As most of our parents know, we provide our players the opportunity to experience international football, whether it be for the experience or for trials to make it to the professional levels. We recently had Alex Chhoum visit our Window Shopping Football Club in Italy and asked him to provide us with a brief account of his experience, and here is what he had to say:
My experience in Mont san Biagio, Italy at FCD Monte San Biagio was fantastic. I had prepared for the trip many months before.
Annually, I go to Europe and I try to perform better than the last. I had trained every single day for this Europe trip. I already knew that the competition in Europe was tough so I set the bar very high for myself.
We arrived on Sunday and had training on the following day. The president of FCD Monte San Biagio, Alessandro Maddaluna and the hotel staff were very friendly, generous and personable. In the morning, we were picked up for training by coach Fabio, a former professional player.
Coach Fabio taught me many new skills with a high-intensity level. The six-hour time adjustment taught me self-perseverance. We then had a U16 practice, which was very intense with lots of agility and endurance drills. Then we continued to have Fabio every day, with him changing the drills ranging from crossing, shooting and passing drills. We then had a practice with the U19’s, they were very tall and very technically skilled. We started practice with a unique scrimmage of handball. We would compile dribbling, then shooting against a goalie. The sessions were very compacted and short, but very intense.
The next day, we scrimmaged with the first team in training. It was very rainy and wet, which made it very difficult to play. Playing with the first team taught me how intense professional football is. I stayed low to the ground and just gave quick passes. We then had a game on the following day. We had Fabio in the morning, but he went very light and trained on agility and kept our legs awake and prepared for the upcoming game in the evening. After, I received great feedback and advice on how to improve from the coaches.
Monte San Biagio FCD training prepared me for my next experience in Lyon, France. While I was in Lyon, France visiting family, Coach François Glasman had contacts to a club by the name of AS Lyon-Duchere. The training was amazing! It was completely different from Canada, from the way they prepare for training arriving 30 minutes prior, the way they respect people and the gameplay. The training was very fast pace and competitive. My in-game decision making, movement and IFSOE’s technical training helped me impress the coaches. Overall, I loved the experience, the coaches, the staff, the hotel, the lifestyle and enjoyed participating in these trips.
It has given me a new image of football and life in general. Thank you coach Francois and IFSOE for the experience!
Link to video https://youtu.be/gOfhYj7RsoA
