Marc Castillo (right), the founder of FC Cypress, runs the club with help from coaches Zayne Ramirez (left) and Brad LaBauve (center).[/caption] A new soccer club, FC Cypress, is now recruiting players for its inaugural season set to begin this February at Ollin Sports Therapy, 16636 Hahl and House Road, Cypress. The club was founded by Cy-Fair resident and former professional player, Marc Castillo. Students who join FC Cypress can enter two different leagues. The U6 Soccer School—an 8-week program from Feb. 17-April 21—is designed to introduce players to the sport. Enrollees meet Friday evenings from 6-7 p.m. to practice for 30 minutes and play games for 30 minutes. Players in the U7-U10 competitive league—which lasts 13 weeks from Feb. 6-May 10—enter the Player Development League hosted by Klein Soccer club at Meyer Park and play against other teams. Practices take place twice per week at Ollin Athletics. Students can also take part in summer and winter camps. The first winter camp, which took place from Dec. 19-21, went well, Castillo said. Castillo said he started the club for two main reasons:

• To provide a youth sports ministry of sorts to serve the Cypress community that measures success by the relationships built as well as success on the field
• To implement a comprehensive player development system and methodology from top to bottom that holds true to the club's values

"For some time now we have been approached by numerous parents seeking more in the way of their child’s learning and the total experience they were receiving," Castillo said. Castillo said programs cater to players of different skill levels. "FC Cypress understands that every child is different, which means that every child learns and develops at various rates," he said. "We understand that the learning process is not a linear journey." The club caters to players ages 6-10, but Castillo said he hopes to expand into new age groups for a soccer school starting next fall. 936-463-8010. www.fccypress.com