The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Expanded format to include over-40 division
by Than Acuff
Amidst all the World Cup action going on, there’s a similar, slightly different, soccer tournament coming to Crested Butte Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28, the annual WESA Adult Coed Soccer Tournament.
The tournament was started years ago by Jaime Watt and continued through the 1990s and into the 2000s until the West Elk Soccer Association (WESA) took it over 10 years ago as a fundraiser for youth soccer in the valley.
“Proceeds from the tournament go to youth players and their families in need of financial assistance,” says WESA director of coaching Tom Lewis.
Three years ago, the tournament went through a transformation when the school soccer field was closed for revegetation limiting field availability. As a result, tournament organizers shifted from the traditional 11v11 format of soccer to a 9v9 format and the change that was meant to be temporary, remained in place.
“I was skeptical at first,” says Lewis. “But, playing at altitude, playing in the summer and the number of teams interested in coming to the tournament has allowed us to expand. It was a beautiful accident. Everyone loves the new format.”
For years the tournament was limited to 12 teams but with the new 9v9 format and the opening of the school’s turf field, which can accommodate two 9v9 sized fields, they’ve expanded the number to 16 teams including, for the first time ever, an over-40 division.
“We’ve seen a lot of the teams that used to come not be here as they got older,” says Lewis. “The over-40 division gives the ‘OG’ teams a chance to come back, and it pays tribute to what Jaime did and the original teams that helped build the tournament’s popularity.”
The tournament attracts teams from Durango to Denver and is a highly sought after stop for amateur adult soccer players gaining more and more popularity over the years.
“The tournament sold out in one minute and 16 seconds,” says Lewis. “We would need room for 26 teams to meet the demand.”
In addition to all of the visiting teams, there are four local teams in the tournament. The 2024 tournament champion Crested Butte Kickers, which Lewis is on and believes their roster is “disgusting” as far as talent, and CB Legends, formed as a tribute to Brian Fenerty and Enrique Aguirre, are in the competitive bracket. The Gunnison/Crested Butte combined team Vintage FC and Gunnison team Mountain Legacy are playing in the over-40 division.
The weekend kicks off with a pre-tournament party on Friday, June 26 at Zuni West Brewing in CB South. Games are all day Saturday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at both the school field and Rainbow field and culminates with the annual tournament party Saturday evening at the Rainbow Park pavilion with libations and food provided by Zuni West, Sock It To Me, Doughp Pizza, Log Dawgs and Chillberg.
Sunday is when it gets real starting at 8:30 a.m. as teams play for a shot at the two title games with the competitive division and over-40 division championship games playing concurrently at the school field at 1:30 p.m.
For game times and information go to westelksoccer.org.
