Several dozen youngsters participating in the annual FC International free football camp were offered words of inspiration from past Cayman national player Ezra Redden, who spoke about the sport and overcoming obstacles.
The camp, held at the Annex football pitch, has been running in the community since 1994, hosting boys and girls aged 4 to 16.
Redden, who played club football and was called up for national duties on several occasions, noted that in a sense he was back to his roots in the sport, but in a reverse role speaking to kids who mirror his upbringing.
“Some of these young kids are exposed to a lot of things,” Redden told the Compass. “So, that could also be an obstacle and affect their performance, affect their choices, affect the outcome of their future based on their environment and the influences around them.”
He noted that many of the kids involved in the free summer camp have great talent like he did, but often fall into common crime as teenagers and sometimes aren’t able to recover.
“No matter my potential, there was a point in my life where I made poor choices and I was letting them know the consequences of such,” he said. “So I was just letting them know that it might be a struggle but they can come out on the winning side to make the right choices and push through to pursue their dreams.”
Following Redden sharing a part of his life with the youngsters, they all enjoyed free treats from the ice-cream truck, before heading to the pitch for some practice and a game of football.
One of the kids enjoying the action was 6-year-old Ayden Connor. When asked if he was enjoying the camp, he responded shyly, “it’s good”, adding “they (coaches) make us dribble.”
Though the camp is connected to the Bodden Town FC – the team Redden once played for – Connor will more than likely play for his district club East End United should he decide to continue in the sport.
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