Greg Brick, Director of Coaching for Orlando City Youth Soccer, will be checking in regularly from England as the OCYS group tours, trainings, and plays against some of England’s best youth teams. 

The Orlando City Youth kicked off their third day with a visit to Clayton Wood to watch Stoke City of the English Premier League prepare for Wolverhampton. As our bus approached the gate to the ground, you could sense the anticipation of our young players seeing soccer superstars they watch each week on Fox Soccer. Our group huddled next to the field the First Team would train on, and as the players came out as a group, our boys could not believe their eyes as Peter Crouch, Ryan Shawcross, Jermaine Pennant, Wilson Palacios ,and on and on, approached our kids with big smiles.

A photo taking session with autographs along with laughs, and genuine camaraderie created a warm environment for our group to enjoy getting to know these pro players. Orlando City Youth Player, Austin Amer stated, "It was really cool to be able to be next to the pro players and be able to talk to them. They were just like just like normal people and were fun to talk to."

The day progressed on with our group visiting Trentham Gardens in Stoke on Trent, a quaint shopping area where we were able to peruse shops and ultimately eat lunch. The players also enjoyed a small amusement park and enjoyed bumper cars along with other various rides.

Our next game was with our good friends at Newcastle Town. The Newcastle Town Stadium sits at the bottom of a hill and is encircled by fields. As we walked up to the Stadium, their players and parents awaited us and warmly welcomed us with handshakes and hugs. The first set of games were played side by side with our Under 8/9's and Under 10/11's playing Newcastle's respective teams.

Both groups came out victorious and played exciting football. Coach Mir Moghaddam stated,"The game environment was fantastic! We had fans from both sides cheering on both teams which made it real exciting for the kids." Once both games ended, the U12/13's faced Newcastle's 12's and 13's in a full 11 versus 11 match and also came out victorious.

After the matches were complete, all parents and players congregated in the Newcastle Club House for food and drink. "The welcoming environment was great for everyone", stated Coach Craig Melton.

The 2012 OCYS England Trip:
Day 1 - Arrival
Day 2 - Liverpool & Everton Academy
Day 3 - Stoke City & Newcastle Town
Day 4 - Stoke City vs. Wolves at the Brittania
Day 5 - Man U vs. QPR at Old Trafford
Day 6 - The Dome