The Bottom, Saba -The female soccer team of the Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) took part in a free soccer clinic of ex-international Anouk Hoogendijk at the Cruyff Court in The Bottom on Wednesday afternoon, May 15.

Representatives of the Johan Cruyff Foundation and the foundation’s ambassador Hoogendijk came over to Saba from St. Eustatius for a few hours to host the soccer clinic and to see how the renovation of the Cruyff Court is progressing.

In St. Eustatius, the Johan Cruyff Foundation is facilitating the Heroes of the Cruyff Courts course this week to train coaches of the various islands. The Heroes of the Cruyff Courts is an initiative to give young people a chance to be the heroes of their own story, and to let young people become a role model for their neighborhood, and getting them involved with the community and the Cruyff Court in the long term.

For this purpose, the Cruyff Foundation Community Coach program has been initiated. The coaches will be able to apply the project guidelines independently in their community. Three persons from Saba have gone to St. Eustatius for the training: Sports Facilitator Joelyn Robinson, Alejandro Londoño of Child Focus and Kemaul Lee of Saba Life Fit. The Johan Cruyff Foundation is covering the costs of this training in which several other Dutch Caribbean islands are participating. As a Cruyff Foundation coach, they will become responsible for a group of young people between the ages of 14 and 21.

Cruyff Court

Saba has had a Cruyff Court since 2010. The Cruyff Foundation also remains involved in the Cruyff Courts after construction, said Director Niels Meijer. He said the foundation remained committed to Saba. Currently the fence is being restored, and in the near future lights will be installed. In cooperation with Signify, formerly Philips Lighting, the Cruyff Foundation will donate lights for the Cruyff Court on Saba. Putting in brand new LED-floodlights, will give a huge impulse to the usage of the Cruyff Court by the local community, with very low maintenance costs.

While the contractor was busy putting up the new fence, eight members of the SCS female soccer team enjoyed a one-hour clinic with Anouk Hoogendijk, who has played for the Dutch National Female Soccer team as well as for Ajax and Arsenal. The ex-international practiced several techniques and how to improve their soccer skills. The girls obviously enjoyed the clinic given by the enthusiastic Hoogendijk. Also present for the clinic was SCS coach Angela van Maris.