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Posted by
Steve Bottjer,
February 18, 2013 |
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Email Steve Bottjer
Twitter @BottjerRNO |
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In the wake of the success of the first Celebrity Futbol held in Toronto last month, the Futskills Futbol Academy has recently announced that the second edition of the clinic will be held in Montreal from March 4th to March 7th.
As was the case with the clinic held in early January in Toronto, participants can expect to be instructed and inspired by both professional coaches and professional and Canadian national team players. Former Toronto FC/Montreal Impact/Vancouver Whitecaps defender and Canadian International Adrian Cann will guest alongside former TFC midfielder Oscar Cordon for the Montreal sessions. Canadian Internationals Ashtone Morgan, Doneil Henry, David Monsalve and Kyle Porter were the celebrity guests at the previous Toronto session.
Futskills Program Director Michael Walsh and his staff are aiming to build on the success of the first clinic when they take their program on the road to Montreal at the beginning of March. According to Walsh, he and his staff saw a definite improvement in the players that took part in the three day camp in January.
“It was definitely a good success. We saw the difference in the players from Wednesday morning to Friday afternoon, including a big difference in all the players individually. Most of all, we saw how much fun they had. Them having a good time is number one, so we were successful in that regard. The bonus is how much they learned and how much progress they made over the three days,” says Walsh.
“I think the session in Toronto went well. I think it was a good manageable group. The training sessions were very personal, which is great. In general, it went really well. Several people from Montreal came out with their children and a kid from Los Angeles came out as well. We saw an incredible difference from the first day of the camp to the last day. Some of the kids from the academy were here to begin with, so you knew what to expect from them, but even they progressed. As for the kids that we had never seen before, that was where we saw the most improvement. They came in here shy, not wanting to talk to anyone and, if the ball wasn’t around them, they weren’t asking for it. If you compare the first day to the last scrimmage we had, they were hungry and they were excited – they wanted to score, pass and do everything. It taught them life lessons as well. They met new people and they learned new skills,” adds professional keeper/Futskills Goalkeeper Coach/Trainer David Monsalve.
One of the most important benefits that has come with the establishment of the three Major League Soccer franchises in Canada has been around the fact that young Canadians now have local stars to admire and local clubs to aspire towards playing for. According to Walsh and Monsalve, the opportunity to learn from and even scrimmage with young Canadian soccer stars is something that makes the Celebrity Futbol Clinic unique and especially exciting for the kids participating.
“Bringing in professional players is exciting for the kids. It wasn’t just the fact that they were professional players, it was the professional players that we had. They were all good, solid guys who were great with the kids. Sometimes having that professional experience doesn’t always mean that you can pass that on to the kids, because it is a different level. So you have to be able to come down to their level and we were fortunate to have professional players and good people who could relate to the kids,” says Walsh.
“I think the (Toronto) camp was unique for that reason. A lot of guys who are friends of mine and friends of the academy came together and looked to help the kids. Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan, Kyle Porter, Eddie Kehoe and Dennis Thompson came out. They made a difference and brought their names to the camp. In addition to bringing their names and showing up, they came out and worked hard with the kids and really made a difference. They taught them on the field and also spoke to them about their experiences in life and in football,” says Monsalve.
The positive feedback that Walsh received from parents whose children took part in the January camp was one of the reasons that he not only decided to continue the concept, but also to bring it to Montreal.
“The number one thing we heard from most of the parents was about the positive environment. The parents were probably just excited to get the kids out of the house and I don’t think they expected the environment to be as exciting and positive as it was. Of course, they also liked the difference they saw in their kids at the end of each day,” says Walsh.
“The camp was really great. The kids really learnt a lot. All of the coaches and players that took part were really good. They were really professional and they really paid attention to the kids. It was awesome. You can’t describe what was like for the kids to be training with players who they see playing on television and at BMO Field. Just looking at them playing and seeing their faces, there is no doubt that it is a really great experience for them. The kids really loved it,” stated Marcus, one of the parents who had a child who participated in the first Celebrity Futbol Clinic.
According to Monsalve, the fact that the Celebrity Futbol Clinic offers something a little different provides an X-factor that creates an environment in which the players learn in a very organic and natural environment.
“The kids enjoy soccer, but they also have to learn. The best way to make them learn is to not let them know they are learning. We had drills that were game oriented and they learned a lot. When they are having fun, they are learning even more, because they don’t know they are learning,” says Monsalve.
Following the clinic in Montreal, Futskills will hold a second Toronto clinic from March 11-15. Guests for the Toronto clinic will be announced shortly.
For more information regarding the upcoming Celebrity Futbol Clinics, please contact Futskills at 514-992-8428 in Montreal and 647-779-1223 in Toronto.
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