Newsletter #2

The Kickstart FC Barbados, coach and players in their first week in UK have completed the first part of their English FA Level One Coaching Course and trained with Division One team Exeter City. In one of many visits planned to UK by Kickstart and T.E.A.M. Management in the next three years, Kickstart FC Coach Tony Hall and Players Raheim Sargeant, Elsid Miggins and Antone Ellis have enjoyed working in an football enviroment and working toward the coaching qualification which has included practical and classroom work part of which was First Aid.

The highlight of the week was for the players training with the English Division One side Exeter City. For two days it was an early start for the boys when they had to be at the Cat & Fiddle training ground to start their training sessions with Exeter City. Raheim, Elsid and Antone had two, two and half hour session with the Exeter Squad and the Exeter under 18s and worked on all areas of their game including drills and exercises ending with a small sided game. The weather has been terrible with rain and high winds everyday but all have taken it in their stride.

The visit has also seen the Kickstart FC members going to Stoke Gabriel FC for the day to join up with TEAM Football in the Community Coach Kev Wills and the

Stoke Gabriel team before their home game against Exeter University FC. The boys went into the dressing room with the team before the game as part of the squad, then went out with the team and took part in the warm up before the game and sat in the dug out for most of the first half when they went in for the half time team talk to see how an English team prepares for games Both Manager Pete Gartree and Kev Wills were impressed with the boys attitude and effort they put into the time with the team. It gave the boys including coach Tony an insight into the way English clubs prepare for League games, despite all the rain the pitch was in great condition and the boys enjoyed training on such a good surface. The boys social life in the UK has been great, with meals out in local restaurants as guests of T.E.A.M. plus shopping in the Devon area.

The next week continues just as busy as the last, with the second part of the FA Level One Coaching course plus more training with Exeter City and other local clubs under the T.E.A.M. banner.

This is the first visit to the UK by Kickstart FC personel, with the second being planned for July 2010 when it is hoped that Kickstart FC will take two teams to compete in the Copa Riviera International Tournament in Paignton, Devon if sponsorship can be raised for the trip. It is also planned to hold the Copa Riviera International Tournament in Barbados in 2011. During this time four more boys from the club will take the FA Level One Coaching Course and train with local clubs such as Exeter City. The T.E.A.M. coaching team are returning to Barbados in February to work with all the teams at Kickstart FC in there second visit in twelve months.

Full details of the trips and all photo`s plus all the KIckstart FC news can be seen at the Kickstart FC web site.

Sent out on 29 Nov 2009 - Return to Newsletters List