International Call-Up for two more EduKick Footballers!

International Call-Up for two more EduKick Footballers! EduKick Madrid Alum, Davide Somma set the pace with recent goal scoring success at Leeds United FC and then impressed in his debut with Bafana Bafana over the weekend!


And now more exciting footy news out of EduKick England!!!

Called up to represent their countries... in tournament action in Africa are EduKick England-BWFC's; Miguel Hamutenya (17), Namibia (called up again to U18 - Second International Cap) and Mohamed Aly Soliman (only 15 years old) got the call from the Egyptian U17 squad!

EduKick England - Bolton Wanderers FC Football Academy
 
A big CONGRATS to our old friend Davide and ALSO Miguel and Mohamed for setting an example for ALL EduKick footballers..."Football Dreams DO Come True"...if you work hard and got what it takes!

EduKick England - BWFC Football Academy Boarding School

Check out the blog:

http://edukickengland.blogspot.com/

See EduKick Madrid Futbol Boarding School Blog!

Interested in EduKick Madrid (Spain) Year Long Futbol Boarding School...sign up to follow the EduKick Madrid Blog page:
http://edukickmadrid.blogspot.com/

EduKick England Faces Off Against Manchester College

October 27, 2009 --- BOLTON, England - The EduKick England boys played their first game against Manchester College, and though they played hard, Manchester triumphed, 2-1. Though the loss was disappointing, Bolton Wanders FC International Academy Manager (and EduKick England Technical Football Director) Dave Bailey noticed much improvement on the pitch.

We thought after we went a goal up, we would have kicked on and that the goal would have settled us and given us confidence to take control of the game," Bailey said. "But we gave them a soft goal and seemed to become very unsettled after that.

"We felt at times the boys--even though they have adjusted well in other aspects: education, host family, training, etc.--that they showed some naïveté when it comes to the games.

"Expectations are high amongst the boys, and I could see and feel how some of them were as disappointed as we were. They are showing a step in the right direction when it comes to that winning mentality.

"In the English game, teams have a lot of fight and have a great passion and pride about themselves. We may not have the technically gifted players throughout all our players in this country, but we have attitude."

The boys had been training on certain things, and Bailey could see improvement in their game.

"We had worked in training on certain things and we could see that coming across from one or two of the boys," he said. "Today we were much better in certain areas--mainly fullbacks--but we still had a few boys have good, solid performances. We see that the fitness is getting sharper and they look to understand the game little by little.


"We have two weeks before our next game, which is a big test. It´s a men´s team and they are the fire service team, which we, as a club, have close links with. We will be back on the training pitch Monday and be preparing the boys for this. We look forward to the challenge."

Want to take your own game overseas? Check out EduKick's half-year soccer boarding school programs at www.EduKick.com!

About EduKick

World-class soccer training facilities in England, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Mexico, and Brazil help thousands of young players develop elite soccer skills, foreign language acquisition and cultural awareness. Under the guidance of professional coaching staff, players in EduKick international soccer schools live and train in a safe and nurturing language immersion environment.

EduKick, the language and culture soccer experience of a lifetime!

Contact Information:

Joey Bilotta, V.P.
jb@edukick.com
http://www.edukick.com/
http://media.edukick.com/
http://edukicknews.com/
http://www.travelsportcamp.com/
Tel: (905) 469-5661
Toll-Free: 1(866) Edu-Kick (338-5425)

EduKick International Soccer Boarding Schools Offer Economic Alternative to Traditional Boarding Schools

Oakville, Ontario, February 20, 2009 -- In a difficult economy, high boarding school expenses are taking their toll on families. The 2009 launch of EduKick international soccer boarding schools offers an affordable alternative, combining high-level soccer training with unique cultural experiences for soccer players.

"It's not usual to see boarding school tuition range from $40,000 to $50,000 per year," said Joey Bilotta, co-founder of EduKick international soccer boarding schools. "For parents facing a difficult economy, that's a huge expense."

