Players and coaches from the Tsawwassen Soccer Club are thrilled to be going to summer school for the second straight year.
The club is once again hosting the Bolton Wanderers International Soccer School with sessions taking place this week at Winskill Park.
The relationship with the English Premiership side was developed in 2009 through Mark Rogers and Ian Knight, current head coaches of the Tsawwassen and Abbotsford soccer clubs, respectively.
Bolton held a twoweek camp in Abbotsford before making its way to Tsawwassen for five twicea-day sessions that got underway on Monday.
The Tsawwassen camp has been designated for players ages 11 to 13 that have played at the rep level or are capable of training at a high level.
There will be more than just interested parents watching this week's camp. Tsawwassen's technical staff and coaches will be keen observers as they plan the curriculum for its 201112 academy.
"It's great for our coaches," explained Tsawwassen technical staff member Jon Rogers. "You are always looking at making adjustments with the game ever evolving and this gives us an opportunity to see what they are doing and make necessary changes that will enhance player development.
"It certainly gives us a foundation to work with and our main summer camp in August (which is open to players of all ages) will mirror what they are doing."
B.C. Soccer's changed landscape that now includes the top tier B.C. Premier Soccer League (High Performance) for ages U13 to U18, along with the existing Metro/Select leagues, means there's even more emphasis on skill development for the smaller clubs that are expected to develop these potential elite players. This is where Tsawwassen's relationship with Bolton enhances its player development model.
"From a cost standpoint, something like this doesn't come cheaply," added Rogers. "But we were very happy with how things went last year and we're hoping it's something we can continue."
In 2010, Tsawwassen sent a group of 25 players to Bolton where it not only participated in training programs but also toured the club's home and even stayed at the hotel within the stadium grounds. The plan is to do another Bolton tour in the spring of 2012.
