Soccer tournament returns to Wooster in honor of Beery
This spring the Memorial Day soccer tournament will return to Wooster for the first time since 2019. The 2025 Jeff Beery Memorial Tournament will be held Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25 at the Wooster Soccer Complex, 100 Oldman Road, Wooster. The tournament is for recreation soccer teams in first grade through eighth grade.
The event is sponsored by the Wooster Recreation Department and Wooster FC, a soccer team founded in 2023 for post-high school, collegiate and soccer enthusiasts over the age of 18.
Ashley Trent is the City of Wooster recreation coordinator. She said once the decision to host the tournament was made, it was decided almost immediately to hold the event in memory of Jeff Beery.
“This tournament will bring together players of all skill levels for a weekend of friendly competition, camaraderie and remembrance,” Trent said.
A Wooster native and 2000 graduate of Norwayne High School, Beery helped coach hundreds of kids over the years in youth soccer, basketball, baseball and flag football. He died February 2025 at age 43 after a 20-month battle with cancer.
“Jeff Beery was a very devoted coach for Norwayne youth soccer for many years, as well as a father to four children and a loving husband to the Norwayne soccer representative Michelle Beery,” Trent said. “Coach Beery dedicated years of hard work and passion to coaching youth soccer and basketball, shaping not only incredible players, but also exceptional individuals.”
Beery owned and operated Beery Custom Woodworking and Remodeling for the past 14 years. His home was in the Sterling area.
The Memorial Day weekend tournament had been an annual event for 17 years prior to the pandemic. Afterward, it was never started up again. Wooster FC presented the recreation department with the idea to co-host the event this year.
“Jeff was constantly telling Dave (with Wooster FC) to start this tournament back up because he loved it so much,” Trent said. “He would be so excited that we were doing it again so all of the players could experience the fun. His wife Michelle shared that ‘He always loved those tournament weekends.’”
The tournament will bring together youth players from county schools and Wooster players who are registered with the recreation department. All teams are guaranteed a minimum of three games.
Spectators are free to attend. There will be vendor tables and food trucks including Marando’s Café.
The rain date is the following weekend. Weather-related changes will be posted on Facebook and Instagram.
Find The Wooster Recreation Department online at www.woosteroh.com/recreation/soccer, www.facebook.com/woosterrecreation/ and @Wooster Recreation Department. Wooster FC may be found on social media at @WoosterFC.
Anyone wishing to contribute to youth sports in Beery’s memory is invited to donate to Wooster FC. Email the organization for more information at woosterfc@gmail.com.
“For many years coach Beery instilled the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and perseverance, creating a positive and encouraging environment for all players,” Trent said. “His energy, dedication and love for the games will never be forgotten. Being a dedicated coach for as long as he was, it is very important to us to show how much we appreciated him, as well as all of the coaches who give so much time and effort into these young kids season after season. Jeff would be so overwhelmed with joy if he knew we were doing the tournament again, especially in his memory.”