Day 10 August 10th

10 days. It has been 10 days since Seacoast United arrived on these shores. The kids are growing up and maturing, both on and off the field. We have mentioned how well the group seems to be gelling but it is worth noting once more the comradery these players have with one another. Everyone on this trip has rallied around one another and they all share one common denominator, the badge. These kids are working ever so hard for the Seacoast United badge on their shirts and little by little, this country is finding out what it means to be a Seacoast United player.

Today was much like the other days on the trip, chock full of activities. Girl soccer players were invited back to train at Brighton's training complex, field hockey players participated in a workshop that involved video analysis (more on that later) and the boy soccer teams had games against Brighton and Southampton. All of this made up for a cracking but first, we had to have breakfast. This was the second time we were treated to the most popular item on the menu this whole trip, the mini waffles. These things are without a doubt the best things we have eaten during our whole stay. Whoever came up with these, BRAVO! You should receive a knighthood.

First up, the girl soccer players enjoyed a light morning session after their heroics from the day before at the training ground. Everyone was still buzzing about the game they attended last night and some of them even attempted to recreate some of the goals scored. Once they were finished with their session, they enjoyed a bite to eat before heading out to the Brighton training ground. The girls trained on one of the artificial turf fields with an actual Brighton Ladies coach and you could tell from their faces they loved every minute of it. The coach (who plied here trade in Texas on a couple of occasions) was fantastic and only demanded the best out of the girls. The bar was set and they surpassed it. The field hockey players took part in a workshop this morning which focused on the benefits of video analysis. All of the players took a lot from it and it certainly gave them a new perspective on how to view the game.

The boys soccer teams had some big matches in store in the afternoon against Brighton and Southampton. For those of you familiar with the Premier League, Southampton has one of the most renown youth academies in the world. There most famous export is Gareth Bale and they have consistently produced some of the best players in the country; The boys were split up on two fields, two of the teams played at the dome and the other team played on grass. The Seacoast teams ended up winning three matches which was a huge result! Special mention to Xavier Ross and Brandon Rodriguez who both recorded hat-tricks. Once finished, the boys headed back to the Lancing Collge a little bruised, but chest out and head held high knowing they had just beaten some of the best young players around.