EduKick prices for full-year academic and soccer training programs in England, Italy, France, Spain, and Mexico range from $20,000 to $38,000.

Evan Tomasello, 14, found EduKick while looking for soccer camps in Italy.
"Evan originally wanted to go to a summer camp," said Karen Tomasello, Evan's mother. "But after looking into the program he felt the year round school and training was what he truly wanted."

Karen was very skeptical about sending her son overseas at such a young age, but she was impressed with the dedication to safety at EduKick's international soccer boarding schools.

"The entire experience went beyond our expectations," said Karen. "The communication was fabulous. I could email a question to Mr. Bilotta and get an immediate response.
"The supervision over the younger boys was outstanding; we had to fax approval for anything out of the ordinary."

When Evan returned after a year of training at EduKick's Italian soccer boarding schools, Evan's mother noticed the changes immediately.

"Not only did he receive exceptional training, but had the cultural experience of a lifetime," Karen said. "He came back speaking fluent Italian and has shined as a soccer player since.

"I would highly recommend the program to any young person who is serious about soccer. These guys really care about the kids in the program and want them to succeed.

"The support system since has been great. We requested college recommendations from Mr. Bilotta, and received them within just a few days."

Take a virtual tour of EduKick international soccer boarding schools at EduKick.com.
About EduKick, Inc.:

EduKick's international soccer boarding schools provide intensive soccer development training programs that also teach students about cultural diversity and foreign languages.

As professionals, soccer fanatics and fathers, Joseph Bilotta and Corey Zimmerman wanted to create programs that maximized the youth's time abroad; instilling a sense of independence and pride through experiencing international travel, structured language study, cultural excursions, and daily professional soccer training.

Nine New Rules of Soccer Promotion - EduKick Advice

No matter what the movies would have you believe, the only way you'll get anywhere with your soccer career is if you go after it yourself. Be as aggressive in seeking opportunities and scholarships as you are on the field.

Here are nine tips for giving yourself the edge over your peers.

1) Keep your soccer resume and references current.

University and professional teams want to hear from your most recent coaches. Make sure that you keep the references section of your soccer resume as updated and current as possible.

2) Add a video resume to your portfolio.

We can't emphasize enough the importance of capturing quality game footage on video. Video is a fantastic tool for showing off your abilities, and not many players are making use of it. If you have a video resume, then you have something that helps you stand out from the crowd.

If you attend a soccer camp, get a video of your training and competitive play there. If you attend tournaments, get a video. Any time you play competitively , get a video. Edit the footage you record into a five- to seven-minute video resume that showcases your talents. Then, copy and distribute the video resume to coaches, along with your paper one.

3) Attend university showcase tournaments.

Never turn down an opportunity to show off your skills for university coaches. These coaches attend university showcase tournaments every year, looking for talented players to receive scholarships. Make sure that you are there to play so that you never miss an opportunity!

4) Hone your skills overseas.

Distinguish yourself from other players by participating in international soccer camps, schools, and academies. You'll be exposed to a wider variety of coaching and intense daily training that will better develop you as a player, and give you a definite edge in the competition for university or professional slots. Don't forget to add these experiences to your soccer resume and capture video of yourself while you're abroad.

5) Be aggressive.

Aggression on the pitch is good, but it's just as important to be aggressive while seeking scholarships and schools. Create a database of colleges and universities that you are interested in attending. Be sure to include the soccer coach's name, email address, and mailing address for each school.

Then, make contact with the schools. Send them your resume and video. Ask about showcase tournaments, or if they'll send a scout to watch you play. Ask them what financial assistance or scholarships are available for the upcoming year. Nobody is going to do it for you, so you have to be your own biggest fan!

6) Let them know if you don't need a scholarship.

If you don't need a scholarship, but are eager to make the soccer team a particular university, let the coach know. Good players that don't require money to attend school are very valuable, because they allow coaches to use the scholarships for other, equally worthy players. It's very important to make this clear when you're promoting yourself to universities.

