Brandon United hosts camp with Spanish flair

The Brandon United Football Co-operative is hosting its 2025 Summer Soccer Camp this week, offering young local athletes a unique opportunity to train under elite European standards.

The camp, which began Tuesday and runs until today at the Brandon University soccer field, is held in partnership with Villarreal CF of Spain. It is split across five youth age groups — U9, U11, U13, U15 and U17 — with more than 75 participants receiving six hours of professional coaching over two days.

Leading the on-field instruction is UEFA A-certified coach Alex Mahae, who travelled from Villarreal, Spain, to spearhead the program.

The camp integrates the renowned Villarreal CF training methodology, focusing on ball mastery, tactical understanding and video analysis to develop both technical and mental aspects of the game, BUFC technical director Tom Tetlock told the Sun.

The camp’s goal, Tetlock added, is to expose local players to a fresh perspective on training.

“With our affiliation with Villarreal, the idea is for them to come in and show the way they train — to give kids a chance to feel what it’s like to learn the game from a different cultural and coaching lens,” Tetlock said.

“The sessions included both on-field training and off-field video analysis, where Coach Alex would quiz the players on positioning and decision-making, helping them think critically about their game.”

The weeklong training was divided by age group. Tuesday and Wednesday featured the U9 and U11 squads, followed by U13 through U17 on Thursday and Friday. Each group participated in two intense training days, where Mahae observed the players and provided individual feedback.

The camp is set to wrap up today with a more relaxed “fun day.”

Mahae, originally from Romania but based in Spain since childhood, brings a robust coaching resumé, including work with Villarreal’s youth academy and its brother club, CD Roda. This is his fourth year with Villarreal CF’s international development team and his first visit to Canada.

“In Brandon, I’ve seen good facilities, friendly people and a strong sports culture,” he said. “Here, the players are training by playing, which is central to us. I think more players are joining the camp each year because they see that we’re using the Villarreal methodology, and they really enjoy it.”

For the club, he explained, players have to train playing soccer, not just by running or doing unrelated drills.

“Year by year, the level of the players keeps improving. They’re learning, growing and coming back. Whether it’s me or another coach from our team, we keep track of their progress. The coaches have a lot of good ambition — they want to learn (and) help the kids. I think they’re on the right track with the academy.”

For many young players, the camp left a lasting impression. Juliya Agegnehu, a 13-year-old U15 player, said this was her first time attending the summer camp.

“It was pretty fun,” she said. “The sessions were tiring, but I feel like I got better. Coach Alex is awesome — good at coaching and fun to talk to. I just hope more girls come out next year because it was mostly guys this time.”

Christopher Isodje, a 12-year-old U13 participant, also enjoyed the experience.

“The coaches were good and let us try things out,” he said. “Even though they asked tough questions I couldn’t answer, I feel like I improved. There were tough players, but I felt like I belonged by the end.”

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