer board for more than 20 years, Steve became the director of the CIT 14 years ago and has been gearing up for the 23rd annual tournament that will take place on Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21.
“This year, we will play close to 200 games in two days at Peters Complex, Indian River Complex, and Morgan High School. Peters and the high school are connected, so the fans can roam between the two sites, which is great,” says Steve. “We will have about 10 trophies given out on Sunday. We have the presentation of them, and we also have the coaches say some nice words, as well. The presentation is the fun part of the tournament because it’s great to see the hard work of the kids. We have a lot of support from other local soccer clubs, such as West Haven, East Haven, Guilford, and Madison. We have about 15 to 18 players per team, which totals to about 1,300 players, and we have about 80 to 90 refs.”
Steve’s effort to help get everything ready begins with an early morning that leads to a long, but enjoyable day on the field. Steve says he gets tremendous support to help the CIT take shape, and he especially likes how some of the tournament’s proceeds can lend a helping hand to up-and-coming soccer players in town.
“Friday is a preparation day where I work with the field prep crew. It’s a full day to check the facilities,” Steve says. “I’m up at the field about 4, 4:30 a.m. on Saturday and set up the field with corner flags, signs, seats, concession stands, and usually done by 6:30 a.m. It’s a sigh of relief to me when I see that first player arrive and in uniform. Our first game on Saturday usually starts at 7:30 and we go from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with games on Saturday as we have morning and afternoon sessions. The games Saturday help determine the seedings and matchups for Sunday.”
“I get great help from the Clinton Youth Soccer Board throughout it all,” he continues. “If we have any funds left at the end of the tournament, they go to support the programs within Clinton Youth Soccer and, when appropriate, we offer scholarships to players with needs, and we also use the tournament proceeds to fund the Clinton Youth Soccer Scholarship, which goes to as many as two graduating seniors at Morgan High School who have participated in Clinton Youth Soccer or has given back to our program in some way. We also donate any leftover food items from our concession stands to the Shoreline Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry each year.”
Having played a pivotal role in such a successful event for such a long time, Steve says that he loves when former CIT participants come back and tell him how much those two days on the pitch impacted them.
“To me, the kids make it so special. I love getting visits from former players and them telling me what the tournament meant to them. The kids take a lot of pride in the tournament,” says Steve. “I also loved my years involved with the high school teams. I loved having night games at Indian River Complex, which is second to none in terms of atmosphere. I take a lot of pride in being involved with the kids and the teams.”
Fellow Clinton Youth Soccer board member Mike Nunan comments on how Steve has committed himself 24/7 to this yearly extravaganza, yielding impressive growth for both the board and the sport.
“Steve is a tireless volunteer that genuinely cares about the youth in our town and has been the point person for this event for over the last 10 years. Most attendees always comment that it is the most organized and well-run tournament they have ever attended, which is a testament to Steve’s pride and hard work. Steve is not one that looks for the spotlight, but rather does this out of his need to give back to our community,” Nunan says. “His efforts have resulted in nearly $200,000 raised and contributed for a myriad of projects, including bleachers, a video tower, scoreboards, professional covered player’s benches, equipment, ongoing training, and yearly scholarships.”
The CIT has vastly expanded its age demographic as the years have gone on, creating a tremendous soccer haven for local youngsters. And for anyone who wants to know more about the tournament or get involved, Steve welcomes you to stop by and say hi at this year’s event.
“The tournament was originally used to get more U-10 games in because there was no structure to scheduling games for them previously. We started to get more U-10 games for the kids when the tournament started, and it’s blossomed from there. We have 80 teams this year, but we’ve had 100 in the past. We’ve gone all the way up to U-15 teams in this tournament. It’s also one of the few soccer tournaments in the state that has recreation level divisions,” Steve says. “The participants in the tournament come from mostly the South Central District of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association. It’s great to see the kids here that play for the pure love of the game. I also encourage anyone interested in learning more about the tournament and would like to get involved to please come find me during the tournament. I will be at Peters Complex all weekend. If the tournament is to continue and thrive, we would benefit from new volunteers with new ideas and perspective. I would also love to encourage any of those people who started the tournament 23 years ago to stop and visit, as well, to see how far we have come.”
Steve expresses great gratitude to his family for helping him power through the rigors of organizing the CIT each year, as well as the kids who get to have a weekend full of fun on the field.
“I would also like to thank my wife Carolyn, daughter Krysten, and son Alex for their support and encouragement in the stressful weeks leading up to the tournament and during the tournament weekend,” says Steve. “Besides them, my biggest joy from the tournament comes when we get to hand out trophies to the championship and runner-up players.”