SD Huesca and Alcoraz Foundation carry out the first Soccer ID Camp

One of the major objectives of SD Huesca is to expand worldwide and become an international brand. After two editions together with Wakatake Group, in which the Alcoraz Foundation has hosted footballers from all around the world, we have now gone a step further – our grassroots staff and their working methods have travelled abroad, thanks to an agreement with the Gainesville Soccer Alliance (GSA), in Florida.

During the week at the camp, 92 players born between 2004 and 2014 have visited the facilities. Juanjo Camacho, responsible for the International Department of the Youth Team, and Gabi Piedrafita, coach of SD Huesca Youth Team, have worked with them every day in two-hour training sessions where the players were separated into age groups.

Also, GSA’s Sporting Director Junior Da Costa has been present in this training and day-to-day work. He has experience in European football, as he was involved at Leicester City. He considers this is a valuable project to “make the Academy and the level of the local players grow.” The event has been described as a chance for these players to learn about the Spanish methodology. Besides, one of them was selected to train in Spain for 10 days on a scholarship with our academy at the new state-of-the-art facility (Base Aragonesa de Fútbol) and experience the life in a Spanish football academy with the Youth Team of SD Huesca.

Phillip Carcaba, 16, was the player selected. Camacho concluded: “It’s been a wonderful experience and we hope we can do it again. We’d like SD Huesca and our style of play to expand as much as possible. Furthermore, we are now considering an additional training camp for coaches, so that they can learn the Spanish methodology, as well.” Indeed, this is a very appealing strategy to complement the football school facilities in Huesca (Base Aragonesa de Fútbol) on which the club is currently working.