News

November 29, 2024

Registration Open for 2025

The Oneonta Soccer Club has opened registration for the 12th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The spring 2025 tournament will be held the weekend of April 26th & 27th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

8U Co-ed - Sunday, April 27th
10U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 26th
12U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 27th
14U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 26th
16U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 27th
19U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 26th

Last year we had 126 teams playing across two days. Every year we urge teams to register early to avoid being disappointed when we have to turn them away as the event is full.

November 17, 2024

2025 Tournament Registration Coming Soon!

Registration for the I-88 Challenge is coming soon! This is a sanctioned tournament held at Wright National Soccer Campus since 2013.

Conveniently located less than a minute off Interstate 88 between Albany and Binghamton, this is a great early season tournament to help prepare teams for their spring seasons. Last year we had 126 teams playing across two days. The event features U8 through U19 age groups in up to three levels of competition. All games are played on our beautifully maintained grass fields

This year’s event will feature U10, U14 and U19 teams playing on Saturday, April 26; and U8, U12 and U16 teams playing on Sunday, April 27. Age brackets fill up quickly and teams are waitlisted every year.

Registration will be open beginning Dec. 1, 2024. Emails will be sent out in late November to alert all current subscribers. If you are not subscribed, please join our mailing list.

We look forward to another exciting edition of the I88 Challenge!

May 1, 2023

Thank you

To all,

Thank you to all those attending the 10th Annual I88 Challenge. I hope you and your team enjoyed their soccer experience here at the Wright National Soccer Campus. At the Oneonta Soccer Club we strive to do more than rolling out some soccer balls on a patch of grass. A positive memorable experience is what we are striving for. Unfortunately for us, the weather gods were not so favorable to us on Sunday.

This year we had 107 teams from throughout New York participate. While the sheer number of teams does not necessarily guarantee a good experience it does lead me to believe we are doing something right.

We value any constructive comments, whether it's positive, negative or somewhere in between. So, feel free to send us any of your thoughts. Keep in mind, a number of suggestions over the years were incorporated into this year’s event.

Next year's event date will hopefully be announced in the summer.

Thanks,
Brett
director

November 27, 2022

Registration Open for 2023

The Oneonta Soccer Club has opened registration for the 10th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The spring 2023 tournament will be held the weekend of April 29th & 30th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

8U Co-ed - Sunday, April 30th
10U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 29th
12U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 30th
14U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 29th
16U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 30th
19U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 29th

Every year we urge teams to register early to avoid being disappointed when we have to turn them away as the event is full. In 2022 over 30% of the teams who registered or asked if it was too late were not able to participate (we can only accept 110).

September 9, 2022

Event Dates Set for 2023

The Oneonta Soccer Club has announced dates for The 10th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The spring 2022 tournament will be held the weekend of April 29th & 30th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

Team registration opens December 1, 2022

8U Co-ed - Sunday, April 30th
10U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 29th
12U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 30th
14U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 29th
16U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 30th
19U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 29th

May 29, 2022

To all,

Thank you to all those attending the 9th Annual I88 Challenge. I hope you and your team enjoyed their soccer experience here at the Wright National Soccer Campus. At the Oneonta Soccer Club we strive to do more than rolling out some soccer balls on a patch of grass. A positive memorable experience is what we are striving for. Fortunately for us, for the most part, the weather gods were on our side this year.

I truly value any constructive comments, whether it's positive, negative or somewhere in between. So, feel free to send me any of your thoughts. Keep in mind, a number of suggestions over the years were incorporated into this year's event.

Hope to see you in 2023. Next year's event date will be announced in the summer with registration opening December 1, 2022.

Thanks,
Brett
director

November 24, 2021

2022 Registration is OPEN

The Oneonta Soccer Club has opened registration for the 9th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The spring 2022 tournament will be held the weekend of April 23rd & 24th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

8U Co-ed - Sunday, April 24th
10U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 23rd
12U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 24th
14U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 23rd
16U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 24th
19U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 23rd

Every year we plead for teams to register early to avoid being disappointed when we have to turn them away as the event is full. In 2021 over 25% of the team entries were not able to participate (133 entries we could only accept 98). This year we have slightly increased our capacity by including the U8s again.

