Carlton Skippers getting ready for the upcoming Bayhill Tournament.

GroundUp: Hi Carlton. How do you feel about the upcoming Bayhill tournament?

Skippers: I’m excited to be the captain of the Milano team, it’s my last Bayhill tournament so I’m putting my best in and hoping to get scouted. It’s my third year in the tournament, it’s like your final year of primary school when you are going on to high school and hoping to be accepted at one of the best high schools, so you work hard all the time and preparing for the big day.

GroundUp: What is your training schedule like? Do you practice every day?

Skippers: I train twice a day, on my off days I train on my own just to keep fit.

GroundUp: What would you like to achieve at the end of the Bayhill tournament?

Skippers: Well I would like to make the Milano United (NFD) team and take things from there. I’m hoping I will go further, but for now that’s my aim.

GroundUp: What is the Bayhill tournament?

Skippers: The Metropolitan Cup (traditionally known as the Bayhill Cup) is for under 19’s and has steadily grown into one of the most prestigious junior tournaments in the country and indeed the entire continent, if not the world.

The competition had its humble beginnings in Mitchells Plain and took place in 1989, after the Spark Hill United and Bay City Ramblers clubs merged to form the Bayhill club.

The venue in those days was not the Erica Park complex in Belhar, but rather the Rocklands grounds in Mitchells Plain and the first ever winners were Matroosfontein, while St Johns (now Wynberg St Johns) won the following year.

The first ever team from outside the Western Cape to take part in the Bayhill were Park United (PE), while the first ever international team was the Manchester Schools side which took part four years ago.

The Metropolitan Cup now brings in well over 30 000 people over the long Easter weekend. With the cream of young talent from around South Africa on display. Bayhill serves as the perfect venue for talent scouts, managers, administrators and soccer enthusiasts to come watch the next generation of stars in action.

GroundUp: What message would you give to the youth?

Skippers: Stay humble. Everyone wants to make it out there, but only a few will, so work hard all the time and you will.