Houston Dynamo Youth Programs finished up its busy summer with an recent trip to the Cayman Islands to hold a week-long camp for players ages 5-18. The camp was formed through the newly-created partnership with local Cayman youth soccer club Sunset FC as part of an outreach initiative to connect with youth soccer clubs around the CONCACAF region.
The partnership is the first of its kind for the Dynamo and one which Youth Soccer Programs Director Adrian Moses believes can only increase the global reach of the Houston Dynamo: “There is an opportunity for us to educate players here and maybe identify players who we might be able to invite over to play with our Academy.”
The camp was one of the biggest and most successful of the summer with close to 90 players participating, and there are already plans to build upon the success. “We’re in discussion with Sunset for them to come back out in October and then we’re looking at another tournament for our teams to come out and play and then replicate something like this in 2015 and beyond," said Moses.
Having already sent players over to Houston to participate play in a Dynamo-hosted tournament, Sunset FC is looking to reap the benefits of a working relationship with a professional MLS organization. “Last year we took about 40 kids to Houston and hope to do the same again in October," said Sunset FC Youth Development Coach Neil Purton. "We can treat it like a pre-season training camp with drills in the morning and games in the afternoon."
This is the second time the Dynamo have sent a contingent to the Cayman Islands. The Dynamo Academy sent teams in March to compete in a tournament against the Cayman Islands U-15 boy's national team and Swindon Town FC of England.