August 1, 2021

Event Dates Set for 2022

The Oneonta Soccer Club has announced dates for The 9th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The spring 2022 tournament will be held the weekend of April 23th & 24th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

Team registration opens December 1, 2021

8U Co-ed - Sunday, April 24th
10U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 23rd
12U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 24th
14U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 23rd
16U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 24th
19U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 23rd

April 26, 2021

To all,

Thank you to all those attending the 8th annual I88 Challenge. I hope you and your team enjoyed their soccer experience here at the Wright National Soccer Campus. At the Oneonta Soccer Club we strive to do more than rolling out some soccer balls on a patch of grass. A positive memorable experience is what we are striving for. Fortunately for us the weather gods were on our side this year and we were able to navigate the COVID protocols.

This year we had 98 teams from throughout New York participate. While the sheer number of teams does not necessarily guarantee a good experience it does lead me to believe we are doing something right.

Hope to see you in 2022, April 23rd and 24th. Registration will open December 1, 2021.

Thanks,
Brett
director

April 8, 2021

COVID-specific protocols for the 2021 Tournament

All entering the Wright National Soccer Campus will have to have completed an online form prior to arriving at the Campus. The form will send you an email which will be used as your “pass” into the Campus. This “pass” must be shown upon entrance. Note pass limitations below.
There will be a limit of 2 spectators per player.
Face masks are REQUIRED of all while on the Wright National Soccer Campus.

Exceptions to this are while eating or drinking (YES, players are to wear masks while playing)

Teams and their supporters will be on the same side of the field, opposing team and it’s supporters on the other.

January 4, 2021

2021 Registration is OPEN

Registration for the 8th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament the weekend of April 24th & 25th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY is now open. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

8U Co-ed - Sunday, April 25th
10U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 24th
12U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 25th
14U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 24th
16U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 25th
19U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 24th

Our COVID-19 Promise

We are very sensitive to the fact that many people and communities across the U.S are still being negatively impacted by Covid-19. We understand that many teams are reluctant to make future plans given the fact that a lot of tournaments and games this past year have been Covid-affected. We would like everyone to know that the I88 Challenge will go ahead as planned on the same weekend as always. Furthermore, we would like to make the following promises to any team that registers for our tournament:

In the event of a cancellation of 2021 I88 Challenge all tournament registration fees will be refunded.
If your state prevents you from traveling because of Covid-19, your registration fee will be refunded.
If New York is on your state's quarantine list, your registration fee will be refunded.
If your team has been significantly impacted by Covid-19 exposure prior to attending, your registration fee will be refunded.

Specific safety protocols are being developed and will be conveyed to registrants via email and at www.i88challenge.org, well in advance of the event.

April 12, 2020

Event Dates Set for 2021

The Oneonta Soccer Club has announced dates for The 8th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The spring 2021 tournament will be held the weekend of April 24th & 25th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

Team registration opens December 1, 2020

8U Co-ed - Sunday, April 26th
10U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 24th
12U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 25th
14U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 24th
16U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 25th
19U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 24th

March 30, 2020

2020 I88 Challenge - CANCELLED : COVID-19

All,

The miracle that was required to host the 2020 I88 Challenge has not occurred and with the new advisories and directives in place we are forced to cancel this year's event. I want to thank you all for being patient with this whole process. I found it remarkable that of the 17 clubs participating in the event, only one had indicated they were backing out. Believe it or not I had a few coaches who actually entered teams in the past week.

As I indicated before, there is NO reschedule date for 2020 and the Oneonta Soccer Club is issuing full team entry refunds. Keep in mind I know of a few tournaments that are not taking this approach.

Next year's event is scheduled for April 24-25, 2021. Registration will open December 1, 2020.

