Elite Clinic Update

Last Friday and Saturday we hosted our next rounds of Elite Clinics in an attempt to continue to identify players for the High Performance Training Program.  This clinic went a lot better than our previous one in the Valley.  We had a better collection of players and they really performed.  We probably have 8-10 players selected already.  We have one more set of clinics this weekend in the Steenberg/Retreat area, so hopefully we will fill out our roster with these guys.  We are so encouraged about where we are now in this adventure.  It's going to be a great group of guys to work with!
Here are a few pics from the days together:

January Fun Clinic

Last week we hosted a clinic in Ocean View during their last week of holidays.  Unlike the clinics in December (and forthcoming) where we invited specific kids for a specific purpose, this clinic was just for fun and open to anybody.  We tried to mostly have kids from 10-13, but we had a few younger than that and some older ones.  The clinic was 2 days and we had about 35 kids each day.  That's bigger than the clinics we hosted during the World Cup, so our influence must be growing.
We focused on 2 ideas during the two days: protecting the things you value and improving the things that are before you.  Those themes led both our devotions and our soccer training.  Here are some pics of the clinic.

 Looks like I'm getting into it.

This is Connor, and his crazy hair.                                                  Keano trying to defend.

We were blessed to have 4 volunteers from Elon University for the clinic.  They are in South Africa for most of January for a winter-term trip.  They do a lot of touring and learning but for 2 days they do 'internships' in all sorts of areas.  Ubuntu is becoming the sought after internship for the group!  It's awesome getting to expose them to our work and the kids we love.  These 4 fit right in and did a GREAT job of engaging the kids.

Jessie (from Charlotte), Jacob (from Raleigh), Hannah, and Casey with Coach Treswill

We hope each January to keep having friends from Elon visiting us.  They have been a great pleasure the last 2 years and I know it's been a fantastic learning experience for them!

Casey

It's here!

About a year and a half ago we collected a TON of soccer stuff from players at CASL (the club I grew up playing for in Raleigh) and Millbrook High School.  We delayed its shipment a bit and then finally sent it back in September.  It finally arrived last week!!  Thanks to some new American friends traveling around the World for 11 months we have now built shelves in our new storage shed and organized almost the entire shipment!!  Check it out, looks amazing.

Shoes, organized by size!

Jerseys, some teams are going to look good!

I can actually see the stuff now to distribute it.  We have to figure out how to use it and who to give it to, but we're on our way!  It's just amazing to see the stuff that kids here are going to be able to wear.  

I certainly couldn't have done it without these guys, so thanks so much!

Team from AIM's World Race: Leah, Alicia, Stacy, Jake, Micah, and Jeremy!

Cheers,

Casey