Ready, steady…Go!
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 - SEE BELOW.
