Dexter Southfield’s soccer teams jetted into historic Edinburgh in August 2024.

Among their cultural experiences was a visit to the famous Edinburgh Castle, which was built around 900 years ago. Having the opportunity to visit a place which such history had a lasting effect on a lot of the students.

Desmond O Connor, Dexter Sophomore & Captain said: “I enjoyed Edinburgh Castle the most because of the history behind it and the views.”

O Connor also enjoyed watching the English and Scottish soccer games live.

Dexter were lucky enough to see Liverpool vs Sevilla live at Anfield and they also watched St Mirren in action in the Europa League, while they took in a game in London, watching Charlton vs Birmingham in the Carabao Cup.

Dexter Freshman Brett Wohletz also enjoyed the live matches.

“The most exciting part of this trip was going to watch the professional soccer games because it was fascinating to see the environment of those games,” said Wohletz.

Cooper Solomon, Dexter Sophomore Goalkeeper, also loved the live games that GoPlay arranged.

“The best part of the trip was being able to go and watch professional teams play and see how passionate the fans are,” he said. “It was very cool to see the style of play and the technicality of the players in Europe compared to the U.S.”

Solomon, who said the trip was the ‘highlight of my summer’, also enjoyed the stadium tour at EPL champions Manchester City and he is ‘dying to do it again!’.

“My favorite tourist attraction was the tour of Manchester City. It was amazing to see behind the scenes of a professional European soccer club,” added Solomon.

Dexter’s boys and girls also played three friendly matches with local opposition and split their time in the U.K. between Edinburgh, Manchester and London.

Head Coach Steve Conway said he saw huge benefits for his students.

“From a personal development view, seeing a new culture gives a greater understanding to how people from different parts of the world live. Gaining a better understanding of how people live in different cultures is immediate personal growth.

“Learning new training methods from the U.K. professional coaches on our trip has made an instant impact on the players athletic development,” said Conway.

“I couldn’t be happier with how the trip went from the moment we arrived at the airport right until our return. The organization from GoPlay was of the highest customer experiences I have seen. Our bus driver, tour guide and all parties went above and beyond at all times to make this the best experience possible for everyone, including parents & traveling siblings.”

Conway was also impressed with GoPlay’s flexible approach to the itinerary.

“I would encourage any Coach to participate in one of GoPlay’s trips. If you are looking for a once in a lifetime experience for your players, school or club, you should really reach out to GoPlay.

“GoPlay personalized the trip to our needs and showed a lot of flexibility and gave us more than we could have hoped for. Included in all of this, was their trip price, making it affordable for everyone that goes a long way. And that is why I will most definitely be going back again for another trip in the future!”