Day Six - April 24th 2017

As I mentioned yesterday, the days are flying by and that is a testament to how great the trip is going. The kids were taken to Manchester Mall for a bit of 'retail therapy' and they couldn't wait to check out what types of clothes, souvenirs and other unique items they could find at the shopping center. The most sought after items of course were Union Jack hoodies and soccer jerseys. At least we can say they didn't waste all of their money on sweets mainly because they did that the day before! The mall wasn't too different to what we are accustomed to in America but there was some really cool architecture that proved useful for some photo-ops.

After the mall the teams headed back to Hotel Football where they took part in a seminar with a world renowned sports psychologist. He has worked with some of the highest profile athletes in the world and it was a great opportunity to get some insight on what athletes have to endure from a psychological standpoint. During the presentation he worked with the teams on the importance of preparation before a match and how to help develop better speed of play.

In the evening the U12 boys and girls had an opportunity to train whilst the U14 girls had a game in Manchester vs a local club team called Curzon Ashton. Curzon Ashton currently plays in the Vanarama National League North which is the same league that Salford City plays in. Salford City are owned by the Class of '92 members and both Clubs are currently fighting for promotion to the Conference National League. This was a great opportunity for the players to test themselves against local opposition and I would argue it was the first time that the CAFC players played against Americans! The best part of the whole match, the sun was out and about in Manchester which is a rarity in itself. The photo below shows how much fun everyone had involved and I think the Curzon players will always remember the time Seacoast rolled into town.