Midlands soccer players head for barcelona

AN entourage of 44 people from the midlands, including 20 aspiring young soccer stars, flew to Barcelona on Thursday (May 14) to partake in a five-day coaching programme with the famed FC Barcelona Football Club.

The local players arrived in Barcelona just days after they sealed a place in this season’s UEFA Champions League final.

The group, led by head coach Leigh Feery, are part of the Offaly/Westmeath Young Lions Soccer School, based in Clara, Co Offaly, and boasts young players from Athlone, Mount Temple, Moate, Ballycumber, Pullough, Ballinamere and Clara.

The Young Lions Soccer School is sponsored by IO Systems, which was established in 1995 by Athlone businessman Fergal Lynam.

Last Thursday, the Young Lions Soccer School commenced a Master Soccer Coaching programme over five days in Barcelona, involving 20 players, all under 11, accompanied by 20 parents, grandparents and supporters, making-up a travelling party of 44.

On June 6. the Young Lions 2015 Summer Soccer School commences in Clara with up to 80 players registered. This will go on for ten weeks and from that programme 36 will be invited to attend an Indoor Progression Course in Moate for a further ten weeks in October. They will then move into an Advanced Indoor Programme, next February, for eight weeks.

For more information see facebook.com/younglionssoccerschool or e-mail younglionssoccerschool@gmail.com