Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 24

In a recent study by FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, Canadian
registrants of the beautiful game stand ninth in the world and, on a per capita
basis, outnumber those of Italy. This surprising rate of participation hasn’t
gone unnoticed. One of the most historically successful club teams anywhere
in the world, FC Barcelona of Spain, now brings its FCB Escola to Canada,
offering soccer and coaching camps for those eager to learn how to play the
Barca way. Coaches who have studied at the FCB Escola in Spain, Barcelona’s
official soccer academy, lead the camps, which take place in various Canadian
cities throughout the summer months and during March break. For those
wanting a more authentic experience—and a great excuse to take a Spanish
vacation—the FC Barcelona Tour offers the chance to train and learn at
Camp Nou, the club’s official facility in Spain. [https://fcbcanada.com/en]
If you’re going to emulate any race driver, it should be a rally
driver, arguably the most talented pro behind the wheel. Successful
rallying requires familiarity with multiple surfaces, the ability to
deal with changing weather conditions and the capacity for on-
the-fly decision-making. Scandinavian countries have produced
some of the greatest rally drivers in history, but one of the top
professional rally schools in the world happens to be right here
in North America. A half-hour drive outside of Seattle, DirtFish
Rally School offers a range of courses, from two-hour sessions that
cover the basics of high-performance driving, through multi-day
courses that qualify you for a Rally America competition license.
The facilities are expansive (covering 315 acres that once housed a
sawmill) with practice stages running on pavement, dirt, gravel and
mud. When you’re not busy perfecting your handbrake turn, you
can spend some time on the driving simulator or peruse the exhibits
of the DirtFish Rally Museum. [www.dirtfish.com]
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DIRTFISH RALLY SCHOOL
FC BARCELONA SOCCER CAMPS