Nearly three dozen 345 FC youth footballers visited Chelsea FC, in England, earlier this month where they were treated to an unforgettable training and learning experience.
Also benefiting from the trip was Caymanian national players Jonah Ebanks and Shanice Monteith, who are aspiring youth coaches under 345 FC.
Ebanks and Monteith, along with 31 players, experienced a week in the life of an academy player at one of the biggest Premier League football clubs.
“This unique experience for me to travel to Chelsea Football Club was great…in seeing how a professional club is ran on a daily basis,” Monteith told the Compass. “Being with 345 FC as a coach, it was nice to see the similarities in the sessions and learning even more how to prepare sessions and the organization of everything, paying attention to even the small details makes a huge difference in the quality of the sessions.
“The kids also worked on their own personal individual plans for their personal development. With me learning more about the kids on this trip, I as a coach can help them to continue to work on their individual development to become the best player they can be.”
The exclusive partnership between 345 FC and Chelsea FC was formed earlier this year, with the goal of giving youth players from the Cayman Islands access to Chelsea FC’s world-class training facilities and coaches.
Throughout their time in England, the youth players were trained by Chelsea FC coaches on fields next to their men’s first team and under-23 team, in addition to observing the club’s U12’s training.
They also played challenging matches against local teams and participated in goal setting workshops – a holistic training experience which was tailored to the needs of the players, with specific goalkeeper training, age-appropriate activities and an emphasis on diet and nutrition, sleep, and rest, according to Peter Reijn, head of the 345 FC and Total Soccer Cayman programmes.
345 FC coach James Hagerty told the Compass in an email, “This exclusive partnership… is the beginning of a long-term relationship between one of England’s most successful teams in terms of youth development in recent years and 345 FC.”
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