When was Sarasota Paradise founded, by whom, and what is the mission?
Sarasota Paradise was founded by Marcus Walfridson in 2022, and our first matches will be played this season beginning May 20. Our mission is to create a club that truly represents Sarasota and encapsulates everything that makes the area great. The goal is to establish Sarasota Paradise as a rallying point for the community as well as an opportunity for elite players to develop and compete at a high level.

Tell us about your badge and colors – what is the inspiration? Describe the elements.
The Sarasota Paradise brand was developed in collaboration between the community and our graphic design team. Initially, our team put a lot of time and effort into exploring the community and visualizing how to create a brand that could fully capture the essence of Sarasota.

We wanted our club to represent all of Sarasota, so it seemed fitting to ask the community what they thought. As a result, we started a campaign where people could submit their ideas on what the team should be called. Paradise was on a shortlist of names that we had considered in the weeks leading up to the public naming campaign, so it felt like fate when Paradise was one of the most suggested names. After that, Sarasota Paradise became the obvious choice.

After the name was decided, our graphic design team developed a fantastic logo that incorporates unique colors as well as identifiable marks that capture the beauty of the area. The emblem showcases a Sarasota sunset as well as a Sabal Palmetto Frond. To us, Paradise is not just a representation of what Sarasota is now but also represents an ideal, something to continually strive for. That is what we wanted to capture with our brand marks.

You'll be playing in USL League Two this year - what led the club to that decision and how often will the organization review its options?
Sarasota and the surrounding areas continue to grow at a rapid pace. We want Sarasota Paradise to grow with the community.
The idea is to instill an identity within the club that captures the values of Sarasota, while also maintaining that identity through this sustained period of growth and into the future. Participating in USL League Two will allow us to achieve this goal.
The organization is constantly reviewing its options to determine the next best steps for the club and Sarasota as a whole.

Do you sell merch or have plans to? If so, where can we find it and what are you most excited about? If not yet, what are you working on?
We do sell merchandise which you can find at our online store (https://www.sarasotaparadise.store/). Of the merch we currently offer, our hoodies are the best sellers with only a few left in stock.

We are really excited about our future merch, which is currently in development. Future merchandise will include a variety of new products that showcase the logo and brand to the fullest extent.

We pride ourselves on developing an array of merchandise that appeals to both soccer fans and the every-day consumer alike. We feel our next round of apparel will exhibit this.

What are your goals for this season and how do you prepare for that?
The goal is to put the rest of USL League Two on notice in our inaugural season. Our Head Coach, Andy Thomson, has tremendous experience including time spent at USL Championship clubs San Antonio FC and Miami FC. He brings with him the knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to propel this club forward.
The team will be comprised of talented players and the majority of them know the Sarasota area well. It was important to bring in as many local players as possible because they understand our mission and know how special Sarasota is.
We believe we have the staff and players to compete at a high level early on.

If there were one or two teams, within 100 miles of you, to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
If we could play one friendly against a team within 100 miles of us, it would be the Tampa Bay Rowdies. First and foremost, to challenge ourselves on the field and see how we stack up against a team that has been historically one of the USL's best.

Additionally, a lot of soccer fans in the Sarasota Community support the Rowdies and continually make the drive up to watch them play. It would be awesome to provide them the opportunity to watch their new local club compete against a team they have supported for many years.

Give Sarasota Paradise a follow on Facebook HERE
And see what they’re up to on Twitter HERE