In 2006, coach Mark Wilson and the LVU Xtreme girls team decided to coordinate a trip to be in Europe at the same time as the World Cup so the girls could experience the fever of the tournament over there plus play against Scotland’s best female teams.  Coach Wilson’s close ties to soccer in Scotland provided them the experience, scheduling and travel expertise that allowed them the unique opportunity to play against girl teams that were affiliated with Pro clubs.

Instead of staying in college dorms or roadside motels, the team was able to stay in Scotland’s National Training Centre, one of Europe’s finest training facilities where teams such as Chelsea, FC Porto, Celtic and of course the Scottish National team train and prepare.  The centre (Inverclyde) has been used for many years by UEFA for coaching courses and some of the best minds in football such as Alex Ferguson, Fabio Capello and Jose Mourinho have all learned their trade there.  They was even able to coordinate our meal plan for the week with their nutrition specialists so that we were well prepared for our games and training.

The trip was a balance of games, training and sightseeing.  The group consisted of 37 travelers with many parents and siblings joining in so it was important to do other things such as castle visits, stadium tours, and speed boat trips. 

The girls ended up playing 3 games, winning their first game against Hibernian, tying the second at Arsenal North and losing their final game to Kilmarnock who put out national players that were 2 years older than us.  Despite the loss, the defeat to Kilmarnock was probably the greatest learning experience that our girls got out of the week. The girls still talk about the experience, the memories and the friends they made along the way.