7) Know your level.

It's always good to constantly challenge yourself and strive to better your skills, but be honest about your level. Don't apply to Division 1 universities if you're more of a Divison 3 caliber. Get an accurate assessment of your level so that you pursue the appropriate colleges and universities.

8) Clean up your profile on Facebook and MySpace.

Social networking sites started popping up like weeds overnight. By the next morning, employers, administrators, educators, and coaches were checking out YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook to get an idea of the image potential students and players were projecting.

If soccer is your priority, show it! Post pictures and videos of you playing. Post blogs about your soccer camp experiences and what steps you're taking to become a better player. Comment on major professional matches. Make your social networking site a promotional vehicle for you!

9) Consider consulting with an agent.

If you are a high level player that is not going to attend university, consult with a professional agent. They can help you attain professional trials both domestically and abroad. For our most talented yearlong soccer boarding school players, EduKick works with Mr. Ed Chu, FIFA agent and owner of www.rampmanagement.com.*

Follow these tips to better your chances of getting noticed, and good luck on your future soccer career!

International Soccer Schools: EduKick Tips for Players Studying Abroad

International Soccer Schools: EduKick Tips for Players Studying Abroad

Are you really ready to study abroad at an international soccer boarding school? It's something you've been looking forward to ever since you signed up or thought of registering.

To get the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, EduKick directors recommend making the proper preparations first. Follow these tips to make sure you're ready for your study abroad academic year soccer program, and make sure you get full credit for it.

1) Make sure you get your passport and student visa.

First thing before studying abroad in a soccer boarding school: acquire or update your passport and your student visa. Start this process about six months before you go to allow ample time, just in case of any mishaps.

Although most of the time the visa process is pretty straightforward, there have been a few rare instances where a student ended up needing another piece of documentation at the last minute. If you've started the process early enough, then you have plenty of time to make any corrections necessary so you aren't scrambling at the last minute.

2) Talk to your school to make sure you're on the same page.

When you first decide to attend an international study abroad soccer program, talk to the appropriate person in your high school to work out credit for the courses you take while studying abroad.

You may have to share the foreign study curriculum and get your school's approval, or have them sign an agreement giving you credit for passing certain classes. This ensures you'll know where you stand with your school when you return from studying abroad in one of EduKick’s soccer schools.

3) Take summer school to make up the classes you'll miss.

Surround the study abroad soccer program with summer school two months before you leave, and two months after you get back home. The program runs from September to June, so you'll have July and August both before and after the program to take your summer school courses. This will assure that you don’t fall behind in academic credit.

Register with an online correspondence accredited high school, where you can study the key subjects that you require credit in online while abroad with EduKick. Through these accredited online High Schools, you can get credit from your home high school for the courses you do online. One that we recommend to our North American students is www.pennfoster.com. EduKick International soccer boarding schools and camps offer all students access to Internet thus making the ability to take online courses a reality!

With summer school before and after the soccer program, and two to three online courses while you're abroad, you'll be in a good position with your home school academically and won't have to postpone graduation to meet your requirements.

4) Train daily before studying abroad in a soccer camp or boarding school

It's imperative to make sure that you're physically prepared for a regular regime of daily training. Although you may think you're in good shape training two or three times a week, it's not sufficient to prepare for the strenuous daily training you'll be undergoing while at an EduKick international soccer camp.

Most students, unfortunately, aren't ready for the strain of being out on the pitch every day. EduKick coaches have seen unprepared players handle the training for only a week or so before their body starts to break down.

Ensure that you are ready by running, doing cardio, and working with the ball every single day. Vary your routine (ball work one day, gym the next), but get your body used to a good daily workout. This way, you get your body to the point that you can live with the tough physical demands of daily professional soccer development training.

Remember: discipline is a very important part of the program. This is your professional reputation as a player. You need to arrive on time for sessions and make sure that you are physically and mentally prepared for all the training.

