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Local Soccer Athletes Earn Overseas Honour
thursday september 25, 2014

(L-R) RJ Solomone, Matthew Gouveia, Abby Allardyce and Jacob Draptoy

Local soccer players, Abby Allardyce, Matthew Gouveia, RJ Solomone and Jacob Drapotoy have been selected to attend the Sheffield Wednesday Elite Player Soccer Academy in Sheffield, England March 12 - 20, 2015.

All four players were invited after attending the Identification Camp in July that was hosted by the North London Soccer Club in London with members of the professional coaching staff facilitating the event. The camp was offered to boys and girls from ages 8 to U21.

Thirteen year old Abby Allardyce a student at Cathcart School played this past season for the U13 L5 Sarnia Spirit Soccer team under the direction of Head Coach Erin White.

"This prestigious and unique experience is an amazing opportunity for Abby to develop and enhance her soccer and life skills." White said

"Abby has developed and improved her individual technical skills and tactics as well as her team play over the past two years. Her best attributes are her speed, shooting and ball control."

Abby will be accompanied by her Mother Chantal and sister Aimee who will be celebrating her birthday that week.

"I think it's pretty exciting." Chantal said "It is a great opportunity to see where this will take them because that's a pretty prestigious academy. If things work out this could work into a career for them."

Abby also plays other sports including hockey and golf but has aspirations to be a professional soccer player some day.

The three boys that will be attending the Shefield Camp are members of the GallaDev Soccer Academy and members U11 team who went undefeated in LDYSL.

President of the GallaDev soccer academy Jamie Gallacher is excited that the boys were invited.

"We've been building on this three years now." Gallacher said in reference to the GallaDev Soccer Academy that was formed in 2011. "We are just starting to see the fruits of all that."

RJ Solomone a grade six student at Errol Village School is describe as a natural striker, who has great speed and footwork.

"I think I was pretty lucky and I tried my hardest to get there, all of us did." Solomone said

Matthew Gouveia who is also in grade six and attends St. Anne's in Sarnia has skill and versatility that sees him playing in numerous positions on the pitch. He is described as being creative with finesse and footwork that enables him to set up and score goals for his team.

"We are going to get a lot out of it." Gouveia said then speculated "Probably it's going to be a whole new lifestyle. We are going to have a diet, they will tell us what to wear and it's going to be a little bit more intense in training then what we get here."

Jacob Drapotoy a grade six student at Holy Trinity has speed and precision finish that makes him a lethal scoring machine on the pitch. Whether he is playing striker or defense, he is able to break a game wide open with his incredible change of pace.

"I think it's really cool." Drapotoy said on being invited. "Makes it better going with the other two guys, I'm not nervous."

The cost to attend the Sheffield Wednesday Elite Player Soccer Academy is $1,975.00 per player plus airfare. (approx $850.00 per person)

The families will be looking for support through sponsors and fundraising to help raise funds for the players to attend.

A pasta dinner fundraiser will be held on November 16th at Norm's Pub and Grill. Cost for the dinner is $10.00 for adult and $5.00 for children twelve and under. For tickets to the Pasta Dinner people can contact Chantal Allardyce 519-490-8858.

The GallaDev Academy is also hosting a fundraising Green and White 5K walk/run event on Saturday October 18. Cost to participate in the run is $20.00 or can be raised through pledges. The event will also provide fun activities and a BBQ.

For more information on the 5K walk/run contact Jamie Gallacher by email: jamie@galladevs.ca or call 519-381-9720.