Club builds on inaugural professional season with continued investment in players, supporters, youth development and the Sarasota community.
SARASOTA, FL — August 18, 2026 — Sarasota Paradise today announced the next phase of the club’s growth as it continues building a professional soccer organization deeply connected to the Sarasota community and committed to developing the next generation of players.
Since beginning its inaugural USL League One season, Sarasota Paradise has continued to grow both on and off the field, creating opportunities for young players, expanding its connection with local families and supporters, and establishing new traditions that will help define the club for years to come.
One of the most significant accomplishments of the inaugural season has been the development of young talent. A total of nine rookies have already made their official professional debuts for Sarasota Paradise, providing some of the region’s most promising young players with the opportunity to compete at the professional level. As a key highlight, the Paradise professional team beat FC Naples 2-0 away in the USL Cup with five players born in 2005 or later on the field.
That commitment to player development extends throughout the club’s youth pathway, with the successful implementation of the U20 program providing a clear example of bridging the pathway from youth to professional soccer. The Sarasota Paradise Youth Academy recently celebrated its inaugural Signing Day, bringing hundreds of players and families together to celebrate the beginning of their journeys with the club. The impressive turnout highlighted the growing connection between Sarasota Paradise and the area’s soccer community. Fittingly, the youth academy signing day concluded with five more local teenagers taking the field with the professional team for the first time in a mid-season friendly against USL League One rival Portland Hearts of Pine. The 2026-2027 youth academy season kicked off on Monday, August 17th.
“From the beginning, Sarasota Paradise has always been more than a professional soccer team. We wanted to build an organization that people in the community could truly call their own — a club that creates opportunities for players, brings families together and becomes part of the fabric of Sarasota.” Said Marco Assis, Principal Team Owner of Sarasota Paradise
The club is also creating new traditions for its supporters as it celebrates its inaugural professional season.
August 19th, is officially recognized as Sarasota Paradise Day, celebrating the club’s inaugural professional season and its growing connection to the community.
As part of the celebration, Sarasota Paradise will also unveil its highly anticipated 941 Jerseys at the stadium. The limited-edition jersey is dedicated to the most loyal supporters of the club — the Season Ticket Members who believed from the beginning.
Available exclusively to Season Ticket Members, each jersey will feature the name of the member who helped make the club’s inaugural professional season possible. These names are more than a special recognition. They are woven into the fabric of the jersey, forever connecting the supporters to the history of the club they helped build.
Buy tickets to the August 19 home game against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on Sarasota Paradise Day. Click HERE for tickets.
The club’s continued development will focus on strengthening its professional operations, expanding its youth pathway, deepening community partnerships, enhancing the supporter experience and creating the foundation for long-term growth and success both on and off the field. As Sarasota Paradise enters its next phase of growth, the club has begun a search for its next President to lead day-to-day operations. Raymond Smetanick, Vice President of Soccer Operations, will oversee club operations during the transition. More details on the search and timeline will be shared in the coming months.
As the calendar turns towards the Fall, the Paradise Youth Academy teams prepare for their inaugural year in the West Florida Premier League (U8 – U12) and the National 1 leagues (U13 – U19), the U20 team finishes their regular season in the USL Academy season, and the professional team makes a push for playoffs in USL League One. As the club moves through the remainder of 2026 and looks toward the future, stay tuned for more news and announcements on additional developments and initiatives in Paradise.
ABOUT SARASOTA PARADISE
Sarasota Paradise is a professional soccer club based in the Sarasota/Bradenton metropolitan area, competing in USL League One and playing its home matches at Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch.
For more information about Sarasota Paradise, tickets and the club’s inaugural professional season, visit sarasotaparadise.us.