For the last three years, DME Academy, Sarasota has been a bit of a nomad.

We have trained across multiple locations, worked around field availability (or lack of it), moved teams when necessary across counties and found ways to make it work. It has not always been convenient, but it also has not stopped us from our mission.

In fact, we kept growing.

More players. More teams. More programs. More student-athletes. More opportunities. And most importantly, a culture built around one simple idea: Do More Everyday.

Now, we are looking forward to what comes next.

17th Street Regional Park

The redevelopment of 17th Street Regional Park, scheduled to come online in 2027, has the potential to be a major step forward for soccer in Sarasota and for DME Academy, Sarasota.

The new complex is expected to provide multiple high quality soccer fields in a centralized location, creating the type of environment we have been working toward since we started building our program.

For us, this is about much more than having nice fields.

It is about having a place where more of our DME community can come together as a true soccer club.

Competitive teams training alongside younger players. Recreational players getting their first experience with the game. School student athletes training during the day. Coaches collaborating instead of being spread across Sarasota. Families being able to see and feel the entire club in one place. We were at 17th street early on, before the project began, using the two fields allocated to the program. Even that was a big help. Back then, the club had 16 teams, how we have 39.

We Built Without a Home Field

There is something we are proud of when we look back at the last few years.

We did not wait for perfect circumstances.

DME Academy, Sarasota continued to grow while operating across different facilities and different parts of the community. We invested in coaching, programming, leagues, player development, school opportunities and pathways while constantly solving the logistical puzzle that comes with field space.

“Being resourceful has helped shape who we are. We’ve learned how to grow, compete and build culture without having everything handed to us. But being resourceful doesn’t mean we want to stay scattered forever. Having a more centralized training environment will allow us to bring more of our club together, improve the daily experience for our players and families and continue raising the standard of what we’re building in Sarasota. These fields, Oak Park, Skye Ranch, and Tatum all have great qualities now and we plan to build off of them to continue to grow all parts of our programs.” – Jared, Antista GM/Founder

Completion cannot get here soon enough, and we can’t thank the county for investing in youth sports and bringing more fields online in 2027.