The Sereno South 98 boys just returned home from their 10 day soccer tour of Spain. The team, chaperoned by coach Joash Dukes, was hosted by professional club Deportivo Alaves in Vitoria-Gasteiz, and used their training facility and trainers to get a feel for European soccer. Four formal training sessions and three friendly games with local clubs resulted in two wins: 4-1 and 8-1 and a loss to our host of 4-2. The boys also watched the Alaves professional team in a pre-season friendly against Real Zaragoza, and had their picture taken with the pros. Another photo op came when the mayor of Vitoria invited the boys to his chambers for a thank you speech and souvenir gifts of the city.

The day they arrived the boys toured and lunched at the Bernabeu – stadium of Real Madrid. A four hour bus trip later, they were in Vitoria-Gasteiz in the north of Spain – Basque country. The boys stayed in the local college dorms while the parents stayed in a hotel nearby. Right outside the dorm was a “street soccer court” similar to a basketball court but with small goal posts on either side. The local kids would gather here and play small sided pick-up games and our boys joined right in – no language barrier even though we had very little Spanish and they had even less English! Excursions to the beach town of San Sebastian and wine tasting (for the parents) in the quaint walled city of La Guardia rounded out the 10 day trip and gave all who participated not only a memorable soccer experience but an incredible life experience!

Sereno SOUTH 98BW with the Alaves boys
At the Bernabeu, Home of Real Madrid
Street soccer with the local kids
Sereno SOUTH 98BW with Alaves professional team
Sereno SOUTH 98BW with the Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz
John Rea represents Sereno SOUTH 98BW with the Alaves Captain and the Club Vice-president