Football

Our last major event of the year is our annual Soccer Camp and once again we have 3 FA Professional Qualified Coaches coming out from the UK to give our kids a fantastic fun filled week of soccer. Next week there will be a full article dedicated to the Camp but if you want to sign up a child you can collect forms from The Club, Town and Country or Animale in Port Lucaya. OR email [email protected]

We are always looking for sponsors for kids who can’t afford to normally participate in The Camp and we have additional sponsorships available i.e. Lunches etc. Again email [email protected] and look out next week for more info.

Four kids who do really well at this years’ Sir Jack Hayward soccer camp will be getting the Golden Boot Award – literally.

The last afternoon of the week-long event at the Freeport Rugby and Football Club will see the quartet who make the biggest contribution to the camp walking away with the key to brand new personalised golden soccer cleats.

They will be able imagine they are like Brazilian World Cup star Neymar who used to spray paint his boots gold when he was a teenager.

The boots will be part of a glittering array of prizes for this year’s camp. In addition to them there will also be 15 full-size gold balls given out as trophies to those youngsters who catch the eyes of the three pro coaches from the UK who will be leading all the fun and games.

They will be looking to reward the players who improved their games the most or impressed for their general all-round attitude to the coaching and their fellow campers.

The camp which has earned an enviable record for being the best value summer camp on Grand Bahama and for the world-class coaching it provides, begins in just six weeks (June 22). As usual it will run for five days from 9am to 3pm and will give everyone who takes part not just a memorable few days but two full soccer uniforms, lunch every day and the chance of a cooling swim as well as tips and practice routines aimed at improving their games.

Thousands of children have attended the camp in its 10-year history with some going on to win soccer scholarships at US colleges at least partly because of what they learned.

This year’s visitors are Lauren Phillips, who previously coached at the David Beckham Academy in London; James Lofthouse, who set out some current professional players in their careers including one international player; and Adrian Penrose, who has coached not just in the UK but also the US.

All are former players – Lauren is still playing in the ladies game – who retrained to become not just full-time coaches but specialists in teaching the game to children. They work for the sport’s governing body in the UK, The Football Association, as part of a grassroots programme to create a world-beating England side in the future. It will be the trio’s first-time in the Bahamas and they are very excited at the prospect.

“We know gold balls were a very popular prize at the camp two years ago but are sure the prospect of being able to wear gold boots with your own name on the sides next season will be a huge draw this year. They will add real value to what the camp already offers but no one can win them if they don’t sign up and now is the time to register,” said camp organiser Derek Archer.

Click on the link to download the Registration Form: Soccer Camp Registration Form

Hopefully see you all this weekend.

BIG weekend for The Club coming up and we hope as many of our members and patrons will come out to enjoy the weekends festivities.

As The Club is now an affiliate of the BFA (Bahamas Football Association) the new Technical Director Mr Kevin Mcgreskin will be visiting the Club to have a site visit of the island and see some of our boys and girls in action. Its Kevin’s first time here so we are trying to make the visit the best possible experience. The time table to date is : –

Friday – 3.30pm Coaching session with Boys Under 15’s
Saturday – 9am to 11am – Girls Under 17’s
Saturday – 1pm – General Meet and Greet – ALL WELCOME
Sunday – 2pm to 4pm – Ladies Champion League

Registration 2014 Soccer Camp

The camp will as usual be hosted by the Freeport Rugby and Football Club at their fields on East Settlers Way, Freeport. Many local soccer-playing kids are very familiar with the venue since the club also hosts hundreds of girl players in the Girls’ Development League every Saturday afternoon and the club’s own boys coaching sessions during the week.

The daily sessions will begin at 9am and finish at 3pm with lunch provided, along with chance to take a cooling mid-day dip in the club’s swimming pool.

DOWNLOAD: Sir Jack Hayward English Premier League Soccer Camp June 23 – June 27 Registration Form (PDF)

Please hand in completed form with cash at Town and Country, Yellow Pine St; Animale, Port Lucaya; or Freeport Rugby and Football Club, East Settlers Way.

It’s the date many hundreds of sport-mad kids on Grand Bahama have looked out for at this time of year for the last 10 years – the start date of the island’s annual English Premier League Soccer Camp.

And this year, the 10th year in a row the world’s best-supported sports league has given its name to the event, it will begin on June 23, running as usual for five days, ending on June 27.

It will be the usual mix of top-line professional coaches flown in from the UK, top quality free uniforms, and other goodies which have made it the best-value summer camp in Freeport.

Three coaches from the Football Association, the soccer governing body in the UK, will again be taking vacation and volunteering their time to ensure that camp participants not only learn new skills, sportsmanship, and team playing, but also have a great time.

The three are specialists. Their full-time jobs are not just coaching soccer, but coaching children. They are Jenna Martin, Robbie Pringle, and Abbie Sadler, and each is excited to be coming.

Abbie, pictured in a training session, has coached in the US as well as the UK and said: “I can’t wait for the week to begin. I am very much looking forward to the trip and all the experiences it will bring. Working with children, and especially coaching, is something I am very passionate about.

“ I enjoy seeing the children not only improve their footballing skills but also develop as people, gain confidence and improve their self esteem. It is great to deliver sessions with both boys and girls with varying abilities, all of which go on to either join local clubs or academies or go away having enjoyed their footballing experience, met new friends and developed their social skills.”

Her thoughts were echoed by Robbie Pringle who said: “”I enjoy watching children grow, learn and develop not only as players but people as well.”

The Sir Jack Hayward Soccer Camp as it is now known will mean all of the trio making their first visit to the Bahamas. Sir Jack, honorary chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, has been a great supporter of the camp in various ways and is himself a very keen devotee of soccer.

He was for a time owner of a Premier League team, Wolverhampton Wanderers, which unfortunately was relegated the season before the first EPL camp was held.

The camp will as usual be hosted by the Freeport Rugby and Football Club at their fields on East Settlers Way, Freeport. Many local soccer-playing kids are very familiar with the venue since the club also hosts hundreds of girl players in the Girls’ Development League every Saturday afternoon and the club’s own boys coaching sessions during the week.

The daily sessions will begin at 9am and finish at 3pm with lunch provided, along with chance to take a cooling mid-day dip in the club’s swimming pool. Registration forms will be available in a week or so’s time at the usual venues of Town and Country, Yellow Pine Street; and Animale, Port Lucaya Marketplace as well as at the club itself. They will also be available on this website.

Sir Jack Hayward English Premier League Soccer Camp June 23 – June 27 Registration Form [PDF]