Since the age of seven, Aidan Davis has had a burning passion for soccer.
Aidan spent countless hours watching professional soccer league games boasting world-class athletes playing all over the world. He aspired to reach that level of play and venture to places like Argentina, Spain and Brazil. Later this month, at the ripe age of 11 years old, Aidan will fulfill that dream.
Aidan travels to the FC Barcelona Headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, on October 21 to participate in the annual elite soccer camp known as the FCBEscola Soccer Clinic. The clinic will last through October 30 and includes boys and girls ranging from the ages of 8 to 18.
“He started in kindergarten,” Aidan’s mother Terry Davis said. It was apparent early on that Aidan was gifted. “He had incredible speed. He would outrun a lot of the kids his age. He was fast, he could dribble the ball, you could see that he had some skill there.”
Aidan began his young soccer career at New City School, a private school located in the Central West End. It wasn’t long, however, before Aidan wanted to push himself further.
“He played soccer with them,” Terry said. “But he wanted to play with a select team because he felt it would give him a little more skill.”
After spending the last couple years playing for select teams in the St. Louis area, Aidan came across another opportunity – this time in the classroom. “He had some classmates that played and they were telling him about the camp this summer,” Terry said. “He begged us to let him do it.”
Terry and her husband Keith Davis relented and allowed Aidan to attend the FCB camp from June 19-23 in St. Charles. The camp featured rigorous drills, extreme playing conditions and stringent competition that challenged and enhanced both his mental and physical skills.
“It was a really good experience for him,” Terry said. The chance for a trip to Spain didn’t present itself until the camp had already begun. The kids who were selected wouldn’t be notified until a couple weeks after its conclusion.
Despite the uncertainty, Aidan was unable to contain his excitement. “When he came home at the end of the soccer camp he was like, ‘I hope I get selected; I hope I get selected,’” Terry said. While the mother always wants the best for her son, she prepared herself to deliver the bad news to her son out of worry that he wouldn’t get chosen.
An email on fourth of July weekend put an end to those doubts. Aidan had been selected.
“We couldn’t believe it, he was so excited,” Terry said. The fifth grader stood out among hundreds of other kids that participated in the FCB camp. It was one of 20 camps that FC Barcelona held throughout the United States.
FC Barcelona official coaches evaluated more than 5,000 American players and less than 10 percent were picked for the clinic. Aidan and the other youths selected will represent the United States as they compete against other elite Barcelona soccer clubs.
The group of young players will live separately from their parents in designated quarters and undergo a strict diet and training regimen. Their activities will take them everywhere from the beach to Camp Nou, the official home stadium for FC Barcelona.
For Aidan, the trip won’t only be about soccer. He’ll have the chance to engage in valuable cultural activities and immerse himself in the Spanish way of living. “Learning about a different way of living outside of the United States is a lesson in itself,” Terry said.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a kid living out his fantasy.
If you’re interested in helping Aidan make it to Spain, you can show your support by visiting the link https://www.gofundme.com/aidan2spain, making a donation, and spreading the word.
