Do you fancy rubbing shoulders with British football legends … and enjoying one of the world’s most idyllic destinations?
If so, a soccer academy this summer could be just for you.
It will feature English football heroes Harry Redknapp, seen by many as the best manager England never had, John Barnes, considered one of the best players ever, and Stuart Pearce, one of England’s greatest defenders.
The exclusive football training camps are aimed at children who are aged 4-15years.
It’s an opportunity of a lifetime to be coached for two hours, daily, whilst on holiday, by legendary players who have graced the biggest stages of English and international football. The daily interactive and engaging training will see children not only practise fundamental skills but also learn the importance of teamwork, strategy, and sportsmanship.
While the kids are busy sharpening their skills on the pitch, parents have the freedom to unwind.
It’s organised by Campioni, which run football training camps at some of the world’s top luxury family resorts, and all takes place across a 2-week period running from 28 July to 8 August on the island of Kuramathi, a world-renowned Maldivian resort.
Barnes is a former Liverpool and England legend who will take charge of things from 28 July to 1 August while former Notts Forest and England defender Pearce and Redknapp,the former Spurs boss, take over from 4-8 August. Redknapp had a top managerial career, having managed several top club, such as West Ham, Portsmouth and Bournemouth.
Situated in the North Ari Atoll archipelago, the island where all this takes place is 1.8 km in length and boasts a pristine stretch of white sandbank and idyllic surroundings – a far cry from the football grounds in England where the famous threesome plied their trade for so many years.
The football training courses, with the theme “Train Like A Pro”, are overseen by former Premier League players and UEFA qualified coaches .
With personal advice throughout the sessions, it is a chance for young people to learn from some of the best in the game.
Parents, at the same time, can enjoy free time to unwind on the beach, explore the island, go to the gym or visit the spa, or simply take a seat pitch-side.
There is also a midweek parents’ game where parents can play alongside the pros and an end-of-week medal and certificate presentation.
The resort itself is a dream destination: Kuramathi boasts 12 room categories, 12 restaurants, 6 bars and evening entertainment, excellent value all-inclusive dining options, spa, dive school, sports centre, eco centre and kids club. A family favourite it has a kid’s club, complimentary for children aged 3-12 years and features an indoor play area, reading corner, outside playground, barbeque area, two splash pads and a huge swimming pool.
Children can enjoy indoor activities such as storytelling, face painting, karaoke, arts and crafts and coconut painting, whilst outside they can play with new friends at the whale seesaw, jungle gym, and sandpit.
For the older children sports such as badminton, football, ping pong, baseball and basketball are on offer.
Babysitting for children under 3 is also available 24 hours a day while younger guests are invited to explore the island’s environmental practices and can take part in activities such as eco-centre presentations where they can get up close to some of the Indian Ocean’s marine life, explore the hermit crab trail through the island’s jungle, take part in tree planting and visit the island’s hydroponics gardens.
Elsewhere, the resort has a fully equipped dive school with multi-lingual instructors who can guide divers of all skill levels through a range of PADI and SSI courses, including Bubblemaker (starting aged 8 years) and dive sites where they will freely mingle with grey reef sharks, turtles, mantarays, eagle rays and a myriad of other marine life.
Back on the surface there is a wide range of water sports including windsurfing, dinghy and catamaran where children aged 12 can take part in private lessons for an introduction to these unique sports.
The resort offers international cuisine and a breadth of evening entertainment across the island.
Kuramathi Maldives is part of Universal Resorts and was one of the first properties to open in this archipelago nation while Universal Resorts is a family-owned enterprise and Kuramathi Maldives is one of eight distinctly natural-island resorts in its portfolio. The UK-based Campioni was founded in 2016 by a former English soccer player.
Further info:
Kuramathi Maldives l https://www.kuramathi.com
Universal Resorts l www.universalresorts.com
Campioni Soccer Academy l https://campioni.co.uk
