Scottish pros return to school area kids in the art of futbol

EVERETT – A bulky man with a shaved head and a tattoo of a Scottish bagpiper on his right leg watches intently.

A few feet away, youngsters attack a soccer ball, quickly progressing toward an invisible net outlined by two miniature cones. Suddenly, a player takes a perfect pass from a teammate and boots the ball past the lunging goalkeeper. The ball screams past the keeper and between the markers.

It’s celebration time.

“GOAAAAAAAL!” roars the extremely pleased man.

The man, a Scot named Bob McPhail, is a coach from Celtic FC, a world-famous professional soccer club based in Glasgow, Scotland. He and several peers are in Everett this week helping youth players polish their skills at a position-specific camp.

About 50 teenagers signed up for the camp, which runs through Friday at Kasch Park, near Paine Field. They paid $300 for a chance to learn from four well-seasoned Celtic representatives: McPhail, Darren McDowall, Kevin McLaughlin and Martin Hughes.

This year’s camp, part of the worldwide Celtic in the Community outreach program, is hosted by Everett-based Evergreen Soccer. Celtic coaches came here last year, too, but this time they extended their stay to three weeks, a week longer than in 2006.

Next week Celtic reps will tutor local coaches and give demonstrations at the Evergreen International Tournament in Burlington. From July 23-27 a total of eight coaches from Celtic will run a second camp at Kasch Park, focusing on more general skills.

Hughes, a 27-year-old professional competitor who played youth soccer for Celtic and currently plays for Hibernian FC of Edinburgh, said Monday it’s great to work with such passionate youngsters.

“We want to give something back to these people. In America, soccer is massive and the kids are so enthusiastic and they want to learn. We want to come over and help them learn,” Hughes said.

Besides Everett, Detroit is the only other U.S. city that hosts extensive Celtic development camps.

Nikki Bowlden and Bryce Siguenza, both sophomores from Jackson High School, said they feel fortunate to receive training from Celtic coaches.

“They know what they’re doing, that’s for sure,” said Bowlden, a forward.

The Celtic coaches have an effective, straightforward style, Siguenza said. “They come here with more passion than (local) coaches. They play the game right,” said Siguenza, a center midfielder.

According to Neal Clement, president of Evergreen Soccer, this week’s camp is a rare chance to get high-quality, position-specific instruction.

“These guys really have a structured curriculum that they work with,” Clement said, “and they really talk to the kids about developing the right way, teaching the skills that you can carry on. It’s not just, ‘Be a goal-scorer, be a goal-scorer, put it in the net.’ There’s certain techniques and skills you need to actually achieve those things.”

The camp is more expensive than some, but it’s worth it, said Siguenza. It includes two daily sessions – 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. – and players are divided into four groups: defenders, midfielders, forwards and goalkeepers.

“It’s easier,” Siguenza said of the position-specific format, “because then you don’t have to deal with things you already know how to do. You get to work on things you normally don’t have time for.”

The 12-to-1 coach-to-player ratio is also a plus, Bowlden said: “They connect with you one on one.”

“It’s something the kids are real interested in, and we were only too happy to come over here and provide it,” said Hughes, who last summer coached at the Detroit camp.

The players’ camp fees pay for the Celtic coaches’ travel, lodging and food costs, and they cover the Kasch Park rental, Evergreen Soccer program director Mike Bergstrom said. Ten percent of camp fees go into the Evergreen Soccer scholarship fund, which is awarded based on individual need and pays for players’ uniforms, equipment and membership costs.

Next summer the Celtic/Evergreen connection will expand further, Clement said. Evergreen plans to send players to train in Scotland.

Clement hopes the partnership with the dedicated Celtic crew continues to flourish.

“They just want to take care of each other and anything they get involved in they want to do it correctly,” the Evergreen Soccer president said. “You don’t see that all the time.”