More than 150 people turned out for the Arie Smith Football Camp at Camana Bay’s Sports Complex on Dec. 21 to learn some new skills and meet a legend of the game.
Carli Lloyd, World Cup MVP and 2015 World Champion footballer, fielded questions from young enthusiasts, offered words of advice, signed autographs and kicked the ball around.
In a Q&A session, one youth asked Lloyd if she had ever considered giving up along the way. Lloyd, who was at the camp with her fiancé, said she nearly quit the game after being cut from a team in her early 20s. But she persevered, she said, and told the kids to not give up.
Another youth asked Lloyd for her biggest fear. “Failure,” Lloyd said. “Disappointment, not reaching my full potential, just wanting to be the best. That’s basically what it comes down to,” she said.
Stefano Bonati, a student at Cayman International School, said he was thrilled to met Lloyd. She autographed his cleats.
Lloyd famously scored a hat trick to lead Team USA over Japan at last summer’s FIFA World Cup final in Vancouver. It was the fastest hat trick in the tournament’s history. After the game she was awarded the Golden Ball, given to the best player in the tournament.
It was the second time Lloyd has attended the camp organized by Smith, a West Bay footballer and Cayman Islands national team player.
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