Hearts of Oak Masters Annual football camp ends as over 134 participate

Aug 23, 2013 Sports

The Annual Hearts of Oak Masters’ “Teach them Young” football camp ended recently with a presentation and prize giving ceremony at the Prison Officers Sports Club, Penitentiary Walk, New Amsterdam. The camp which, was in its 16th year, was held at the All Saints Scot Church Ground and the Prison Officers Sports Club and lasted for a period of five weeks.
The programme was held five days weekly, Monday-Friday from 09:00hrs -13:00 hrs. During the sessions over 134 youths, both males and females participated in the sessions with the ages ranging from 3-18 years. The participants were further divided into three sections – 3-8 years, 9-12 and 13-18 years.

The more than 134 participants and facilitators at the camp at the presentation ceremony.

During the camp the youths were taught the finer points of the game which included both theory and practical.
At the practical sessions they were shown the various ways in receiving (thigh and chest), passing, shooting, dribbling, and heading, overlapping, goalkeeping and throwing among other points. They were also schooled in Defensive, attacking, overlapping and set playing among other tactics. They also learnt the rules of the game, Discipline, etiquette, good table manners, HIV and AIDS and general education with Physical fitness and fair play being an integral part of the sessions.
During the camp the youths were presented with trunks, football boots, hoses, goalkeeping gloves and Jerseys.
At the end of the camp the youths were presented with certificates, while the more outstanding participants were presented with special gifts. Those gifts included two pairs of school uniforms, football jerseys, pants and socks and among those receiving were the youngest Orin Williams, most disciplined Orin Glenn, most improve female participant was Akisha Allicock, while the most improved male was adjudged as Joel Davis. Female footballer Emily Ramsuchit was adjudged as the best overall participant of the camp.
During the closing ceremony the youths were congratulated and encouraged to continue to practice what they have learnt. They were told to stay in school and take their education seriously as education is the key to success. They were also told to be good ambassadors and to continue training and return to their respective teams and schools and share what they have learnt.
The course facilitators were Neil Humphrey, Colin Bowry, Cliff Peters, Jermaine David, Zaheer Moakhan and Nigel ‘Busit’ Felix.
According to coordinator, former national player Neil ‘Grizzly’ Humphrey, the main aim of the programme was to have the youths better able to appreciate the rules and regulation and improve their knowledge of the game, improve their overall skills and understand sportsmanship and have a better human relationship with others.
The organisers would like to thank all those who assisted in making the camp the tremendous success it was. They look forward to working with them for the rest of 2013 and in 2014 to make the “Teach Them Young Football programme even bigger and better. (Samuel Whyte)