ONCE again, the Watford Academy staff and players went to Lympstone in Devon for a week as the youngsters were shown what mental and physical endurance is like courtesy of the Marines.

A mixture of first and second year scholars attended for five days, some of the older players knew what to expect after visiting last season.

Whilst on camp, the young 'Orns had to live like real marines, housed in on-site accommodation with just a locker and a bed.

During the week they encountered the type of terrain that a young footballer is not used to, travelling round the hills and valleys of Lympstone. Taking in the delights of the 'smartie tunnel' and the 'crocodile pit' along the way!

Assistant Academy manager for the under 18s, Sean Dyche, was with them throughout and experienced how difficult the course is. He said: "The endurance courses are really tough, they were thrown through a tube and under water, it is very physically demanding.

"Myself and Dave Orten [Academy physio] joined in and it was a tough, they then did a four mile run back to the camp, and that's why they call it endurance because it's a lot of hard work.

"The endurance courses with heavy army gear on, especially when it gets wet and muddy, is tough." Dyche continued.

"The following day they did the assault course, and they worked hard before the assault course too, and they did the assault course on a time trial basis and everyone got through that really well.

"They then had to do a rope exercise where basically you have to slide out along it, drop off so you're just hanging by your hands, and then find a way of getting back on it and slide along to the other side which is really tough."

The exercise was described by Dyche as 'a really good team-leading week' but it's about a lot more than bonding, fitness and getting the chance to roll around in the mud.

It's about finding out about the young prospects as people and how they react in a different environment:

Dyche commented: "It's a test of character, a test of skill if you like, a test of them and what they're like as people and the real demands, different kinds of demands.

"Obviously it's stressful in a different way than the stress that comes with playing in front of 15-20,000 people."

So, has Dyche learned much about the Academy lads over the week of the course?

"Some people surprised me, some people got on with it as you'd imagine.

"I've been told that last year a few struggled to get their heads round it, but this year everyone dug in and got on with it, which is great for me to understand that they are willing, they have got that underline discipline and we'll build on that in our own way."

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