On the 29th March 2018, 17 Soccer players flew out from OR Tambo Airport and travelled to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, for our third 18-day Soccer dream Tour. It was extremely cold on arrival and our first few days were spent touring New York and doing some teambuilding in the snow which was to accompany us most of the trip. We played our traditional DreamTeam fixture with Simsbury in Connecticut, before heading to Rochester, New York and the Niagara Falls to participate in the GPS Soccer Academy Showcase, where we played three games.
From the snow and ice we then travelled to the slightly warmer areas of South Kingston and Narragansett, Rhode Island, before heading to Easton in Massachusetts, where we ended with a wonderful game against the Oliver Ames High School. The team stayed in the homes of some amazing American families, where they were spoiled and well-fed, We also stayed in some Hotels along the way and although the weather was mostly cold our hearts were warmed by the wonderful hospitality of our American hosts.
We were once again able to train with Coach Todd Dalessandro in Simsbury and this year were privileged to spend a number of coaching sessions with Coach John Barato and the Beautiful Game Soccer Academy staff. It was a happy group of Soccer players who returned to the much warmer climate of South Africa. The squad impressed the coaches and opposition and a number of the players were tipped for possible scholarships in the future.
Once again Academic endeavour and Visa issues serve as initial stumbling blocks, but negotiations are currently well advanced with a local Student Exchange company to facilitate an exciting future for our DreamTeam players.