Thanks,

Brett

March 27, 2020

I88 Challenge still ON

The I88 Challenge and Oneonta Soccer Club (Host Organization) is continuing to monitor the developing situation with respect COVID-19. We will communicate to all participating teams in the event the CDC or other public health authorities issue any specific recommendations or restrictions that would impact or apply to this year's I88 Challenge.

At this time, unless there is an updated travel advisory or restriction put into place by the CDC that impacts the locations of specific teams, the I88 Challenge will continue on as currently scheduled. A final decision will be made on Sunday, April 12th. In the event of complete cancelation of the entire event – all team entry entrance fees will be refunded. If cancelation does occur there will be no postponement, the next I88 Challenge would then become April 24/25, 2021.

Please note : There are currently a few age groups which have space available - U10 girls, U12 girls, U12 boys and U14 boys.

November 25, 2019

Event Dates Set for 2020

The Oneonta Soccer Club has announced dates for The 8th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The spring 2020 tournament will be held the weekend of April 25th & 26th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

Team registration opens December 1, 2019

8U Co-ed - Sunday, April 26th
10U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 25th
12U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 26th
14U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 25th
16U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 26th
19U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 25th

November 18, 2019

Presenting Sponsors Announced for 2020 and 2021 Events

The Oneonta Soccer Club is pleased to announce the presenting sponsors for the 2020 and 2021 I88 Challenge Soccer Tournaments. Both Otsego NOW and the Otsego County Industrial Development Agency have signed on as presenting sponsors for the next two years. The I88 Challenge has grown each year with last year over 100 youth soccer teams participating during the early spring tournament. This annual event, held at the Wright National Soccer Campus has become a destination for many youth teams in NY and surrounding states.

February 24, 2019

Oneonta Soccer Club to host Elite College Combine

We wanted to take this opportunity to introduce the Oneonta Soccer Club's new college showcase partner, Elite College Combine. ECC has been offering college showcase events in New England for the last 2 years and has worked with hundreds of players and nearly 50 coaches in bringing a unique opportunity to highlight you soccer skills in front of the areas top college coaches.

Here is how it works, ECC will be bringing in 10-12 college coaches for 3 hour session that is designed to mimic typical college warm-ups, drills, game play. The event will offer Division I, I & III coaches, 3 hours of play, multiple full size fields, a detailed written evaluation and an event limit of 60 players. Due to the low player to coach ratio, each player has the opportunity to play in front of and meet all the coaches. Ina addition, each event is capped off with an on-field player/parent Q&A designed to answer all your college soccer and recruiting questions. These sessions are the day before the I88 Challenge - Friday, April 26th.

Where: Wright National Soccer Campus
When: April 26, 2019
Time: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Cost: $155/player

For more information visit www.elitecollegecombine.com

February 4, 2019

I88 Challenge / CaptainU Partnership

The I88 Challenge is proud to announce the renewal of it's partnership with CaptainU. CaptainU will be putting together the official roster book to be made available to college coaches.

Since CaptainU was founded in 2008, over 2 million high school athletes have used their platform to promote themselves to college programs. Currently, over 3,000 athletes commit to colleges each month using CaptainU. Their networking platform provides players and parents a tool to manage the college recruiting process and maximize their exposure to college coaches at the upcoming I88 Challenge tournament.

For more information visit the CaptainU website.

Have questions? Contact: help@captainU.com.

October 17, 2018

Event Dates Set for 2019

The Oneonta Soccer Club has announced dates for The 7th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The Spring 2019 tournament will be held the weekend of April 27th & 28th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age. New this year is an 8U age group.

Team registration opens December 1, 2018

8U Co-ed - Sunday, April 28th
10U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 27th
12U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 28th
14U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 27th
16U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 28th
19U (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 27th

May 3, 2018

Thank You

To all,

Thank you to all those attending the 6th annual I88 Challenge. I hope you and your team enjoyed their soccer experience here at the Wright National Soccer Campus. At the Oneonta Soccer Club we strive to do more than rolling out some soccer balls on a patch of grass. A positive memorable experience is what we are striving for. While I wish the weather would have stayed as it was Saturday morning, we have little control over Mother Nature.

