First training session with CP National Team of Chile

From 24th to 26th of April the first training session of the National CP Football Team of Chile took place in Santiago Chile, organized by the Chilean Paralympic Committee and National Federation of Professional Football.

The training camp was performed in the National Center of Football Training with the assistance of 30 people, including technical team and CP players. This is the first ever training session of a CP national football team in Chile and the beginning of a development process of CP football in the country. Players were found in the first National Cup of CP football in the 2014 and are from different points of Chile, playing in different CP football clubs in association with rehabilitations centers. National CP football coach of Argentina Osvaldo Hernandez attended this cup and was part of the first seminary about CP football in Chile.

Training is taking place once a month, for 3 days, in the National Football Training Center. Different tests are used to evaluate the physical capacity of the players like yoyo test, Illinois test, mat test and others. Training includes preparation in physical condition, technical and tactical strategy, based on the experience of different professionals like Raul Reina, Rene Jurrius, Osvaldo Hernandez, Marcelo Sanchez, Paulo Cruz and Pablo Bandeiras, and we are very grateful with them.

Our staff is formed with different voluntary professionals like physical therapist, nutritional professional, physical coach and football coach. Felipe Herrera, coordinator of the national team said:
"This is a very good experience, we have worked for years to make this. It is a dream to start this development project with a lot of talented young players and I’m very grateful to the National Paralympic Committee and National Association of Professional Football"

Felipe Bautista, player of the national team said:
"First of all, I want to thank all the people that have made this project possible. Being part of the national football team is so beautiful and I feel very proud and emotional when I wear the national shirt. Representing my country is very important for me and is something beautiful. We have players with a lot of potential and the staff are very professional and have high human quality. I feel that this is a unique opportunity, I want to play with players of all the world and I give all of myself to complete this dream to play in international matches representing the Chilean team."

Headcoach

Matías Henríquez, Coach in the National CP Team of football 7 a side in Chile