Fruta Conquerors Football Summer Camp a success

Aug 29, 2012 Sports

– Coach wants to use classes as a vehicle for football players

“I want that aspect from the Summer Camp to continue throughout the year,” Coach of Fruta Conquerors Football Club, Samson Gilbert said yesterday morning during an interview with Kaieteur Sport (KS).
The Coach was speaking about the academic aspect of the recently concluded Fruta Conquerors Summer Camp which was hosted under the maxim, ‘Inspiring young minds through soccer and academics’ at the Club House at the Tucville ground.

Sampson Gilbert

Gilbert reported to KS that he saw the need for the academic segment of the Camp to continue for at least two days per week to keep the youths occupied, while educating them with one of the essential skills needed in life for adulthood.
The initiator of the Camp, which surfaced five years ago, described the camp which attracted a total of 40 students/players as a successful one, “It was a successful camp, the youngsters enjoyed and benefited tremendously from both indoor and outdoor aspects of the clinic (Summer Camp).”
The camp was also under the watchful eyes of the President of Club, Wayne Forde, Club Secretary Daniel Thomas, Ministry of Education (MoE) National Literacy Coordinator, Murray Greenidge and MoE facilitators, Loucresia Simmons and Lynda Gomes.
Gilbert added that he will be attempting to tie a knot with the Ministry of Education shortly for the facilitators to continue tutoring the children during the week, “I hope to have the Ministry of Education facilitators work at least two days each week with the children on reading and comprehension.”
He continued, “It must be a developmental process where we will see the children developing over a period of time.”
The students/players who received certificates of participation at the closing ceremony were also tutored by two facilitators from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on life skills and also on the negative contribution of domestic violence and drug abuse. One of the MoE tutors also lectured the students on anger management and conflict resolutions.
Educational tours were also conducted with both age groups, U-17 and U-13 at Guyana Water Inc. (former) and at the National Library and Museum (latter). Gilbert explained that the National Library and Museum were chosen for the younger children to reiterate the importance of education and reading.
The older students also benefited from a three day computer crash course compliments of Global Technology.
Gilbert commented that necessary technical skills of football, trapping, passing and movements of the ball were introduced to the U-13 players, while the skills were recapped to the older players who were also educated on the laws of the games and importance of nutrition in the outdoor sessions.
The coach concluded by saying that the whole aspect of integrating football with academics was to allow the players to realize how important it is for them to be academically inclined in the world.
The two facilitators also showed their appreciation to the students by presenting them with schools hampers along with the one’s they received from the summer camp for the new school term which begins on Monday.
Meanwhile, three students, Sheldon Reid, Delon Welch and Delroy Marignan were awarded as the most discipline player and student (Reid for U-13 category and Welch for U-17); Marignan was the best all rounded student and player.
The Club would like to express their gratitude to their sponsors who contributed to the success of the camp.