Like many things, you'll get out of your EduKick international soccer school or camp experience what you put into it. If you push yourself both in the classroom and on the pitch, you'll come away with experience and skills far beyond your peers at home.

International Soccer Boarding School Player Lands Spot on French Professional Team

Mason Hampel, 17, has been selected to be part of the French 3rd division professional team AS Cannes U18 squad; Mason currently attends the EduKick international soccer boarding school in Cannes, France.

CANNES, France (September 22, 2008) -- Mason Hampel, 17, has been selected to be part of the French 3rd division professional team AS Cannes U18 squad. Mason currently attends the EduKick yearlong international soccer boarding school in Cannes, France.

"We're very proud of Mason," said Joey Bilotta, vice president of EduKick. "He's an extremely talented player, and he will be a strong addition to the AS Cannes U18 squad."

Mason had already attended EduKick Spain soccer boarding school when he contacted the head office this March. He was in Europe vacationing with his family, and he wondered if there were any EduKick opportunities in France. When he found out about the EduKick soccer boarding school in Cannes, he asked if he could make a site visit.

EduKick partners with former French National Team coach Michel Hidalgo to offer this unique yearlong French language immersion soccer boarding school located in the French Riviera. Mason stayed at the International College of Cannes, where EduKick's French soccer boarding school students live and receive their French language study on a daily basis.

During Mason's visit, Alain Aschbasher, EduKick France technical director and AS Cannes youth sector director, invited Mason to try out for the AS Cannes U18 squad.

"It is a huge, huge honor to be invited to try out for a professional team," said Bilotta. "It's something that only happens for our very best players, so we're always excited when somebody truly deserving like Mason gets chosen."

Mason arrived in Cannes on Aug. 18, ready for his first training session with the U18 French squad. During his first three weeks in Cannes, Mason has taken part in several training sessions, fitness tests and friendly matches. His performances made an immediate impression with the coaches, who have reported that they are very pleased with Mason's application and technical ability.

His amateur contract with the AS Cannes U18 squad will not jeopardize any future college eligibility.

"Mason possesses all of the attributes necessary to be a successful participant in EduKick's year-long soccer boarding school. He has tremendous athletic ability, academic initiative and drive, personal integrity and commitment," said Jon Morgan, general manager for EduKick.

"In just three short weeks, his positive attitude, dedication, and willingness to learn and adapt have made him popular with AS Cannes soccer technical coaches and EduKick France staff members."

"EduKick year-long soccer boarding schools are 36 weeks in duration, so you can imagine the effect this period of time can have on the technical development of young players like Mason," added Morgan.

Hear more from Mason here:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1939241945800392072

Take the next step in your soccer career. Visit www.EduKick.com today and see what international soccer boarding schools are available.

About EduKick Soccer Boarding Schools:

EduKick provides intensive soccer training programs that also teach students about cultural diversity and foreign languages.

As professionals, soccer fanatics and fathers, Joseph Bilotta and Corey Zimmerman wanted to create programs that maximized the youth's time abroad. Their programs instill a sense of independence and pride through international travel, structured language study, cultural excursions, and daily professional soccer training.

Contact
Joey Bilotta
VP of EduKick, Inc.
905-469-5661
jb@educkick.com
www.edukick.com
http://media.edukick.com/

International Soccer Camps - Building Intercultural Competence for the Next Generation

You want your kids to have every opportunity to succeed in this world. You want them to learn self-discipline, how to be healthy, and to gain an appreciation and understanding for the world around them. The business world is becoming increasingly globalized. Intercultural competence, the skill which allows people to operate effectively in an international setting, is becoming ever more important.

What better way to ensure your kids are ready for the "real world" than to make sure they know how to navigate a variety of different cultures? And what better way to introduce them to the concept by using a sport they already know and love: soccer?
Soccer (or football) is the most popular international sport. Millions of people all across the globe eagerly play it and keep up with it, and international soccer camps bring students from every nation together.

