ST. PETE RAIDERS

Bringing Soccer to Pinellas County Families Since 1970

Trip to Everton UK

4 Everton FL players trained at the Everton Academy in the UK

 

Everton FL goes to Everton UK!

            Art by Immeke
Four of Everton FL player’s visited the Everton Academy in March.  This was a fantastic experience! The kids trained at Finch Farm where the Academy Boys train and the Everton professionals (the first team) trains and Walton Park where the Everton Ladies train..  The Academy training is very fast paced and the athlete’s in the Academy are very skilled and serious about the game of soccer.


 

On Monday the girls trained at Walton Park with the Everton Ladies.  The boys were given a tour of Finch Farm where the Everton boys train and the Everton 1st team (professional EPL team trains). All of the kids found the training very serious and focused.
 
Tuesday brought the boys back to Finch Farm for an afternoon session. They trained with the U13-15 boys teams and then went to a U15B Everton vs. Liverpool Academy game.  Everton won 2-0, and the game was some of the best soccer any of us have experienced!  The girls trained at Finch Farm with Fara Williams, the Everton team Captain!   As Immeke says, “This is Way Excellent!”
 
On Wednesday, the girls did a running/technical session at Finch Farm with Shaun Harris, and the boys trained with the U13-15 boys.  The session was very technical and very fast paced. No pictures were allowed to be taken at Finch Farm for security of the children who train there.
 
Friday was so much fun!  We took a tour of Goodison Park and learned the history of Everton footbul Club! Our tour guide was an older woman who been an Everton fan since she was born!  The best part of this tour was when we walked up the tunnel to the field where the players enter from the locker rooms.  The Everton fight song was played as the kids walked onto the field!  
 



 

Game Day!
Everton 2 vs. Bolton 0
 
Wow!  Our players met and got signatures from Tim Howard, Carlo Nash, Phil Neville, and Mikel Arteta before the game began!  Goodison Stadium was packed! As you know, since the game was aired live on FSN, the first half of the game had very little action.  The second half led Everton to a 2-0 win over Bolton.  Tim Howard is an amazing goalkeeper as was Mikel Arteta who scored the first goal.  The crowd chanted and sang songs throughout the game. What an awesome experience!
Comments from the kids who attended the Everton Academy:
 
Our training sessions so far have been on hard turf, which increased the pace of the game tremendously.  We plan to enjoy St. Patty’s Day dow by the city center and tour the Everton Complex on Friday (Goodison Stadium).  We will attend the Everton vs. Bolton game on Saturday.  Go Toffee’s! -Christina
So far my experience at the Everton Academy has been spectacular.  Hopefully this experience will make me a better soccer athlete.  The soccer sessions here are much harder that our practices in Florida.   This has been a very good experience! -Victor
 
Wow! England is legit! Yesterday we went to training.  Christina went to the U16 practice and I went to the U14 practice.  The girls were all rally amazing. I taught them the ‘Coach Brooke’ stretch.  Today we will be trained by Fara Williams , the Everton team captain – that’s waaaay excellent! I miss my own Everton ladies. Can’t wait to get back and tell them everything.  I Everton! -Immeke
 
Our training has been great.  The coach was excellent – he moved into drills very well and everything flowed smoothly. We did many drills that involved passing and shooting. All of the training was very fast paced due to the level of the kids that play in the Academy.  Finch Farm is a huge complex with six fields and the 1st team trains there as well as the Academy.    - Stevie
 
 


 

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