Eric Vogl,

a freshman at Fayette County High School last year, is training with the

Under-17 National soccer team. He attends classes and training in Bradenton,

Fla., and travels to play the top soccer talent around the world. He started

training in September and has had some amazing experiences in the five

months that have followed.

Vogl has traveled

to Mexico and Costa Rica. The tournament in Costa Rica was to build international

experience for the Under-17 team. They played national teams from Puerto

Rico, Panama and Guatemala as preparation for upcoming games against Brazil

in Rio De Janeiro.

They will also

head to France later this year for another tournament.

The Under-17

team has also faced the San Jose Earthquakes, a major league soccer team,

which won 3-0, and the Under-18 national team, which won 5-0. The team

will face the Columbus Crew in the coming weeks. Vogl has met several

national team players and MLS players while in Bradenton, including Preki,

Tony Meola and former Lightning player Clint Mathis.

After taking

classes for the first part of the day, Vogl begins soccer training at

3:30 p.m. The team warms up for 45 minutes to an hour and then works on

possession skills for another 45 minutes. The team then begins technical

work and playing small sided games.

"It's

going very well," said Vogl. "I thought it would be hard being

away from home, but it has been going better than I thought."

Vogl gets to

return home twice a semester and he will also return this June to join

his Lightning team, which will be competing in the regionals.

Until he returns

again, Vogl will be battling for one of the 18 positions on the team for

the Junior World Cup next summer. He is determined, focused and, more

than anything, enjoying himself.

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