Umedalens IF: "Gothia Cup is the highlight of youth football"

Umedalens IF is traveling from Umeå to participate in Gothia Cup with four teams this summer.

They see both the trip and the tournament as a very good way to strengthen the community in the club.
– Everything from the preparations, the trip and the stay in Gothenburg strengthens the team spirit incredibly much, says Thomas Ylvin, who is a leader for Umedalens IF's B16 and B17 teams.

Umedalens IF will participate with teams in the categories G15, B15, B16 and B17.
– Umedalens IF is a large association in Umeå with around 800 members. We have our own gymnasiums and our own football pitch. Football is the biggest sport in the club, but we also have bandy, futsal, orienteering, athletics and more. We are a wide club where everyone is welcome. We have a senior team in football that plays in division 4, says Thomas Ylvin.
You were early with your registration for four teams for this summer's edition of Gothia Cup. Why have you chosen to register?
– We have seen that there is a lot of pressure on registrations for the Gothia Cup, so we made sure to register early to secure our places. The Gothia Cup is the highlight of youth football and our players obviously want to be there. In addition to the football itself, it is an experience with all the activities around it. For the players, it is an experience to travel, live and play together. It is also exciting to meet other people from other cities and countries, says the leader.

They have their goals for their participation clear.
– We aim to have fun during the Gothia Cup. The players have expressed that they want to make it to the A playoffs, but we understand that the opposition is tough in such a big tournament as Gothia Cup.
What do you think the players will learn – both on and off the pitch – by participating in Gothia Cup?
– I believe and hope that the players will learn to respect each other and others because we live so close to each other for a while. We have been to tournaments before so they know how it works even though Gothia Cup is significantly bigger than anything we have been to before.
It's a relatively long trip to Gothenburg. How will you travel and how will the long trip strengthen the group and the club?
– We will travel by train. Everything from the preparations, the trip and the stay in Gothenburg strengthens the team spirit incredibly much, says Thomas Ylvin.