A SMART Summer Camp with kids attending Lionel Messi Football Camp
Summer camps and with different themes are taking place all over the country. This afternoon, we caught up with a sports camp that is ongoing at the ITVET Compound. Having shown love for the jaguars at Gold Cup 2013, we found a group of kids today learning the skills and techniques of football. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The Smart Stars Summer Camp is taking place once again at the ITVET Compound in Belize City. Kids from all across the city are learning the fundamentals of football.
Stanley Jordan, Camp Coordinator
“We have about a hundred and twenty kids and we break them up into three categories. We have the ten and under, the twelve and under and the fifteen and under.”
Jose Sanchez
Stanley Jordan
“What is it that they do in the different parts of the camp?”
Stanley Jordan
“The twelve and under is grass roots so they do a lot of skills training. The bigger ones do a lot of fundamental training.”
Jose Sanchez
“What does that mean for the public who may not understand the sport?”
Stanley Jordan
“Well we do a lot of dribbling, passing, shooting, a lot of heading and we do a lot of stretching, the correct kind of stretching.”
Some of the kids use their haircut to show their love of the Belize Jaguars. And two of the camp participants have been selected to attend the Lionel Messi Camp in Florida.
Dion Cacho
Dion Cacho, Selected to Attend Lionel Messi Camp
“I am going to Miami Florida for the Lionel Messi Camp and the reason why I play football because I could go bout and I thank Dragon and T-bone fi mek I di go so far.”
Jose Sanchez
“And how long have you been playing football? You are very young.”
Dion Cacho
“Well I was playing football from I was five years old.”
Jose Sanchez
“So you have some skills. What is your particular parts about the sport that you like?”
Dion Cacho
“Well the particular part is the center midfield position weh I play.”
Nashen Ysaguirre, Selected to Attend Lionel Messi Camp
Nashen Ysaguirre
“I’ve been playing football from since I was about nine years old. I played my first game for Hattieville.”
Jose Sanchez
“How does it feel to be attending this camp?”
Nashen Ysaguirre
“It feels good to know that I get the opportunity to go to Miami and go to the Messi Camp.”
Jose Sanchez
“Do you think you’d wanna play football professionally in the future? Is this something that you love?”
Nashen Ysaguirre
“Well if I get the opportunity.”
The camp’s main sponsor is SMART.
Ian Courtenay
Ian Courtenay, Public Relations Manager, SMART
“It’s a camp we have sponsored for a couple years now. And the importance we see is giving back to the community, giving these kids something positive to do during the summer time—keeping them out of trouble—but also with the discipline and teamwork that’s required for the sport, we think that it helps to give them skills that they can apply hopefully to their daily lives. And of course after performance of the jaguars and stuff, everybody is excited. So we have a lot of haircuts and stuff that look reminiscent of what they see on TV. SMART just feels that it is important for us as a corporate citizen in the country to give back and this is one of the ways. We’re happy to have the partnership of Bowen and Bowen who has helped water and Gatorade to their effort of course. The sun is hot and these kids are running around so it is a very vital part. It is a significant investment for the company but it is well worth it we feel.”
The camp also brought kids from a camp in Ladyville to participate in football matches with the city kids.
Stanley Jordan
“The camp is a two week camp. At the end of the camp, we usually invite different camps. Today we invited the camp from Ladyville. We will play three sides to three games in each category—the under ten, the under twelve and the under fifteen.”
Jose Sanchez
“So in addition to promoting the sport, you are also promoting friendship between the different parts of the district?”
Stanley Jordan
“Yes they socialize and they meet with one another.”
The sporting event does not end with Friday’s closing. Smart also sponsors additional kids football games throughout the year. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
