João Desa and Kilae Crockwell have been selected by BAA to attend a week-long training camp with Cornellá, the Barcelona feeder club.

The young footballers were chosen out of 80 players who attended the Bermuda Summer Football School, an intensive summer camp for young players, an extension of the World Sports Academy Barcelona programme.

Kenny Thompson, BAA’s technical director, said that players were selected based on their demonstration of skill, technical ability, mentality, and attitude.

This additional week of training fits in with Thompson’s long-term strategy of player development.

“I’m more interested in long-term development,” Thompson said. “To turn a player close to a high level, really requires a lot of work. A lot of weeks and months and years of developing. I’m not a fan of the idea that you can come for a week and be a super player. I believe it takes much more than that.”

The 3½-week camp included a visit from Regillio Simmons, a former striker in the Dutch league, and his sons, Faustino, the Cornellá coach, and Xavi, a star Barcelona academy player.

Thompson and BAA plan to continue to offer similar opportunities to Bermuda’s youth through a continued partnership with Barcelona’s World Sports Academy.

“We want to link up with Cornellá and provide an opportunity for players to go and experience the training over there,” Thompson said.