This year we had 88 teams from throughout New York and Canada participate. While the sheer number of teams does not necessarily guarantee a good experience it does lead me to believe we are doing something right.

I truly value any constructive comments, whether it's positive, negative or somewhere in between. So, feel free to send me any of your thoughts. Keep in mind, a number of suggestions in 2017 were incorporated into this year’s event.

Hope to see you next year. The tournament dates for 2019 will be announced in early September.

Thanks,
Brett
director

March 21, 2018

I88 Challenge / CaptainU Partnership

The I88 Challenge is proud to announce it’s partnership with CaptainU. CaptainU will be putting together the official roster book to be made available to college coaches.

For more information visit the CaptainU website.

Have questions? Contact: help@captainU.com.

January 29, 2018

Vince Foti Sportsmanship Award

One of the more special aspects about The I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament is the Vince Foti Sportsmanship Award. Introduced in the third year of this event this Award has become a big hit with players and coaches alike. Vince is a former coach within the Oneonta Soccer Club who always stressed the importance of sportsmanship. He is a man who is dedicated to the development of soccer in our community. He believes that a true player isn’t the one who ends up on the front page of the paper, but one who lifts their team up.

Following each game a commemorative pin is awarded to a player on the opposing team who exhibited sportsmanship and team play. This opposing player is selected by the team itself. The hope is that sportsmanship and fair play is discussed and encouraged following each game. Players learn that it’s not just about their ability, but about sportsmanship and fair play.

December 1, 2017

Event Dates Set for 2018

The Oneonta Soccer Club has announced dates for The 6th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The spring 2018 tournament will be held the weekend of April 28th & 29th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

Team registration is now open. Do not delay in applying and risk missing this great soccer experience. Last year 32 teams applications were unable to be accepted.

U10 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 28th
U12 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 29th
U14 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 28th
U16 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 29th
U19 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 28th

June 15, 2017

Thank You

To all,

Thank you to all those attending the 5th annual I88 Challenge. I hope you and your team enjoyed their soccer experience here at the Wright National Soccer Campus. At the Oneonta Soccer Club we strive to do more than rolling out some soccer balls on a patch of grass. A positive memorable experience is what we are striving for.

This year we had 96 teams from throughout New York and Pennsylvania participate. While the sheer number of teams does not necessarily guarantee a good experience it does lead me to believe we are doing something right.

I truly value any constructive comments, whether it's positive, negative or somewhere in between. So, feel free to send me any of your thoughts. Keep in mind, a number of suggestions in 2016 were incorporated into this year’s event.

Hope to see you next year. The tournament dates for 2018 will be announced around mid-September.

Thanks,
Brett

March 13, 2017

I88 Challenge on Track to Max Out Early

After hosting a record number of teams in 2016, the 2017 I88 Challenge, is on track to break last year’s record. Tournament officials are confident another application record will be set. To date, applications are over 80% higher than last year at this time. All age groups are expected to be filled before the April 12th entry deadline. As of the publication date of this article no age groups are closed out but many are close.

"I am not looking to host 200 teams" says Tournament Director, Brett Buzzy. However, "it is gratifying to see so many applications - it leads me to believe we are doing something right." Despite the record number of applications "we will not accept more teams then we can comfortably accommodate. Our goal is create a positive soccer experience for the players, coaches and spectators" added Buzzy.

The tournament, in its 5th year, is held at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY.

November 13, 2016

Event Dates Set for 2017

The Oneonta Soccer Club has announced dates for The 5th Annual I88 Challenge Youth Soccer Tournament. The spring 2017 tournament will be held the weekend of April 29th & 30th at the beautiful Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY. While it is a two day event teams participate only on one of the two days, based on age.

Team registration opens on Monday, November 21st. Do not delay in applying and risk missing this great soccer experience. Last year 23 teams applications were unable to be accepted.

U10 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 29th
U12 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 30th
U14 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 29th
U16 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Sunday, April 30th
U19 (Boys & Girls Divisions) - Saturday, April 29th