Monday, August 8, 2016

Day 8 August 8th

Last Monday, the players touched down in a foreign land with many of them making the journey outside of America for the first time. One week on and you would think that they were world travelers (and world athletes for that matter). After the weekend excursions in London and Brighton, the normal schedule resumed with training and games taking precedence.

The players awoke to another sunny morning in England and have started to wonder why this country gets such a bad reputation when it comes to weather. Fun fact, there have been more consistently sunny days during our trip than at any other point in time in England. Just kidding, that isn't an actual fact but it sure is nice to be enjoying such lovely weather.

Once breakfast was finished, the boys and girls soccer players changed into their kit and headed over to the classroom where they participated in a seminar with some of Brighton and Hove Albion's academy and recruitment staff. The players quickly learned what it takes to be a top players as well as how the scouting system works in this country. Players as young a 7 are offered places in the academy and they can quickly go on to signing a contract before they are 18. Brighton is relatively close to London so it was interesting to hear how they compete with the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Crystal Palace for players. Once the seminar was finished the kids headed out to the fields. The boys had a game in the afternoon so they worked on some small sided games and technical drills whilst the girls scrimmaged.


In the afternoon, the girl soccer player and the field hockey players had training as the boys rested before their matches against Charlton Ahtletic. Both of the girls sports teams have some big games taking place on Tuesday so there was a lot of emphasis on organization and set up during the session. As the girls were finishing up, the boys were making their way down to the field for the games. Charlton Athletic hails from Southeast London and currently play in the English Football League One division. Although they are positioned lower in the league, it wasn't to long ago they were playing in the Premier League against Manchester United and Arsenal. They are well known for producing good players and the boys knew this would be a big test. All three games kicked off at the same time and the format was four twenty minute quarters. The Charlton players were certainly a talented bunch but our boys competed with them on all fronts. The games ended in a draw and two close losses. One of the Charlton coaches afterwards couldn't say enough positive things about our style of play and more importantly, the way the boys conducted themselves. They already want to play us again before we leave!



In the evening the kids enjoyed some dinner and then they made their way out to the fields once more for a fun game of 'rounders'. The sport is basically and smaller version of baseball with a bat that you use with one hand. All of the players played which was great to see. You really get a sense that all of the kids are coming together and enjoying their time over here.

Day 7 August 7th

It is crazy to think that last Sunday, everyone was finishing up some last minute packing and making sure they had everything ready for their trip. All of the players made their way to Logan airport for the start of this exciting adventure. Fast forward to today and the kids are well on their way to becoming experienced travelers.

Since today was Sunday and there weren't any scheduled activities in the morning, everyone was able to enjoy something that they haven't been able to do thus far, SLEEP IN! The kids enjoyed a 'lie in' and had a late breakfast. Once everyone had a bite to eat, they went back to their dorms to freshen up before hopping onto the bus for their next destination.

Brighton Pier is the famous landmark in Brighton and can be seen sticking out into the English Channel for several hundred yards. Believe it or not, thousands and thousands of people from across the UK flock to Brighton as it is one of the premier holiday spots in the country. The beach is beautiful but slightly different to what we are use to. Instead of sand, there are smooth rocks up and down the shoreline.



The kids had the opportunity to explore the historic downtown as well as the famous pier. To give you an idea of what Brighton Pier is like, think Coney Island but slightly smaller. Amusement park rides, games and even 'candy floss' (cotton candy) stations line up the pier making this a favorite spot for young ones. The pier was officially taken over by Seacoast United and it is safe to say the kids had a cracking day out! Once everyone wore themselves out, we made our way back to Lancing College for a quiet evening knowing that the week coming up would be full of games for both soccer and field hockey.