Friday 24th June, 2016 at 11:09am
The Partick Thistle Community Trust represented the club in a recent Erasmus Mobility Trip to Italy.
A group of 18, made up from programme participants and community coaches made the trip, accompanied by three staff members, during the first two weeks in June and were given a unique opportunity to learn from their peers in Italy.
The trip uses football as a means to develop skills such as confidence, communication, organisation, teamwork and leadership which could be transferred into other parts of day to day life.
After brushing up their Italian with a couple of lessons, the coaches were able to watch a couple of coaching sessions taken by Gianluca Baldini, the respected Youth Academy manager of Serie D side, Forli.
There was also a rare opportunity for the community coaches to visit the Italian National Football Training Camp in Coverciano, where they were allowed to observe the U19 and U11 national training sessions.
The coaches were given the opportunity to put their newly learned techniques into practice with a series of sessions with Rimini Academy trainees as well as other young sports groups.
It wasn’t all hard work though, and the group were able to enjoy the chance to sample the Italian sun with visits to Pisa, Florence and San Marino with a trip to Rimini beach giving the group the chance of a swim in the Mediterranean Sea.
All of the participants who were selected for the trip showed their passion and willingness to learn through their participation on various Community Trust programmes, such as North West Youth Programme and Thistle Works.
Our coaches are eager to put their newly learned coaching skills into use at this year’s summer soccer camps run by the Trust.
Summer camps run from 4th July and always prove to be popular. Don’t miss out, book your slot now.
