Words: Matt Dorman, Olympic FC
Images: Olympic FC

Olympic FC juniors have returned from a once-in-a-lifetime football experience in Spain with their cultural horizons broadened on and off the pitch.

The club’s National Premier Leagues Under 12 Boys spent their Easter break in the coastal region of Costa Brava, competing in the prestigious Mediterranean International Cup alongside teams from several of the world’s most famous clubs.

The privately arranged tour made a lasting impression on both the squad and coach Peter Gill as they rubbed shoulders with teams from the likes of FC Barcelona and Manchester United.

“The tour was an amazing experience for myself and the players,” Gill said.

“We played against teams from six different countries and it was fantastic to see the different styles of play.

“The boys loved the kind of professional football environment – they were getting up and eating breakfast together, training together, and coming back for activities.”

While Gill admits the talented youngsters found time for “three or four days on the beach” in addition to taking in La Liga matches and sightseeing, the trip’s main focus was to develop as footballers.

“We had a couple of disappointing results early but did well enough to bounce back and make the Semi Finals of our group, where we lost on penalties,” he said.

“At first we struggled with the pace against a couple of Spanish teams but when we played against teams a bit closer to the Australian culture, a bit slower but technically just as good if not better, the boys really shone.

“They had to adapt very quickly to different cultures, different styles of players.”

Having also taken on teams from Russia and Indonesia, the aim now for Olympic FC’s technical staff is to implement the lessons learned into the club’s junior program.

“Having seen those different styles and cultures of play it’s our task now to put that into the next cycle of sessions for our group,” Gill said.

“Since coming back you can see some of our boys already trying to move the ball quicker, trying to press quicker and trying to be more organised at the back a bit like some of the styles we played against.”

Beyond the pitch Gill, 23, believes the life lessons gained are just as valuable.

The former Millwall FC academy member and Maidstone United player hopes the memories spur his juniors on in their careers.

“I’ve been involved with football for 18 years now as a player and as a coach at a decent level and I’ve never travelled to the other side of the world to play a tournament.

“In the first week in our hotel we had a team from Senegal and the Hong Kong national team. It was a great environment.

“Those kids are very lucky to have that experience.”