THE second of three annual stagings of the Next Generation Valencia CF Football Camp to be conducted by the coaches from the Valencia CF Foundation in Spain will be held from April 16 to 20 at Sabina Park.

This follows the successful inaugural staging of the camp in Easter of 2010 which saw two of the camp’s scholarship winners, Martin Davis and Kaya Beckford, journeying to Spain for a weeklong training with the Valencia Academy.

Both youngsters have since been called back to Spain and are currently training with the Valencia CF U-17 team and the E1 Valencia Academy, respectively.

The success of last year’s camp resulted in Valencia signing a contract with the Next Generation team granting them the rights to conduct similar camps throughout the region and a commitment from Valencia to set up an academy in Jamaica by 2013.

According to Pablo Mantilla, director of the Valencia Foundation: “The Jamaica camp was so well organised, managed and marketed that we agreed to partner with the Next Generation Team to work with us in this region.”

The second regional camp was held in Bermuda in October 2010 and, due to the high level of sponsorship, will see the Valencia Academy Bermuda opening its doors later this year.

The 2011 Jamaica camp will enjoy a higher level of participation than last year as it will cater to 160 high potential football players ages 7-17, along with coaches contracted to train players in this age group. Victor Salazar-Chang, the camp’s principal investor, emphasises that the camp is primarily about developing children through sport and enhancing the level of professional youth football in Jamaica. “This year we have added two strategic components to the camp that will help us to meet our mandate. Firstly, we will be selecting members of a football club/school team from an inner-city community who will have the opportunity to take part in a sponsored one hour session with the coaches at Sabina Park. We are also looking at ways to incorporate the national U-17 team into the camp sessions. With their qualification for this year’s World Cup, it would only enhance their preparation to train with the European coaches.”

Scotiabank and CLARO, presenting sponsors from the 2010 Jamaica camp, are back on board this year, as they continue to see this venture as being in sync with their own development strategies for both Jamaican football and the country’s youth in general. According to Monique Todd, Scotia’s vice-president — Marketing, Public and Corporate Affairs, “When we look back at what was achieved at the Valencia CF Next Generation Football Camp 2010 it was an easy decision for Scotiabank to come on board again this year. The children that participated in the football camp were not only exposed to international training but also the value of a disciplined approach.

“Children and coaches were taught that success comes from focused dedication, hard work and commitment which are important lessons to learn at any age. This year we look forward to even more children and coaches being given the opportunity to develop their skills further at the Camp and are proud that we can play our part in nurturing the future of Jamaica through the support of programmes such as this one.”