Clay Roberts

Last updated
Caleb Roberts
Personal information
Place of birth Plant City, Florida, United States
Position(s) Defender
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2000–2003 Florida Southern Moccasins
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2003–2006 Charlotte Eagles
2005–2009 Philadelphia KiXX (indoor) 67 (1)
Managerial career
2008–2010 Philadelphia Biblical Crimson Eagles
2014– Southeastern Fire
2016–2023 Florida Tropics SC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Clay Roberts is the head coach of the Southeastern Fire in Lakeland, Florida [1] and a consultant for the Empire Strykers of the Major Arena Soccer League. [2] Roberts has also served as Director of Soccer at VSI Tampa Bay FC, [3] and director of coaching at Brandon FC. [4]

As a player, Roberts attended Florida Southern College. [5] Professionally, he played for the Charlotte Eagles and the Philadelphia KiXX, [6] where he was a part of their 2007 MISL championship. [7]

As a coach and administrator, Roberts has been the vice president of the Ocala Stampede in the PDL, the director of VSI, director of Brandon FC, both women's and men's head coach at Philadelphia Biblical University (now Cairn University), [8] the Buxmont Torch FC of the WPSL, and an assistant at Palm Beach Atlantic University. [9] [10]

In his first year at Southeastern University, Roberts was named the Sun Conference 2015 soccer coach of the year [11] as the team won the school's first-ever conference championship. [12]

Roberts was named the first head coach of the Florida Tropics in the Major Arena Soccer League before the team began play in 2016. [13] [14]

Roberts again won the Sun Conference Coach of the Year award in 2019. [15] Just months later, Roberts was also honored as Coach of the Year for the Major Arena Soccer League, having led the Florida Tropics to their first winning record and an Eastern Conference Championship with an 18–3 record. [16]


Clay's brother, Cheyne, is also a coach, most recently with the USL Championship's Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeland, Florida</span> Florida in the United States

Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa and west of Orlando, it is the most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal city of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is sometimes locally referred to by the nickname "Swan City" due to its sizeable population of swans, all of whom are descendants of two mute swans given to Lakeland by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RP Funding Center</span> Arena in Florida, United States

The RP Funding Center is a multipurpose entertainment complex in Lakeland, Florida, comprising a convention center, arena and theater. Formerly, it was the home of the Lakeland Magic, the Orlando Magic's affiliate in the NBA G League and the Florida Tropics SC of the Major Arena Soccer League.

Daniel Freire Mendes, is a retired Brazilian football player who started his career in Brazil back in 1999 with only 18 years of age, moved in 2014 to U.S to play for Minnesota United FC, after a long career in the Allsvenskan, the Swedish top league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Blast</span> Soccer club

The Baltimore Blast is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The team is a part of the Major Arena Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major Arena Soccer League</span> Football league

The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a North American professional indoor soccer league. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. MASL is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. The league draw talent from a global talent pool with players from MLS, LigaMX and many national teams. With a new management team, the league has grown in popularity and commercially. Former USMNT and MLS star Landon Donovan played in MASL as do multiple international players.

Frederico Augusto Pieruccini "Freddy" Moojen is a former soccer forward. Born in Brazil, he represented Canada at the international level in futsal.

Matt Clare is an American soccer player who last played for Florida Tropics SC in the Major Arena Soccer League.

Joey Tavernese is an American soccer, indoor, and futsal player who is currently playing for Utica City FC in the Major Arena Soccer League and for Rochester Lancers 2 in Major Arena Soccer League 2, where he also serves as an assistant coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VSI Tampa Bay FC</span> Soccer club

VSI Tampa Bay FC was an American soccer team based in Plant City, Florida. They played in USL Pro, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid, in the 2013 season. VSI Tampa Bay FC were owned by VisionPro Sports Institute and were affiliated with a women's team in the W-League, an amateur team in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), and a youth team in the Super-20 League. All the teams folded in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis Ambush (2013–)</span> Professional indoor soccer team based in St. Charles, Missouri

The St. Louis Ambush are a professional indoor soccer team based in St. Charles, Missouri. They are the second team to use this name. This version of the Ambush play in the Major Arena Soccer League while the original St. Louis Ambush played in the National Professional Soccer League.

Rafael Alves de Magalhães Aguiar is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Florida Tropics SC of the Major Arena Soccer League.

Gordy Gurson is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for Utica City FC in the Major Arena Soccer League.

The Southeastern Fire are the athletic teams that represents Southeastern University, located in Lakeland, Florida, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sun Conference since the 2009–10 academic year. The Fire previously competed as a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the South Region of both the Division II and Division I levels. The Fire previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) during the 2008–09 school year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Vandegriffe</span> American soccer and indoor soccer player (born 1989)

Chad Vandegriffe is an American soccer and indoor soccer player who currently plays for the Kansas City Comets in the Major Arena Soccer League.

Gerritson Craane is a Dutch Caribbean professional footballer who currently plays for Tropics SC of the United Premier Soccer League.

William Eyang is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Tropics SC</span> Professional soccer club based in Lakeland, Florida

Florida Tropics SC is a professional soccer club based in Lakeland, Florida. They are owned by Central Florida Sports Ventures, LLC, led by Dr. Panos Iakovidis, and former USL commissioner and Rochester Rhinos owner Chris Economides. The organization was originally founded in 2015 as a team in the Major Arena Soccer League before expanding into other leagues.

The 2016–17 Baltimore Blast season is the twenty-fifth season of the Baltimore Blast professional indoor soccer club. The Blast, an Eastern Division team in the Major Arena Soccer League, play their home games at Royal Farms Arena in downtown Baltimore, Maryland.

Juan David Tejada Londono is a Panamanian footballer who plays as a forward for Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the USL Championship.

Marco Rodriguez is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a midfielder. He has also played at the international level with the Canada national futsal team.

References

  1. "Craane, Ivo Dias Sign with Florida Tropics" . Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  2. Berndt, Gunnar. "STRYKERS HEAD COACH WRIGHT BRINGS IN CLAY ROBERTS AS CONSULTANT". TheEmpireStrykers.com. Empire Strykers . Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  3. Shopes, Rich (28 March 2013). "Plant City looks to lease stadium for soccer tournaments" . Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  4. "Florida Tropics SC to bring indoor soccer to The Lakeland". 2 May 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  5. "Carsley and Clingerman Named to All-SSC Men's Soccer Team". 3 November 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  6. "ROSTER SET KiXX ad four more". 13 November 2008. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  7. Bennett Jr, James (3 February 2017). "Tropics coach Roberts signs former teammate playoff push". Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  8. "PBU CRIMSON EAGLE SOCCER SCHOOL" . Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  9. "SAILFISH WIN STREAK MOVES TO THREE AS PBA TAKES DOWNS FLORIDA SOUTHERN" . Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  10. "FIRE SOCCER ACADEMY EXCELLENCE THROUGH DEVELOPMENT". Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  11. "THE SUN CONFERENCE 2015 MEN'S SOCCER AWARDS ANNOUNCED". 6 November 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  12. Beasock, Ray (9 November 2015). "Southeastern wins first Sun Conference title in school history". the Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  13. "TROPICS ANNOUNCE SIGNINGS FOR UPCOMING SEASON". July 27, 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  14. https://www.facebook.com/FLTropics/videos/1783778395175144/ [ user-generated source ]
  15. "Van Der Luit and Roberts Lead Way in TSC Yearly Honors". Fire.SEU.edu. Southeastern University. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  16. Ackley, Brian. "Clay Roberts named Major Arena Soccer League Coach-of-the-Year". FLTropics.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.