Although the 4th of July had come & gone, the fireworks were still on display here at HSC! We had the wonderful opportunity to host Fox Soccer Academy (FSA) as they invited 30 talented youth players for a weekend-long showcase July 5 - 7.
The purpose of this event was to give the boys, who ranged from 13 to 19 years old, an opportunity to tie up their boots and impress several high profile on-lookers. The participants traveled from near and far to display their skills in front of not only FSA, but coaches & scouts who traveled from across the country themselves. We had players join us from several different New England states and as far south as Virginia. It was a wonderful weekend full of various drills, training scenarios, and weather patterns, but one thing remained constant: the boys lit up the field with their passion for the beautiful game.
The foundation for the weekend was set on the first day as the coaches made sure everyone had the right mindset & were welcomed to Hudson Sports Complex. The tone was positive & the outlook was bright. The coaches provided some motivational words & ran through the schedule for the upcoming three days. You could feel the energy blossoming.
To get the combine started, the boys were put through rigorous drills to test their overall soccer abilities & athleticism. Volleys, headballs, the 40-yard dash, dynamic stretching, and more, were all activities that had to be completed by the participants. Dino Hamzic, Head Coach & Regional Manager of FSA along with Mark Smith, Head of Coaching for FSA Globally, & Gerard Pearlberg, Speed & Agility Coach, put the players straight to work. It was great to see that they accepted all the challenges that were thrown their direction & impressed everyone along the way!
Day 2 of the combine was all about the players' soccer acumen. Separated into groups, the lads were asked to perform several different passing, attacking, and tactical drills. The FSA coaches wanted to make sure that every foundational aspect of the game was hit upon during the weekend so it was crucial that movement, communication, and trust were the pillars for the next couple of days. Once the hard work in the morning was done, we broke out for some lunch.
Saturday the 6th also provided us some challenges as the skies opened up and had us move indoors. Thankfully, we have two beautiful indoor turf fields so the boys could continue to compete.
Once the rain subsided a bit, we moved everyone back outside to perform larger sided drills & full-field play in preparation for Sunday's scrimmages. To close out Day 2, we had the coaches & scouts provide informative presentations about themselves and the game they dedicated their lives to.
Day 3...the final opportunity to impress coaches. Most of the session was focused on finishing out the weekend strong with grit & enthusiasm, but we had to have a bit of fun as well! The boys competed against one another with some friendly Teqball matches!
After some fun & lunch, the boys hit the field for the last 90 minutes of the weekend. The sun was scorching, but the play on the field was even hotter. It was evident that the players had taken some of their newly learned skills to pitch. It was also wonderful to see the relationships that the boys created with one another as well as with the coaches. The competition was fierce, but the sportsmanship was stronger.
On behalf of Fox Soccer Academy & Hudson Sports Complex, we would like to thank all of the players who participated last weekend. It was a pleasure to have you and your families join us for a weekend of high-quality training & exposure. We would also like to thank all of the coaches & scouts who helped make the weekend possible. We wish all of the players the best of luck as you continue your journey and hope you can continue to make some noise on the field!
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