A British invasion at Firemen’s Field

While many athletes from the U.S. were competing in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, a few athletes from England made their way to Valley Stream. However, these young adults didn’t come to compete. They came to teach.

The Valley Stream Soccer Club hosted four coaches from soccer company Challenger Sports, for a week-long British Soccer Camp that took place from Aug. 6-10 at Firemen’s Field.

Challenger British Soccer Camps take place across the U.S. and Canada. Perspective coaches, who live in the United Kingdom or other parts of Europe, are selected from a large group and flown to the U.S. for a period of five to 12 weeks. The four coaches in Valley Stream this summer were all young adults from England and stayed with host families in the area.

Anthony Doherty, 20, was in the 10th week of his 12-week coaching program. This summer he was based in Atlanta and has coached in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and New York. It’s his second year in the program and his second time coaching in New York, although Valley Stream marked his first trip to Long Island.

While attending college in England, Doherty said, Challenger Sports came to his campus to look for the best coaches. To be selected, interested coaches partake in a long process that consists of multiple stages of coaching and training in England. From there, Doherty said, “if they think you’re up to scratch, then they’ll send you out here.”

Soccer club officials and the more than 50 kids who signed up for the British Soccer Camp in Valley Stream also think the coaches are “up to scratch.”

“The parents seem to be satisfied with the level of training,” said Tom McAleer, president of the soccer club. “The interaction with the trainers and campers is a good match and works out well.”

Thirteen-year-old Alyssa Pellicane said she had learned a lot during her week of training. She has been playing soccer since she was 6 and added that she liked the British Soccer Camp more than other camps she’s been to because all of the coaches got to know her well in a short time. “This camp is good because you learn more here than at the other ones,” she said.

Anthony Prisinzano, 8, said he had fun learning bicycle kicks and Chloe Morris, 6, added that she had been working on her toe-touches. For Colin McAleer, 8, he was focused on kickbacks and said that he liked all of his coaches.

“I’m trying to do my best and do some attacks on people to try and score,” said Isaiah Carrott, 7.

This summer marks the fourth year that the soccer club has hosted a British Soccer Camp, and Tom McAleer said it wouldn’t be the last. “We were looking for a camp,” McAleer said referring to the search four years ago, “and they were one of the premier camps to come out to the Island. So we decided to team up with them and we’ve been happy with them.”

Doherty said that each day at the camp there is a different theme — dribbling, passing, shooting, heading and volleying, and defending and shielding. During his stay on Long Island, Doherty and his fellow coaches took a trip to New York City and we’re given guest passes to the Valley Stream pool.

“It’s been one of the best weeks I’ve had this summer,” Doherty said. “The kids are all well behaved, give 100 percent effort and have some of the best abilities we’ve had all summer.”

The Valley Stream Soccer Club will kick off its season on Sept. 15 and host its opening ceremony on Sept. 22 at Firemen’s Field from 2 to 6 p.m.