Coach Thomas Caers | Directeur Soccer School |SV Zulte Waregem - ESSEVEE Belgium | Prior to the Charleston Battery vs Charlotte match on Aug. 6, 2016 Caers held training for his U 15-17 fútbol players on the back fields of MUSC Health Stadium on Daniel Island, SC. Very striking ‘bare footed’ work.

It was a pleasure meeting Coach Thomas Caers, the Directeur Soccer School at SV Zulte Waregem – ESSEVEE of Belgium ; an academy program of 40 youth soccer players. A team of twenty U 15-17 players traveled to the US to train at a few of our local South Carolina complexes: MUSC Heath Stadium on Daniel Island, Home of The Charleston Battery; Patriots Point Soccer fields in Mount Pleasant; and Trident Academy to name a few. SV Zulte Waregem – ESSEVEE is a professional fútbol team playing in the first division of the Belgium league.

Coach Caers says all of the Academy players were born in Belgium but many now live throughout Europe…including Morocco and Turkey. They live in dorms during the week, are home schooled then visit with their families on the weekend.

It’s like music listening to the youth players as they talk among themselves as they speak many different languages. Although the weather has been very hot during their visit they did not seem to be the least bothered by it. One of the young men mentioned it was currently about 19* C in Belgium.

Caers is interested in the structure of US youth soccer organizations…what is the relationship between the city and the soccer clubs?…Who pays for the use of the fields?…how does all that work? He commented, “Patriots had good fields!!!”
All summed up, “Good soccer starts with good fields” ~ Caers