BOVINA — The British have come to Warren County and they have brought their refined soccer skills to the Vicksburg Soccer Organization.

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British soccer players Andi Franklin and Michael Eade are spending this week at the VSO’s Bovina Complex instructing players from the VSO’s various age group leagues with their techniques and insights for the beautiful game.

So far the tips have sunk in.

“I’ve learned to shoot, pass and work on my skills,” said 12-year-old Amy Dixon of Vicksburg.

Amy’s older brother, Josh, a former Vicksburg High player, said the week-long camp put on by the British has been one of the best he’s seen.

“I’ve been really impressed,” said Dixon, who after VHS played two seasons collegiately at Mars Hill College in North Carolina. Mars Hill is a NCAA Division II school. “They’ve shown the kids a lot of different things. It’s been a wide range of skills. Both tactical skills and base skills. And they’ve made it fun.”

Franklin, who plays for a club team out of his home in Birmingham, England, said the VSO camp represented a chance to work on a more advanced regimen of skills.

“What we’ve seen from these players in Vicksburg is a more advanced player. The three other camps I’ve done this summer were mainly for rec league players,” Franklin said. “But here, we’ve been able to do more in depth stuff. We’ve shown them some different techniques. We’ve also emphasized fitness a lot.”

Casey Griffith, 11, said the British coaches have helped improved his passing.

And it’s been instructive for a current varsity player like sophomore Shannon Richter, who plays for the Warren Central Lady Vikes.

“My dad is big in the VSO, and we support what they do, but I’ve actually improved my skills this week. I needed it,” Richter said. “They’ve done a lot more with the speed drills and I’ve been able to learn to space myself better on the field. It’s been a really good camp.”

While the skill level of the VSO players has been good, Franklin did boast about his country’s prowess in soccer.

“The level here is good. At this age, it’s still behind England, but it’s good,” Franklin said.

Eade, who is from London, plays collegiately at Park University in Kansas City, Mo. With two sessions a day, he said the campers have able to see a lot of different skill sets.

“We’ve been doing different skills each day. One day we worked on shooting and then another day on defending. We’ve taught the fundamentals while also having some small-sided games for the little kids. This is a super game and I think the kids know how much it is,” Eade said.

Nearly 100 kids have participated in the first six sessions. The camp concludes Friday night in Bovina.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com