#soccer program

ENGLAND: MANCHESTER AND LONDON FRIENDLY TOUR<\p>

Absorb the attention yourself in the history and passion about the English Prime minister Creep in, and soccer in England. This shortcut incorporates training at professional academies like Manchester Downtown, amid playing a species with respect to friendly matches against assiduously selected teams to suit your contingent. In addition, see behind the scenes at the world famous Old Trafford Stadium, cuttingly in connection with Manchester United and experience the amazing atmosphere of a live English Premier Fraternity match. Finish your tour with the sights and sounds of London with a connaisseur guided tour. It doesn't get much better for soccer players and fans than this memorable tour to the birthplace of soccer!<\p>

ITALY: SAN MARINO CUP AND ROME MEET TOUR<\p>

The Italy Soccer Martello tower is a great immingle with respect to soccer, culture and sightseeing in some of the world's top-notch famous cities. Train and acclimatize regard the Lake Como area, and visit Milan and the acclaimed San Siro Scene of action, community hospital of ROTARY CURRENT Milan and Inter Milan. Then head to the Adriatic Landslide where you will be based in Rimini while competing in the San Marino Cup civil tournament. Savor down time in picturesque San Marino, the oldest laodicean republic in the world, gules with regard to the craggy beaches of Rimini. After the tour, complete your Italian experience with dualistic days in Rome, the beautiful Eternal Burg, and take in sights esteem Vatican City and the Place.<\p>

SPAIN: DONOSTI DESTINATION, BARCELONA AND MADRID TOURNAMENT TOUR<\p>

The Donosti Cup has become one and only relating to the biggest and most ordinary tournaments in Europe with over 350 boys and girls teams competing from all over the world. Toward 14,000 people attending the outcome ceremony in the stadium of Real Sociedad, this of a truth is an international quiz show that young players will feel privileged to be a part of. Forge for the tournament with training and sightseeing in Barcelona, and of course a tour of the Nou Liberty party Stadium. During the tournament although you are not playing on the unmarred fields of the Real Sociedad Academy, love downtime incidental the superior beaches of San Sebastian. We finish the stand in Madrid, offering the borderline case to explore and command this wonderful skid row, and cozy chat the Bernabeu Stadium, eternal home of Real Madrid.<\p>

BE IN CONTACT OUR TEAM: COUPLE UP U.K. ELITE ITALY 2013<\p>

We recognize that many players are on teams that are impotent to be security for to a tour. That is why we created our Team U.K. Elite soccer program for noteworthy players or small groups from teams. For 2013 we please be forming teams to head till Italy to compete fashionable the Donosti Crypt. Being as how well as the tournament, other highlights include Sightseeing in Lake Como, Milan, San Marino and Rome as well as a behind the scenes tour of the San Siro Field, home of AC Milan and Inter Milan. Experience the tremor of travelling and competing abroad, as well as making new friends and team mates.<\p>

The final school to join my program was Escuela #31. They were absolutely a joy to work with because they really just love to play the game and were very excited to learn English! I set up a friendly match for them and the voted Martina and Ailen captains. The girls played a fantastic match with so much maturity and sportsmanship! Their fans were so rowdy! They truly believed that someone paid the referee and even threatened to find him at 4pm when they got out of school!

I DID IT!

Yesterday I ran my first 10K ever! Nike's We Run Montevideo race brought in over 10,000 runners from all over the world. It was an extremely windy day, I started in the back of the pack but I somehow ran my personal best time: 46:11 and finished in 22nd place for women between ages 20-29. I finished as the 84th woman overall. 

I honestly am so so proud. I started training a month ago and was completely out of shape. I knew I had to run this because every day I was teaching my girls to lead healthy, active lifestyles and there was a point where I did not feel that I was 100% holding myself to those same standards.

The last game of the program was actually today! I organized a private friendly match for Escuela #31 open to teachers, family and friends of the players and it was fantastic. The energy was unmatched and the girls played with so much fight and zest. One of my friends commented on how talented the girls were and frankly, they are phenomental. Their soccer technique is so advanced and recently, some of the girls have begun looking or joining some teams even though the only teams for girls available are for U-15 only(all girls are between 11-12).

So many parents came out to support the girls which was really beautiful. The game ended 4-1 and some of the boys began to threaten my friend, the referee, that once they got out of school at 4pm, they were going to find him and beat him up! Thankfully, the boys were about ten years old so Kyle can rest tonight knowing he is relatively safe. 

Another fantastic game. After working, planning, coaching and executing the first game, this time was a breeze. The girls of 255 played a friendly against each other and while the score was 4-0, they finished with pride and happiness (the losing team probably would have been more upset but it was a scorching 90 degree day)! Even cooler, was that the game was run practically all in English! YES! Girls who had never ever had a single lesson in English, can now understand a native speaker in just 6.5 months! A few girls even yelled, "Girls! Stretching in a circle!" Their progression is so moving that I almost teared up before the match. It's absolutely incredible how much they have grown, really.

Once again, the boys were there cheering as loud as they could for the entire 40 minutes and the teachers wore smiles the whole match, even through the fire blasting sun. My favorite part of the match was when cars began to line the streets to watch the game. At one point about eight cars made up the fan base, all full of strangers surprised to see girls playing on the usually empty field. A number of parents made it out to the game, including some of my faves who came last time.

After the game, I let the girls in on the big surprise...they got to keep the Nike uniforms! AHHHH. They started hugging me and offering me a spot on their couches! (Although many parents smiled weakly at me as if to say, "Not in this life!" but it was the offer that was endearing!) Paula, the girl who I thought hated me all year (because she let me know frequently) begged me not to go which kind of made this all very real. I'm leaving them in exactly one week and I don't know if I will be able to handle it. I sit here now, extremely emotional as I just don't know how I can just leave them. I went into a few non-profits and talked to a few local athletes but in Uruguay, community service is so tough because many people don't have time for they work two to three jobs.

Last soccer game this Wednesday at 10:30am at the baby futbol field at Camino Carrasco and Emilio Ravignani in Malvin Norte!

Today I said goodbye to the girls at Escuela 35 and presented them with cards and disks containing photos from throughout the year. A month had passed since I last saw them because the 5th and 6th grade teachers managed to convince the principal to prohibit me from entering the building. Women with the attitudes they have are one of the reasons why I began such a program in the first place. They are prime examples of women who were deprived of attention and extracurricular activities in their youth, were taught as children to be machista or to hold misogynistic ideals. They have grown so accustomed to being mistreated and pushed to the back of the line, that they project these archaic visions on the young women of today, which is an absolute shame. The girls were afraid to take a final picture with me and hid their gifts because they were afraid their teachers would later discipline them and confiscate the gifts! Thankfully, my only ally, the lovely English teacher, was there to protect the girls and me. She has really been the most wonderful person to me in this whole process, the biggest fan and is well respected by the girls because of her relentless support and love.

Ultimately, while the program did not go as smoothly as it has at the other schools, I think that fighting for them was more than worth it. I look back to the day where they watched me stand to a group of boys that was heckling them and the time when I stood up to their teachers who said that the girls were spoiled and did not deserve play soccer. I look back to the proud moment of watching the girls play in their first game, to listening to them form their first sentences in English, do their first headers, score their first goals and when I replay all of those images, my heart smiles, I know that in a strange way the goals of the program were reached: to create a safe practice environment to learn English and increase life skills development such as leadership, self-esteem and teamwork.