July 21, 2011
LAST CHANCE
To sign up for Juventus School at Met Oval

The Met Oval expects to get a preview of what its Juventus Soccer School will be like later this month.

That's when Juventus club instructors will visit the youth club in Maspeth, Queens for a five-day clinic from July 25-29, in conjunction with the Italian Serie A team's international friendly at Citi Field on July 27.

In September, the Juventus Soccer School will begin at the Oval. The school will have 60 to 75 students between the ages of six to 10, who will get soccer lessons and training two nights a week.

Oval president Jim Vogt the main priority isn't about winning, it's about learning. The Juventus staff that will visit the Oval also will teach the club's coachings about the club's playing philosophy. That is vital because everyone has to be on the same page for it to work, from top to bottom.

"The idea is to bring a good level of European teaching," Vogt said. "The training is going to be the same."

For coaches and campers.

"The campers will have an opportunity to see what it's [the school] is going to be all about," Vogt added. It's pretty cool."

The Juventus instructors are Alessandro Ramello, Davide Fornaca, Francesco Lembi and Claudio Gabetta.

"We going to see what soccer basics are all about, what it is to be a part of Juventus. Our coaches are going to be taught that way, too," Vogt said. "Our coaches will be taught while they're assisting."

But the learning for the Oval coaches won't end at the end of the clinics. They will travel to Turin to attend the Juventus University program at the end of September or October.

"Our goal by the end of next year is to have our coaches certified by Juventus University," Vogt said.

"If they're working on the same leve, the results will come out better."

JSS partnerships with Greece, Switzerland, Canada (Toronto), Mexico and United Arab Emirates (Dubai).

Vogt said the Oval plans to send a team to Turin next year to compete in a youth tournament.