The Kingswood Oxford girls’ and boys’ soccer teams traveled to Blackpool, England, to play soccer games, sightsee, and bond as a team from Saturday, August 9, to Sunday, August 17.
This trip was organized by Varsity Boys Soccer Head Coach Richard Shaw through a youth soccer club, Invictus Soccer, based in New York.
Many parents of players accompanied the teams, including nine sets of parents from the girls’ side and five parents from the boys’ side, providing helpful support during the trip. As it was the first time this trip occurred, it was mainly funded by each soccer player, costing about $4,000 per person. However, Varsity Girls’ Soccer Head Coach Sal Penta said that he hopes to raise funds for the next trip.
While in England, both soccer teams stayed at The Village Hotel in Blackpool. Freshman Reid Burtman shared that a typical day in England consisted of waking up around 6:30 a.m. and eating breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Then they loaded the bus to drive to their destination, which was either a stadium or the field for a game. They were able to visit four stadiums in England: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Wolverhampton.
Reid shared how much he enjoyed visiting the stadiums. “ I really liked going to Manchester because we went to both Manchester United Stadium and Manchester City Stadium,” Reid said. “So it was, cool to see both of them, and we also got to walk around the area outside of there, so that was also really cool.” Freshman Liz Raccio added that they also visited a boardwalk in Blackpool. “ We went on a big Ferris wheel, which was on a boardwalk,” Liz said, “so you could see the ocean, which was really cool.”
The girls’ and boys’ soccer teams played against clubs from England. The boys played two club teams from the Blackpool area and tied both of their games, while the girls played two U-16 clubs, losing one game and tying another. “We found out in England, side tackling from any which way was okay,” Coach Penta said. “Physicality more than here is accepted. So we had to learn that.”
Liz and Reid both said that they enjoyed being in England and the experiences they had. “It was fun to get the whole England experience of watching a soccer game and getting their culture,” Reid said. Liz summarized the trip as exciting and full of team bonding. Reid added that it was action-packed, immersive in the culture, and easy to make friends with players on the team.
Coach Penta shared his own opinions on the trip.“I think the one thing I noticed, in speaking with the coaches of their teams, is really developmental,” Coach Penta said. “ They’re looking to get their players better each time. They’re looking for that win, but it’s really that developmental piece.” He added that in the United States, soccer coaches are still primarily concerned with winning club games, forgetting that the main point is for players to develop and progress in the sport.
Though players said that this trip was a fun new experience, it was also beneficial for the teams as it allowed new players and returners to bond with one another and create connections. “I think we see ourselves connecting more on the field, both communication-wise, and also via the soccer ball too,” Coach Penta said.“Where there are a lot of teams, it usually takes an eighth or ninth game to really have some connection and some consistency when you play. But we’ve just finished our seventh game, and we’re already hitting our stride. It was incredibly helpful.”
On the team’s next trip to England, they hope to find additional tours and areas to visit that are a bit closer, reducing the amount of time spent on the bus. Their goal is to bring more participants from both soccer teams. Liz shared how grateful she was for the trip, as it allowed her to bond with her teammates as a freshman on a varsity team and create meaningful connections. “I think it did help going on the trip, as it helped a lot with bonding and getting to know people in a way that you wouldn’t have been able to, if they hadn’t gotten to go,” Liz said.
