Verneri Valimaa, one of two players who signed a National Letter-of-Intent to play for the George Mason men's soccer team this coming fall, was named the 2010-11 Gatorade Florida Boys Soccer Player of the Year. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievements and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Valimaa as Florida's best high school boys player.

Valimaa was ranked the 32^nd best recruit in the nation by College Soccer News. He led American Heritage School of Boca/Delray to a 21-2-1 record and the Class 2A state title this past season when he scored 32 goals with 18 assists. A member of the U.S. Soccer Federation U18 Men's National Team, he also played on the U20 Men's National Team of Finland. He was the 2011 Sun Sentinel Player of the Year and finished his career with 72 goals and 65 assists.

Valimaa was also recruited by North Carolina, UCLA and Wake Forest, among others, has maintained a 3.66 grade-point average and is a member of the Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. He won the award over an impressive group of players, including Parade All-American Feleipe Noguerol, who is a Stanford signee.

"Verneri Valimaa has been looked at widely on an international level," said Jerry Willenborg, the Director of Florida's Weston Football Club. "For our club, he's a difference maker, he sticks out. He can break down defensive players and score goals. Sometimes the goals he scores are unbelievable."