Pro Shottas bearing best interests in mind

WITH one week left in a three-week programme put on by the Pro Shottas Soccer School, Head Coach Greg Castagne is calling on young hopefuls to make themselves known. The camp, which is being held at the Banks and BET grounds, is currently catering to 40 participants and Castagne hopes to open the door of opportunity for many more youngsters.

 

Hot off sound performances in this summer’s Chicago KICS Cup, the local academy was just paid a visit by Trinidad and Tobago’s Anton Corneal, who was on the island to run a few coaching sessions while taking a look at some of the players. Speaking to The Barbados Advocate, Castagne said that Corneal’s visit had signalled a greater at-tendance for next year’s planned international tournament. 

 

“Coach Corneal came up from Trinidad and he was here to look at players that he may want to recommend for the States. He is very impressed with the standard of play. He did sessions with the coaches and he is very happy with the coaches. And he has said he is keen because we are planning on having an international tournament in January and we have teams from Chicago wanting to come and he is going to send up his teams from Trinidad,” he said. 

 

Set for Errol Barrow weekend, the tournament is expected to see the top local academies and clubs as well as teams from Chicago KICS, and Trinidad’s W Connection all going at it in Under-11, Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 action.

 

With the camp running each day from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the response has been reported to be phenomenal and Castagne said that it was all in an effort to raise the level of the sport locally. 

 

“We have one more week left and we are still scouting for talent. We are looking for players who may want to play in that tournament. Next week is a vital week to scout for additional talent. Anybody between the ages of eight and 16 can call me at 243-0785 and come out because we want to open these op-portunities to as many players as possible, not just Pro Shottas players, because we are here to develop youth football in Barbados, not youth football in one club,” he said.