Our Czech mates

LAWRENCE STACEY and Kate Stubbington, pictured, set off on Monday to engage with some of the best under-13 players in Europe.

Their destination in the third and final Eurokids camp of 2008 is Hluk in the Czech Republic. It will be run by ETTU head youth coach Jarek Kolodiejczyk, who undertook the Guernsey camp in February.

He will be assisted by GTTA development officer Becks O'Keefe and other European coaches.

Conditions are likely to be on the sub-zero side for the 30 or so players as European winter weather sets in. By comparison, the previous camp in Romania, attended by Rachel Harm and Lawrence's twin brother Joshua, saw daily temperatures during September in the high 30Cs.

The EuroKids camps are designed to provide exposure to other European children as well as technical, mental and physical training.

Each usually comprises six hours of daily training and a one-day tournament. The training regime is strict and disciplined, but the advantages of multicultural coaching skills are now well recognised within the ETTU development programme.