European Tour 2008 
“AMAZING” is what you’ll here when you ask me how my trip to Sweden went. All the traveling was beyond worth it. We started out at the Dalecarlia Cup. It was so different than what we are used to over here. We walked EVERYWHERE! J It was a cool experience to be able to wake up and walk right over to our fields. Our games challenged us and made us work harder to prove ourselves to everyone. The Gothia Cup was by far the most amazing experience I’ve had so far. The best night had to be Opening Ceremony, I know us girls thoroughly enjoyed ourselves that night. J Just being there had me amazed. I met so many people from all around the world. It was a great bonding experience for my team, those 2 weeks made us so much closer. We’re just ready to take what we have learned from this trip and make an impact in the VCCL.
-Kayleigh St. Clair, Roanoke Star U15 Elite
We arrived in Stockholm, Sweden on Sunday July 6th around noon. This was a pretty cool little town. We begin with The Dalecarlia Cup tournament. It was lots of fun. We were the only team from the USA which was pretty cool. A bit smaller group than expected but enjoyed it very much. The games were shorter but tough. One surprise was the players from the other teams seemed bigger and faster although we faired well in this tournament.
Later that week we begin the Gothia Cup tournament in Gothenburg Sweden. What an awesome experience. Monday night was the opening ceremony for the Gothia Cup. It was unreal. The atmosphere was electric. It appeared on the surface to be a small version of the Olympic opening ceremony. It was an incredible event. There were fireworks, music, and tons of fans. There were numerourus countries represented. 1600 teams from around the world. We played teams from Australia, Brazil, Italy, and Sweden.
The entire European experience was awesome. I met players from different countries and traded USA items for other teams soccer items. Enjoyed trading shirts but enjoyed meeting the different cultures more. I learned a lot about the game of soccer and hopefully this will only help me improve my level of play. It was an experience that is hard to put into words, but one I will always remember. I am glad I had the opportunity to participate in a trip like this. I thank the Roanoke Stars for allowing me this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Kaleb Lambert
U15 Boys Elite
Taking a trip to Sweden to play in some of the greatest soccer tournaments in the world is a once in a lifetime experience for many people and I think that all of the Roanoke Star players who went had a blast. At the Dalecarlia Cup in Borlange, Sweden, we all were excited to be the only American team there. All the teams we played were very skilled and I really learned a lot from playing with them. Off the pitch, we had lots fun going to the discos, meeting new friends from all over the world, and just hanging out with everyone. The Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden was a unique experience. It was unique because teams from all over the world represented over 100 countries that attended this cup. The skill level of some teams we played and saw was incredible. I think that Gothenburg is a really neat city not only because all the activities we could participate in, but also because of all the scenery and history that Gothenburg has to offer. I had a wonderful two weeks over in Sweden and I know all the other Roanoke Star players had a great time as well. I am really glad that I went to Sweden and I gained so much experience as a soccer player and as a person by taking this trip.
Matt Montgomery- U15 Boys Premier