Dance, soccer & extra curriculars (Orlando, Sanford: middle school, place to live, price)

[cskame]

There is a 99.9% chance we are moving to Windermere (windernear- you decide how picky the name is. lol) this summer. The only thing that would be a wrench is if I don't get a job down there- my husband has a secure job, and I'm an ESL teacher, pretty sure I'll be able to find something. We will be making a few more trips down this spring to lock down a place to live. All of the areas we are looking at are Bridgewater MS and the new Windermere HS.

My girls will be in 8th grade this coming year. I'm looking for information on their extra-curricular activities.

One plays travel soccer, she plays "up" and has spent the winter training with the high school JV team. Here, 8th graders play JV since we don't have a middle school league. It looks like Bridgewater has a middle school soccer team, and it looks like school soccer season is in the fall (school soccer is spring here). Is that correct? Is there a winter/spring/summer travel season- we're thinking that RUSH will be our best bet. We're familiar with the program, they have one near us, and Orlando City Youth Soccer looks like it would be a hike. Does anyone have experience with the program? The Florida website (like the one here! ) is less than user friendly.

The soccer player also plays guitar and has been taking lessons for 5 years. She also started playing trumpet in the school band in 6th grade. It looks like Bridgewater offers band and orchestra, and the new high school will offer Jazz band. Does anyone have any suggestions for guitar teachers in the area? what is the average per hour charge for lessons?

The other daughter is an intense dancer. She has been dancing since she was 2 and currently is on pointe in ballet and takes jazz, lyrical, modern, kickline, Irish and student teaches. She will be eligible for company this year. I LOVE our studio because it provides solid training to the boys and girls and is very opposite what you see on Dance Moms. The students are healthy physically and mentally, they aren't forced to perform above or below their capabilities, the costumes and music are appropriate to the age, the dance style and the event (no 4 year olds in sports bras twerking to Nikki Manaje). She will need a new studio when we get down there. She competes with Irish, but our studio company is a performance company, not a competition company and she isn't sure she wants to do dance competitions, but she loves performing. I have a few names of studios saved, and eliminated a few based on how the website looks, but am looking for experience and recommendations. I will also need a recommendation for a dance store that does a really good job with pointe shoe fittings. Our current store blocks an hour for each pointe fitting just in case, and will try on as many shoes as necessary to get a good fit. I'll miss her.

[Arcenal813]

I'll speak on OCSC since I am very familiar with them: It's a hike, yes, considering practice can be either in Winter Springs, East Sanford, or West Sanford in Markham Woods.
My son has been in the program for a few years and he thoroughly enjoys it. The training is great, the games are fun, and it is very competitive at all levels. It's also VERY pricey.
If you can afford it and have time to commit to travelling to practice at inconvenient locations, by all means go for it. Those kids love it, and we love watching them.

It doesn't say on the RUSH website whether the girls play ECNL (which OCSC girls do) but the boys play USSDA, and one of their girl alumni got drafted pro, so I'd be inclined to say it's a very competitive group.