Get your kids ahead of the game with an international soccer camp. Here's what to look for to make sure your camp is providing the most in terms of both soccer and intercultural competence.

Immersive language classes
If you're looking into international soccer exchange programs, immersive language classes are a must. These classes are taught completely in the native language of whichever country the soccer camp is in. The only way to truly learn a different language is to be completely absorbed in it. If your child visits Italy, he should hear nothing but Italian. If she's in Spain, she should hear Spanish 24 hours a day. These language classes should be as intensive as soccer training.

The younger your child is, the easier it is for them to pick up new languages. Some international soccer camps allow children as young as 10 to enroll, so if you really want to give your kids a good grasp of other languages, consider letting them enroll then.

Cultural excursions
Something that makes perfect sense in another culture may seem strange or rude to us. In some Hispanic cultures, for example, unflattering nicknames are commonly assigned to friends and associates, but at the same time they are not meant as insults. An example would be "flaco" (skinny) or "huesos" (bones), used when referring to slender people.

Check with the camp's director and see if your kids will get a chance to see more of the country than just the soccer field and the four walls of a classroom. Intercultural competence isn't going to be fully learned there. Students need to get out and experience daily life in that country and culture. They need to come to learn its slang and its quirks. An international soccer camp that emphasizes intercultural competence won't keep its students stuck inside all day.

Intensive soccer training
The best international soccer camps will put just as much focus on the "soccer" part as they do the "international" part. Practices should be held daily, or even twice a day, for at least two hours. Professional coaches should be teaching the students during these practices, and like everything else, they should be in the country's native language.

Give them the tools they need to succeed
You want them to have a well-rounded education that gets them ahead in the work force. They want to learn more about their favorite sport. With an international soccer camp, you get the best of both worlds. Your kids get the soccer training they want, and even better, they get an in-depth cultural experience that will put them ahead of the curve. Even if they decide on a different career than professional soccer, with immersive international experience, they'll always have the skills to outmaneuver the competition.

About the Author
Get your student athlete started on the path to intercultural competence today. Visit EduKick.com to see which international soccer camps are right for your child.
Joey Bilotta is the vice president of EduKick, a soccer boarding school exchange program. They host international soccer schools and camps in Europe, Brazil, Mexico, and China.

Visit EduKick online at http://www.edukick.com to sign up.

Check Out Our New EduKick Media Site!

Remember the blog we wrote a few weeks ago about soccer video resumes, where we urged you: "Show, Don't Tell"? When you're promoting yourself, you want people to see what you're made of, and sometimes you can't do that with a static page.

Well, it came to our attention that we needed to take our own advice. Who's going to get excited about EduKick if all you see on our website is a few outdated pictures and some boring text? We should be showing you what you can expect from an EduKick soccer camp, not just telling you about it!

The experience you get with EduKick isn't one that you can understand if you just read about it. It's something that you have to experience for yourself. That's the biggest reason that we've launched our new media site: EduKick Media at http://media.edukick.com.

Whether you're a parent or a player, you should have the opportunity to see recent photos and videos of any soccer camp, school or academy you want to attend. This way, you get a better visual of the program, and you're able to make a more educated decision about where to go.

The EduKick Media site features photo and video galleries, where you can check out personal player interviews, language classes, cultural excursions, social activity, housing, practices, and more. The site also offers a soccer blog page, soccer radio show, soccer press releases and editorials, and links to the EduKick social networking sites, including MySpace, Facebook and YouTube.

We want to make sure you see exactly what you're getting when you sign up for an EduKick camp. Our language immersion soccer exchange programs are some of the most unique programs in the world for young players looking to progress to the next level.

However, we need your help. If you're a current or former EduKick player and you have pictures or videos of your time at our camps, send them in! Chances are we'll feature it on the EduKick Media site.

So come on over and check us out! Visit http://media.edukick.com, and don't forget to let us know what you think of our new site!