Currently, David Beckham is away in Trinidad on behalf of his David Beckham Academy. To benefit the young athletes, the world renowned soccer star held a training clinic at the Marvin Lee Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Macoya, Trinidad And Tobago.
David Beckham’s football Academy will launch a football festival in Trinidad on Saturday, whilst Beckham himself will attend the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup final in the same country.
The festival will provide football and life skills programmes and coaching workshops to almost 200 young players and coaches.
Speaking about the event, which will take place on the two islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Beckham said: “Trinidad and Tobago have produced some excellent players over the years and the islands are full of young people who love football. I am really looking forward to seeing the young girls and boys from all backgrounds and their coaches at my Academy. Encouraging young girls to play football has always been an important part of the thinking behind the Academy and it will be great to take this opportunity to also see some of the world’s best young women play in the Under-17 Final.”
This weekend’s event, which Beckham is able to attend due to a break in his schedule with LA Galaxy, will demonstrate how the project would work.
Beckham added: “I am extremely proud and committed to the David Beckham Academy. The proposal with England 2018/22 is an exciting one as football is such a great way to inspire and educate young people in so many ways.”
Jack Warner - who holds a vital vote on the location for the 2018 World Cup - thanked Beckham for taking time out of his schedule to give a “remarkable opportunity for the 200 participants“.
He said: “I would like to express my thanks to David and his team for arranging this. It is heartening to know that a man of such international stature remains committed to the development of talent worldwide. This is remarkable opportunity for the 200 participants. The fact that despite his busy schedule David has taken the time to open this festival, to share his knowledge with the children is testament to his character.”
The David Beckham Academy in Greenwich is set to close at the end of the year as the lease on the site, owned by AEG, runs out. Parents, reportedly including David's sister Lynne, have petitioned the company and 19 Entertainment, which runs the academy, to keep it open, but A spokesman for 19 said even though the site would shut it would now stage football sessions at schools around the country: "The David Beckham Academy itself is not ending, this site is coming to the end of its lease but we are planning a more flexible model which will reach communities and schools across the country and internationally."
David's sister Lynne has said: "There are a hell of a lot of disappointed kids here. I'm not sure what's going to happen next. David's upset about this, but we haven't spoken about it this week because of our granddad's funeral. I don't think the closure is his personal doing. I don't know where I'm going to send my kids at the minute. It will be a big loss."
The academy was opened in 2005 and has two full-sized indoor pitches. source: DailyMail
The David Beckham Academy in Greenwich is set to close at the end of the year as the lease on the site, owned by AEG, runs out. Parents, reportedly including David's sister Lynne, have petitioned the company and 19 Entertainment, which runs the academy, to keep it open, but A spokesman for 19 said even though the site would shut it would now stage football sessions at schools around the country: "The David Beckham Academy itself is not ending, this site is coming to the end of its lease but we are planning a more flexible model which will reach communities and schools across the country and internationally."