On March 30, 2009, the New England Aztec Soccer program at the Amesbury Sports Park hosted a friendly match between the Aztec boys U18 team and the boys U18 team from the Harrow School of London, England.
The Harrow School was founded in 1572 during the reign of Elizabeth I and is the alma mater of numerous British prime ministers – including Winston Churchill – and members of royal families from around the globe. The school is equally as famous for being the birthplace of the concept of “soccer” in England. Teachers at the Harrow School were instrumental in the development of what became known as the Cambridge Rules, which are the foundations of the modern game. The word “soccer” was developed as an abbreviation with reference to the football association rules meetings, which were called soccer meetings. An interesting history of the development of these rules can be found at www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Frules.htm.
Ted Dipple, owner of Amesbury Sports Park and longtime Merrimack Valley resident, is a champion of the European style of soccer training that emphasizes the teaching of technical skills to young players and minimizes the importance of game scores. Over the last several years, ASP has hosted many amateur teams from Great Britain to highlight the advantages of this approach.
In July of 2009, Dipple’s New England Soccer School partnered with the Everton Football Club of the English Premier League to run training camps for boys and girls ages 6 to 16. “Our coaches feel that learning basic fundamentals and techniques can be taught while encouraging players to have fun in the process,” said Dipple. For more information on the camps, visit www.nesoccerschool.net.
A LIttle Bit of ‘Old’ England in New England
The Harrow School was founded in 1572 during the reign of Elizabeth I and is the alma mater of numerous British prime ministers – including Winston Churchill – and members of royal families from around the globe. The school is equally as famous for being the birthplace of the concept of “soccer” in England. Teachers at the Harrow School were instrumental in the development of what became known as the Cambridge Rules, which are the foundations of the modern game. The word “soccer” was developed as an abbreviation with reference to the football association rules meetings, which were called soccer meetings. An interesting history of the development of these rules can be found at www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Frules.htm.
Ted Dipple, owner of Amesbury Sports Park and longtime Merrimack Valley resident, is a champion of the European style of soccer training that emphasizes the teaching of technical skills to young players and minimizes the importance of game scores. Over the last several years, ASP has hosted many amateur teams from Great Britain to highlight the advantages of this approach.
In July of 2009, Dipple’s New England Soccer School partnered with the Everton Football Club of the English Premier League to run training camps for boys and girls ages 6 to 16. “Our coaches feel that learning basic fundamentals and techniques can be taught while encouraging players to have fun in the process,” said Dipple. For more information on the camps, visit www.nesoccerschool.net.