Monday, August 15, 2016

Day 13 August 13th

Today is our last full day before we make the journey back to America. The kids woke up quickly and made their way to the canteen (new term for cafeteria) and tucked into another delicious "Full English'. Although some people haven't particularly liked some of the food on the trip, I don't think there is one person that has passed up on proper bacon. If only we could bring some back with us...

The field hockey players headed off to Oxford which is about two hours away from Brighton. The famous city is world renown for its university and the various colleges that dot the skyline has helped earned the name 'City of Dreaming Spires'.  The players walked around the city center and took in some of the local shops which now occupy the historic buildings that line the streets. In the middle of Oxford is the castle which was converted into a luxury hotel. The castle is almost 1,000 years old and was an active prison up until the mid 1990s. Once lunch rolled around everyone made their way to the Head of the River pub which sits next to the River Thames. This is the same river that snakes its way back down to London. During the summer locals take part in punting which is similar to the gondola boats in Venice, Italy. The players did some more shopping and soon they were back on the coach and on their way to Lancing.


The soccer players were treated to something special, a Premier League match between Southampton and Watford. This weekend was the official start of the Premier League and what a way to usher in the new season. The players packed into the coach and set off for Southampton which is another famous port along the English Channel. The boys played their youth academy earlier in the week (and we won) so they were interested to see what their first team was like. The stadium is right by the water and the way it is built made for a cracking atmosphere. Watford struck early in the first half but Southampton equalized in the second half after a superb volley from Nathan Redmond. The game finished 1-1 and the kids went home with big smiles on their faces. 



That evening, CMT held their closing ceremonies for both soccer and field hockey. The soccer players were awarded several accolades including 'Unsung Hero' for both boys and girls. The winners were Delaney Goodell and Aidan George. The Seacoast United coaches also nominated two players who they thought were the most improved players over the two week camp. The recipients were Lyida Thibault and Andrew Van De Water.