NEW LIMERICK, Maine — Plenty of student athletes travel for sports, but not too many jet across the Atlantic for games.
Sierra Hoops of New Limerick, a varsity soccer player at Houlton High School, landed in England on July 30 with her other soccer team from Seacoast United Maine North. Hoops, who plays with Seacoast’s Maine North U16 Girls team, crossed the ocean for 10 days of soccer games, drills and coaching.
“Seacoast United has an association with Nike, Sports Tours Europe and the Brighton and Hove Albion Soccer Club and they made it so we could stay over there with them,” explained Hoops.
After a year of fundraisers, carwashes and bottle drives, Hoops’ team headed out for Brighton, England, along with two other Seacoast teams, a girls’ team from southern Maine and a boys’ team from Massachusetts.
Not only did the trip give the 14-year-old the first stamp on her passport, but she also got the chance to train with a professional player.
“It’s a different experience to get coached by a professional English soccer player,” explained Hoops. “I mean, every coach is different, but I really took a lot away from my [English] coach, Naomi. Her drills were more about passing and possession and moving the ball around. And she threw some fun games in there, too.”
When they weren’t training, the team played against some serious competition.
“We played three games total with teams from the area,” she said.
The first game they played was against a local team where the youngest player was a 20-year-old soccer player.
“That first game was kind of scary,” Hoops admitted.
But the Seacoast players managed to hold their own and that game ended in a tie. They also played against a local team their age and that game ended with 4-1 decision in the Mainers’ favor.
In their spare time, the team managed to sneak in some shopping, visit Arundel Castle, and watch a pair of professional soccer games.
“We saw Fulham against Norwich City, and for our second game, we went to Brighton and Hove Albion against Atletico Madrid,” she said. “This was probably my favorite part because I’d never gone to see any games like that before.”
Whether learning about the game or experiencing another culture, Hoops, who’s getting ready to start 10th grade this fall, said she was grateful for the chance to make the trip.
“I would recommend a trip like this to anyone who gets the chance,” she said. “Go. Experience something new. Don’t pass it up.”
