Local youth soccer players don’t meet a European professional player every day. Claude Mendy, who plays forward for the renowned club Sporting in Paris, spent one week on the Sunshine Coast this summer to teach a pair of three-day soccer clinics with SC Spirit of Excellence.
A group of rep soccer players mixed with some house players experienced the latest European drills and even learned some French soccer terminology. Sprinklers and a lot of water breaks were necessary to cope with the fast-paced drills in the heat, but Coast players continued to impress Mendy with their eagerness and desire to improve.
Mendy is one of nine children who started playing soccer at the age of four. He believes that with some natural athletic talent and a lot of hard work, you can be the player you always dreamed of being.
“Seeing the smile on kids’ faces when they reach their goals makes it all worth it,” he said.
Mendy is moving to the Sunshine Coast in December where he will coach soccer exclusively for SC Spirit of Excellence — including small group training, soccer boot camps, strategic sessions or mental training for soccer athletes competing on higher levels.
