"Cade Ficek invited to US Club ID2 camp
US Club Soccer’s id2
National Identification and Development Program provides an opportunity
for the country’s top youth soccer players to be identified and
developed in an elite training camp with top players from throughout the
country, while also being scouted for possible inclusion in U.S.
Soccer’s National Team programs. For more information about the id2 Program, please visit http://www.usclubsoccer.org/id2.
Cade Ficek from the EMFC 97 Boca Juniors Blue team has been invited to
their California camp in April. Congratulation to Cade, his team, and
his head coach Joe Beeler for this accomplishment."
We flew into SoCal Wednesday morning and had a day to play before the id2 camp started. I let Cade choose our agenda for the day and he decided he wanted to go to Disneyland (and California Adventure). So, after flying in at 9:15 am, we were at the Disney gates at by 10:30. We spent the next nine hours riding rides and enjoying the 75 degree weather. It was such a great day! The lines were short and I just got to enjoy my boy!
Thursday morning, I helped shuttle the 120 kids (about 60 boys born in 1999 and 60 girls born in 1998) from the airport to the hotel for check-in (I volunteered so my food and lodging would be paid for as well :). All the kids were spoiled with free Nike gear including 4 full uniform sets, socks and 2 bags. They kids then had meetings, were separated into teams of about 15 players and had a training session that afternoon (Thursday). They then had 2 training sessions and scrimmages on Friday and Saturday and then a final session Sunday morning before everyone headed home.
All the kids who were there were amazing players. They came from all over the US including Chicago, Florida, Minnesota, California, Washington, Alaska and more. Cade did a great job, made a ton of new friends and had a great time. He really loved it; I continue to be amazed at how much he loves meeting new people, how easily he made friends with so many boys and how he loves traveling. The night before the camp started, he said he couldn't wait to meet so many new people that next day. Though during the camp, Cade stayed with his team and all the boys, I still got to chat with him everyday and watch his training sessions. I know Cade learned some things and left motivated to work harder so he can attend this camp again. He doesn't have hopes of making the top 18 out of about 150 boys born in 1999 from the three camps held throughout the US this year. Those 18 will get to represent the US on a European trip but he was happy to feel like he belonged with this elite group of boys and will cheer on his new friends that do make that team! Here are some pictures from the trip (from my iphone and a few from the US Club Soccer website).
In Cade's evaluation, his coach said he was very fast and had very good field vision. His coach commented that Cade made lots of great 'runs', 'showed well to the ball' (like in this picture) and made a lot of good passes. He also said Cade needs to work to improve his first touch and suggested that Cade consider playing outside defense instead of forward to give him more room to use his speed and skills. In the final scrimmage on Sunday which consisted of the boys that did not make the cut of the top 27 boys, Cade really turned it on, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists in his team's 5-1 victory. Cade felt like he played his best that game and thought he would have made the cut had he played that well all weekend :) He was disappointed not to make that cut but I was happy that he took it really well (such progress from a couple years ago) and that he played very hard and well that last game.
New friends!
