Kealii Wong, Kaena Onuu and Tehapai Crolas are taking part in the Academy’s weekly programme along with 23 other aspiring footballers from five different countries.
WPFA head coach Jess Ibrom says while the trio have already spent a week immersed in the academy programme with their team, their return will be a whole different experience.
“I think it makes a difference coming as a group or coming as individuals. You almost need to facilitate the needs of the group, whereas this time it’s a much smaller group and we’ve got three individuals within it,” he says.
“There can be a lot more access for them in terms of their all-round involvement in everything and they can get a good understanding of the Academy and how it works – before they only had a brief experience of it.”
For 15-year-old Wong it is the chance of a lifetime as he looks to follow in the footsteps of some of the greats like club technical director Pascal Vahirua, or his cousin Marama.
“I watched the Tahiti national team take part in the Confederations Cup in Brazil last year and it made me want to go there too,” he says of Tahiti’s first appearance at a senior FIFA tournament.
“It inspired me to be like them, to play against the great teams like Spain.”
He says the WPFA programme is a great stepping stone to the future.
“We are working with a professional club. There’s a lot of experience to learn from here, a lot of people to meet from other countries and it’s a step towards becoming a professional ourselves,” he says.
It’s an experience like no other, with the first two days already including physical testing including endurance and weights as well as training on technique, passes, attacking the goal and defending.
“It’s different to the first time I was here in May, I definitely prefer it the second time around.”
Ibrom says the players are exposed to the full technical and tactical programme.
“They sit fitness tests on day one, then we deliver lectures to them in terms of a pathway lecture, nutritional lecture and a mental development workshop as well,” he says.
“There will also be a couple of strengthening and conditioning sessions as well.”
Ibrom says the inclusion of the three Tahitian players as well as the duo from Tonga, Soakai Vea and Hemaloto Polovili, is an opportunity to continually progress the relationship the Academy has with the Pacific Islands.
“From the moment they step into Academy life on day one we’re already looking at them and we’re looking at whether we can identify them as players to join us here full-time,” Ibrom explains.
“We’ve had numerous examples of players who have done that but we’re still searching for our next Mickael Partodikromo really.”
For more about Tahiti football go to www.ftf.pf

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