For decades, the Sunrise Soccer Club has been a staple in South Florida’s sports scene, but it wasn’t until coach Melanie Monteagudo took the reins that the girls’ program truly flourished. Starting with a small group of players, Coach Melanie transformed Sunrise into one of the top soccer programs in the country, sending 21 girls to college, three of whom went on to win national championships at Florida State.
“When you have a passion and you put your heart into it, and you surround yourself with really good people, great parents, and really motivated kids that want to work hard, magical things could happen,” fellow coach Bruce Konners shared. And magic is exactly what Sunrise achieved this past season, clinching back-to-back national championships with a last-minute goal in the finals.
The decisive goal came in the final two minutes of the match, capping months of relentless practice and preparation. “When you're on the field and there's 10 minutes left and you gotta score, and you're asking, ‘What do we do?,’ that’s what all the practice went into before that,” player Audrey Haltiwanger commented.
The victory brought an emotional celebration: “The final whistle blew, and everybody rushed onto the field and fell to their knees, and everybody was hugging each other and cheering,” shared player Madison Connacher.
Monteagudo’s experience as a player—both professionally in Spain and during her youth at the University of Florida and Surf Soccer Club, where she also won a national title—makes her an ideal leader. “I love her as our coach because she's our role model,” Audrey said. “She's been where we are, so she knows how we feel and how we should play, and she’s helping us get there. That's just the best coach I can have.”
Her coaching style is demanding but effective. “I love and care about these girls to death. But they know when we step on the field, it's all business. I demand 100% and if it's not 100% they're gonna hear it from me. That's exactly what it takes to be at the level we are, back to back national champions,” Coach Melanie said said.
For Sunrise, the secret to success is more than skill—it’s unity. “When you’re playing teams on a national level, they’re all good. But we concentrate on playing, working, and supporting each other,” Bruce explained. “We work for each other, we support each other, and we’re truly a family.”
With back-to-back championships under their belts, Sunrise Soccer is eyeing a three-peat. The program’s legacy is already cemented, but for Coach Monteagudo, the true goal is even bigger: inspiring her players to follow in her footsteps.
“Hopefully, one of them will come back when they're done with college and be somebody's coach,” she said.
Sunrise Soccer isn’t just winning games—it’s building a lasting tradition of excellence, camaraderie, and inspiration for generations to come.
For more information, visit SunriseSurfSoccer.com.
