Changes are coming to the competitive soccer programs available to the youth of Cape Coral, Lee County and all of Southwest Florida for that matter.

Two years ago, the highly successful Cape Coral Soccer Association created the Island Coast Soccer Alliance hoping to draw the top elite players into one competitive program instead of the talent being spread over a number of individual associations, such as Florida Premier, Lee County Strikers and those in Lehigh and elsewhere.

"It didn't work out," said Cape Coral Soccer Association president Cathy Hunter. "We didn't get enough players to support in financially. It was just not sustainable."

The idea was to promote an elite soccer program to compete at a higher level.

"The local associations all have pride in what they do," said Hunter. "The Cyclones were very successful on their own at the regional and statewide level."

CCSA is turning to one of their own to keep the Cyclones program on a successful track. Eddie Carmean will serve as the director of soccer operations while continuing to also oversee CCSA's highly regarded recreation program. Hunter said there were more than 970 children served in the spring rec program just concluded.

"Eddie is local, he has roots here," said Hunter. "He has family and a home here, so he's not going anywhere. He's here to stay."

Carmean played soccer and graduated from Cape Coral High School. He went on to play at the University of South Florida and professionally in the National Professional Soccer League (1992-99). The Florida Youth Soccer Association recently cited Carmean's work in the Cape as recreation program of the year.

"The change will be beneficial," said Carmean. "The ICSA concept was okay, but did not play out as a regional program. With it not being regional, it makes sense to go back to Cyclones. Practices and games will be in the Cape, registration fees will come down because of less overhead by getting rid of the high salaries."

Hunter said the elimination of ICSA, and the higher costs associated with it - the salary for ICSA director of coaching Peter Mellor, for example was reported in excess of $70,000 -and returning to the Cyclones is not considered a step backwards. The Cyclones competitive program is not restricted to Cape residents. They always have had players from Naples, Port Charlotte and other towns choose the Cyclones to further their soccer skills and exposure in the competitive arena.

Nine Island Coast teams still are competing in either Region Cup or State Cup tournaments through April and May, so no changes can be made before the season concludes, but CCSA will retain the rights to the ICSA name.

A letter to parents posted on the ICSA website, written by the CCSA executive board, indicated the board is "determined to lower the costs while providing a better overall soccer experience for your child. We have added new members to the board that will bring fresh ideas and enable the club to offer more to the players and families. With the dismissal of high priced staff members and by making use of more people to do the variety of duties needed to make the program successful, we will meet those goals."

The competitive soccer season is nine to 10 months in length, Carmean said. The recreation program is split into a spring season of about eight weeks and a fall season of about 12 weeks plus two months of all-stars.

"This spring we had the second-most number of players in our rec program," said Carmean. "There were about 260 involved in ICSA (competitive) and we expect more with the Cyclones, but we want to have quality players rather than just how many kids we can sign up."

Carmean admits some parents and players won't come back to the Cyclones.

"There is a certain amount of fallout every year," he said. "Some will want to stay with the coach they had or stay with their teammates who go that way."

Aldo Nardiello, a longtime coach and educator who has licensed more than 1,000 coaches over the past 20 years, will assist Carmean with the Cyclones program.

"ICSA was a bit of a gamble," Nardiello said. "We were exposing players and parents to other coaches and trainers. It is an inevitable process to lose some because it is a free market out there."

Nardiello also will work with the college placement committee to help those parents and players headed that way as well as recruit and train professional trainers and licensed coaches to the Cyclones.

"Our focus is on putting forth the best program we can," Nardiello said. "The key is the base. We have a huge and gifted base here. Some programs poach players other programs have developed instead of developing them on their own."

Tryouts for the Cyclones' next season start in June. The price to register children for the Cyclones as well as the recreation program and naming the coaches will be announced in May.