Gulf States Showcase sees success in Alabama with biggest showcase ever

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The Gulf States Showcase stands as one of Alabama’s premier youth soccer events—not only for the quality of clubs and player talent, but also for the exceptional standard of officiating. Nestled in the deep South in Foley, Alabama, the tournament is hosted at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex, which features 16 state-of-the-art natural grass fields.

The 2025 Gulf States Showcase was a success across many areas, beginning with the dedicated leadership of Snap Soccer and the Alabama Referee Program, who have proudly hosted this event year after year. As always, the mentor lineup was exceptionally strong, featuring FIFA and PRO referees, and was further highlighted by the presence of Kari Seitz, U.S. Soccer’s Vice President of Refereeing. Kari brings extensive international experience, including her most recent role at FIFA as Head of Women’s Refereeing for the sport’s global governing body.

The numbers speak for themselves, as this year marked the strongest overall participation to date. Officials traveled from eight states, with 75 referees selected to work the tournament.

Referee Representation by State

  • Alabama: 48
  • Florida: 15
  • Mississippi: 4
  • Oklahoma: 3
  • Louisiana: 2
  • Georgia: 1
  • Minnesota: 1
  • Ohio: 1

The mentor staff totaled 19, including a distinguished group of PRO and FIFA referees, providing exceptional leadership and on-field guidance throughout the event.

With over 100 teams from 37 clubs representing 10 states, referees were challenged with a wide variety of playing styles and tactical approaches. This diversity required officials to adapt their management techniques match-to-match, further enhancing the developmental value of the tournament for everyone involved.

A sincere thank you goes to our amazing mentors, whose leadership and guidance elevated the experience for every official involved, and to Kari Seitz for sharing her time, insight, and continued support of referee development. Most importantly, thank you to all of the referees who delivered a strong weekend of consistent, professional, and high-level officiating. The Alabama Referee Program, in partnership with Snap Soccer, once again set the standard for excellence and collaboration, making the 2025 Gulf States Showcase a truly outstanding event.

See you all next year!