Premier League chief executive and Freeport Rugby and Football Club life member Richard Scudamore (right) with the Prime Minister of the UK David Cameron and the EPL Trophy.
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Freeport, Bahamas - Four deserving kids at this year’s Grand Bahama soccer camp
will be getting their sporting experience of a lifetime this August.
To mark the 10th year of the island’s
best-supported summer camp, the English Premier League is going to treat the
youngsters to an all-expenses-paid trip to Miami to watch two of the world’s
best pro teams in action.
The two boys and two girls will be getting top-price tickets
to the final of the Guinness International Champions Cup, a tournament being
played between eight leading European clubs.
Each is a household name – the current EPL leaders Liverpool, the
world-famous Manchester United and their neighbours Manchester City from the
UK; Inter, AC Milan and Roma from Serie A, the Italian league; the legendary
real Madrid from Spain and Olympiakos from Greece.
This awesome treat is only open to camp attendees and will
go to the four who show the best all-round attitude at the event which runs
from June 23 to June 27. They will be
chosen during the week by Jenna Martin, Robbie Pringle and Abbie Sadler, the
camp’s visiting UK pro coaches who are taking vacation to help local youngsters
improve their skills.
The EPL, whose games according to independent research are
watched by 4.7 billion people - more than half the world’s population - and
televised by 80 different broadcasters in 212 territories, was the main
supporter of the camp which has been hosted by Freeport Rugby and Football Club
at its ground at East Settlers Way since 2004.
For the first few years it sent a series of well-known
international players to act as coaches – two of them are now seen regularly on
Bahamian TV screens analyzing soccer matches, Warren Barton on Fox Soccer
Channel and Robbie Earle on NBC. Then,
following the camp’s early success, EPL chief executive Richard Scudamore
decided to sponsor the building of new pitches on the old fire station site
which more than doubled FRFC’s playing area.
The club responded by creating him an honorary life member
for his contribution to the club’s expansion and its success generally.
Scudamore said: “This Guinness Cup tournament is giving
millions of soccer fans in the US an opportunity to see the game played at the
highest level and I think it will be a real thrill for the youngsters to go to
the final to see in the flesh how top players perform.”
Youth soccer has flourished on Grand Bahama since the early
days of the camp, particularly among the girls, and the league was delighte to
mark the 10th anniversary in this way.
The tournament takes place at 12 different venues in the US
including, New York City, Chicago, Washington and Dallas between July 23 and
August 4. The final takes place at the
76,100-capacity Sun Life Stadium, Miami.
Camp organiser Derek Archer said: “The winning kids will
have a fantastic time but they will have earned their treat. The children who attend this camp are always
very enthusiastic but this year they will have an extra incentive to do
well. This will not just be about skill.
The winners will have shown a really positive attitude and that they are real
team players as well.
“We will make sure their reward is a great time at this huge
sporting event. It will be an experience
to remember. But, I repeat, no one will
have a chance of going unless they enroll in the camp.
“It has become a huge part of the sporting calendar on Grand
Bahama and many hundreds have taken part over the last 10 years. Some who have attended are now coaching kids
themselves and others have won soccer scholarships to US colleges.
“Soccer is the most popular sport in the world by a huge
margin – far, far bigger than any mainstream US sport, like baseball,
basketball or NFL - and so far as our region is concerned is due to really lift
off with David Beckham’s announcement he is to set up an MLS franchise in
Miami. With that and this year’s World
Cup Finals in Brazil in June, hopefully there will be a big surge in interest
in the sport in Grand Bahama.”
Camp registration forms are available at Town and Country,
Yellow Pine Street; Animale at Port Lucaya Marketplace, and the rugby club in
the evenings. They are also available
attached below on TheBahamasWeekly.com at the base of this article.
Attendees get the usual five days of pro coaching, two sets
of uniform, lunch and other goodies.
And, this year, the chance to watch the world’s best.
10th annual English Premier League Soccer Camp dates announced
(* Can't see the Form? Click HERE)
