50 AKS U13 & U14 girls and boys enjoyed a superb football tour to Salou, Spain over the half term break which saw them play matches against Spanish opposition as well as having coaching sessions, watching an exciting La Liga match and visiting the impressive home of Barcelona FC , the Nou Camp Stadium and museum.
The U13/14 boys A team, again a mix of U13 and U14, looked like they had played together for years. In Friday’s fixture, they battled back from a goal down to win 5-4 against a much bigger and stronger opponent, and after a full day of travel leaving AKS at 1am! Once again, they showed the English resilience and spirit against a superb footballing Spanish outfit on the Sunday, frustrating their opponents to again come back from 1-0 down to win 3-1.
The Boys B team also had two extremely challenging games. After a tough first run out the boys had an end to end encounter on Sunday eventually running out of gas but scoring 4 goals.
The C team also had a difficult match in Friday , the opposition ultimately too well organized against our boys who as mix of U13 & U14 hadn’t played much together. However the attitude and desire they showed to get something out of their Sunday game was significant.
The U14/U13 girls team experienced their first taste of football together playing two matches against tough Spanish opposition, however they came off the pitch in both games with smiles and great stories, no doubt fuelling their passion for the sport.
All 4 teams showed superb school spirit and were a credit to the school on and off the field. We hope that this trip has given the students a fresh love for football that they will carry on into the future!
The tour was more than just playing matches and on the Friday, we visited Barcelona’s football museum at the Nou Camp stadium. Students enjoyed learning about the history of the football club, before tearing into the gift shop to buy shirts and footballs.
On the Saturday, we had the pleasure of a coaching session with a UEFA Pro coach, before heading into Barcelona to watch Espanyol vs Celta Vigo in La Liga, an exciting 2-2 draw that the students and staff enjoyed in equal measure.
After our Sunday morning fixture, we had another coaching session with our UEFA Pro coach, and a tournament to cap off a fantastic experience for all.