Barcelona NorCal’s U17 Girls team received an invitation to attend training in Barcelona, Spain, for seven days in April.

During this time the 16-girl team will train twice a day and have opportunities to play against Spanish teams each evening.

The players, 14 of whom are from Truckee, include Marcelle Reynaud, Nichole Graham, Shannon Cardoza, Lynde Tucker, Paulina Thrasher, Sarah Svoboda, Daisy Rivera, Makenzie Milner, Kayla Redner, Lauren Larson, Meghan Larson, Nicole Harris, Chloe Murphy, Breanna Wapstra-Scott, Ashlee Schouten and Carly Johnson.

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Coaches Casey Eberhardt and Travis Spencer are also planning to attend this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Total cost for this event will be in excess of $60,000.

The local Club, formerly known as Sierra Mountain Soccer Club, has been sending select coaches to Barcelona for training over the past two years. These coaches then bring back their knowledge and new skills to share with the other coaches and players of the Club.

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Because of the cancellation of the club’s annual tournament in September — due to poor air quality from wildfires — Barcelona Norcal is unable to support the team financially.

This could have been a roadblock for most teams, but not these girls. The majority of the players are juniors in high school and see this trip as an opportunity to gain valuable skills and learn cultural lessons that will assist them in pursuing their collegiate dreams. Fundraising is underway to cover coach fees, training fees and transportation costs. The balance will be met by individual families.

The fundraising kicked off in October with the viewing of El Clasico and a Spanish-themed dinner at Martis Camp. The girls will also be going to local civic groups looking for support and asking local businesses for “founding” sponsor donations.

The Gold category is $2,500, Silver is $1,000 and Bronze is $500. Each category comes with its benefits and advertising potential. The team also has a link on the website Crowd Rise (www.crowdrise.com/barcelonasoccertrip) for cash donations of $10 or more and is currently marketing a special soccer shirt with the help of the CustomInk’s Booster fundraising program (www.booster.com/barcelonanorcalgirls97-98?share=2301384704184914), which is available to order through Dec. 10.

Many hope that this type of trip can become an annual event for Barcelona Norcal teams, with the future support of the club. But, for now, every donation helps.

For more information, contact Eberhardt at 530-308-4886 or caseyeberhardt@gmail.com. Sponsorships or other donations should be mailed with checks payable to Barcelona NorCal (memo 97/98 Girls Trip 2014) to P.O. Box 4068 Truckee, CA 96160. Barcelona NorCal is a registered 501c 3 Non Profit Corporation.