54 EDITION 633 :: 31/12/2010 - 14/01/2011 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONSSport

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English Lawyers and Spanish Abogados

Soccer Experience Sponsored by : Island Connections Media Group & www.windowsplus.co.uk

SoCC Er ExpEr I EnC E

Judo

Judo Club Yogo Arona recently had an impressive visitor in the shape of 9th Dan, Jack Hearn.

If anybody is an advert for healthy living and exercise, that man is Jack. As he jokingly told us, “I looked a f t e r

As another Soccer Ex-perience year comes to an end in Tenerife,

we would like to remember just a few of the memorable moments in what has been a terrific year of making Soccer Experience mo-ments during 2010!

The ‘real’ World Cup, 2010

Tenerife’s first Soccer Experience 7s World cup was held during the other smaller World Cup in South Africa! Some of the world’s major nations were represented during the weekend fiesta of football, with England, who were led by one of the best Captains in the Soccer Experience weekly leagues, (soon to be daddy) Mr. John Parkes, picking up the main prize. The question now is, can they do the double and win our very own European

Championship that will be held in 2011?

FuTure Messi/dalglish or pedriTo?

We have seen the emergence of the new breed of Soccer Experience youth talent, in our new kids’ leagues and training sessions! The little Messis are on show every Saturday lunchtime between 12.30 and 2.30pm. Also throughout this past summer Soccer Experience held some fun footballing sessions for children of all ages to pick up a few coaching tips and to learn the first rule of football, enjoy yourself! Right is a photo of one of the kids’ teams who received donated shirts all the way from Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. The Tulsa University soccer team donated them after they were involved in an international event arranged by Soccer Experience.

adulT 7s leagues

Throughout this past year we have seen all our Soccer Experience 7s league teams gain confidence and even mature as footballing sides, all our teams having the normal rollercoaster seasons with some huge high point-makers such as Taylor’s Lounge and LA Veterans. Both teams made Soccer Experience history with both having

undefeated seasons, an incredible achievement at any level of football! Many a team experienced some low points also for example, losing to their biggest rivals with a last minute penalty miss. (Weekly Soccer Experience 7s adult football results, league positions and up and coming fixtures on all the leagues are available on: www.soccerexperience.com)

International Masters (Slow Motion Football) Tournament

Once again the Soccer Experience International

Masters 7s event was held. This is growing into a special event and it is now becom-ing a major annual event for many teams from Tenerife and abroad. This was the fourth year and the organis-ers can now state that they have brought in nearly 100 ex-professional football play-ers (some ex top super stars included) to play against the many teams from Tenerife and abroad. Over the four years of the event almost 500 ‘social’ players have flown to the is-

land just for the fiesta of slow motion football. This event is now a major benefit to the island and Soccer Experience would like to thank everyone so much for helping make this annual tournament hap-pen! Also there are a couple of Tenerife teams who enjoy the Soccer Experience Tenerife tournament so much that they are planning to come to another Soccer Experience 7s Masters held on the other side of the world, in Malaysia, September 2011.

MuChas graCiasSoccer Experience’s Martin

Tierney told us, “we would like to thank everyone in-volved this year and we are looking forward to more of the same in 2011 keeping our friendly, healthy exercise, but yet competitive leagues, train-ing sessions and tournaments entertaining to all. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all the team captains who do an amazing job every week getting their teams or-ganised, all the players, kids, referees, sponsors, Island Connections, Adeje Sports office and everyone involved throughout the year, a great Soccer new year! If you have any interest in the adult or kids weekly soccer contact them by calling or sms: +34654200470 or EMAIL: soccer@soccerexpe-rience.com also lots more de-tails available on the website: www.soccerexperience.com

Review of an action packed year

Masterclass

Sensei, Gregorio Ramos Méndez, Jack Hearn and Juan Carlos Mohino Minaya

and diligent study of the art”. Today, he is the oldest person in Britain still practising judo and holds the most senior grade. “I wouldn’t be alive at this age if I hadn’t done judo,” he affirmed.

In 1983, Jack bought a time share in the Palm Beach Club and he has been coming to the island ever since. Most martial arts devotees will try and keep up their training even on holiday, and Jack was no exception. However, he normally ended up giving the classes rather than receiving them, which is how a bunch

my body when I was younger and now in my old age I hope my body will look after me”. At 87 years old, Jack is still in superb physical form and c o n t i n u e s

teaching judo at his own club three times a week.

After 60 years of practicing martial arts and 58 years

teaching, Jack

also holds an 8th Dan in Jujitsu and is a master of Aikido, Kendo and Ai-do.

He started in the sport in his late twenties. A dedicated cyclist, he started to have problems with his appendix and had to choose an alternative sport – he chose judo. At that time, there weren’t many clubs around and he had to search for a teacher. Apart from a few weeks, all his teachers from the very beginning have been Japanese and Jack studied and teaches traditional Japanese judo. His 9th Dan

certificate reads, “This is to certify that Jack

Hearn is licensed to the rank of 9th degree Black Belt in Judo through great progress

of youngsters in the south of the island came to enjoy the enormous privilege of a training session with Jack. The only question is why it wasn’t more widely announced? Certainly in the UK if someone of Jack’s stature had visited devotees from all over the area would have flocked to the dojo.

Club Yogo Arona meet three times a week and accept students from three years upwards, for more information contact Goyo on 611 600 525 or 611 600 491.

One of the kids’ teams who received donated shirts all the way from Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA