By Stephen Rea
Special to The Irish American Post

Shell Shockers Head Coach Kenny Farrell returned to New Orleans at the end of May with a message of support from the elite of international soccer to sports fans in the storm-battered city.

Farrell was invited to a Chicago training session held by the Northern Ireland national team who were on a two-match US tour. While there he got to see first-hand the methods and techniques used by professionals who have reached the pinnacle of the world’s most popular sport.

He traveled with the squad to the practice ground and then got the chance to chat with their coach, former European star Lawrie Sanchez. He presented him with a Shell Shockers‚ shirt bearing the number 10 - the number Sanchez wore when he scored the winning goal in the famous FA Cup Final victory against English soccer aristocrats Liverpool in 1988.

Farrell said, "It was great to see players who have reached the very top of the game at such close quarters. Their drills and exercises are similar to those we use but were performed at a lightening pace.

"Afterwards Lawrie asked me about the recovery in Southern Louisiana post-Katrina and I explained how kids and adults alike have a battle even to find a green space to play on. He said to pass on his best wishes to everyone working both on and off the field to get sport back to normal.

"He seemed moved that we had a uniform printed up especially for him and said he was delighted to host me as a representative of the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast region."

The afternoon training session took place at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In the evening, Farrell was a guest of the Irish Football Association at the international exhibition game between Northern Ireland and Romania at Soldier’s Field. Northern Ireland were recently the toast of world soccer after defeating David Beckham’s England which was second favorites behind Brazil to win the World Cup.

While in the Windy City, Farrell also met IFA representatives to explore possible joint coaching and marketing ventures. IFA Head of Marketing Geoff Wilson said he is keen to expand their presence in the United States and tap into the tens of millions of Americans who have Irish descendants.

Farrell added, "The IFA could not have been more welcoming and I am excited about some of the ideas we talked about. I hope we will be able to set up merchandising and soccer camp agreements which will benefit both Northern Ireland and the Shell Shockers.

The New Orleans Shell Shockers were formed in 2003 and play in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference of the Premier Development League. Head Coach Kenny Farrell was awarded the PDL‚s prestigious ŒCoach of the Year‚ title after a spectacular first season in which they won more games than any other team in the country. The league features the best emerging talent in the nation and the season runs from March until August.
 

New Orleans Duo Present Team Shirts to Coach, Captain
 

Two New Orleans Shell Shockers players have rubbed shoulders with the biggest names in world soccer after meeting the star-studded Chelsea team.

Ex-Jesuit and LSU pupil and current captain P.J. Kee, 24, from New Orleans, and English defender Nick Beasant, 20, met up with the glamorous club at their luxury hotel in Chicago. Chelsea - who boast the most expensive squad ever assembled in the history of soccer - were in the Windy City for an exhibition game against the MLS All-Stars.

The night before the match Kee and Beasant mingled with World Cup standouts like Michael Ballack of Germany, Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko and Petr Cech from the Czech Republic. They also talked with assistant manager Steve Clarke, a Chelsea legend who lined-up for the London side for 11 years. 

Then they got the chance to meet coach Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese national who has led Chelsea to back-to-back English Premiership league titles since taking charge two years ago, and present him with a Shell Shockers replica shirt. 

The next morning the pair was invited on a team stroll around Chicago's Magnificent Mile, and handed Chelsea captain John Terry a specially-printed Shell Shockers jersey featuring his squad number 26. They also received complimentary tickets for prime seats on the halfway line for the game at the new stadium of MLS side Chicago Fire.

Kee said, "It was a truly unbelievable experience. When I was learning to play soccer in New Orleans never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd ever meet the biggest stars in the world."

Beasant added, "We spent quite a while talking to staff and players, and Steve Clarke and John Terry in particular were keen to know how things were in New Orleans and how the Shell Shockers were doing.

"We offered Jose Mourinho a choice of the white home top or the black away one and he said he preferred the white, so I‚ll be watching their games on TV closely to see if he is wearing it!‰

A Chelsea spokesman said: "We wanted to do something to show our support not only for the Shell Shockers, but also the soccer fans who are struggling to rebuild their lives in post-Katrina New Orleans. We were delighted Nick and PJ could join us in Chicago."