Tucked in scenically along the shores of the Balearic Sea along the eastern coast line of Spain, Valencia attracts more than two million visitors a year.

History and vastly influenced architecture, a vibrant cultural centre that is known as the Futuristic City of Arts & Science and home to one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean, this European oasis offers a multitude of reasons to visit.

The Valencia Academy, located in Rigaud (PQ), just across the Ontario – Quebec border when travelling the Trans-Canada Highway, offers one primary reason to visit: that being soccer.

For the local trio of Alex Ben-Anteur, Sam Lazare and Frank Nzotungwanimana, that fits the bill just fine. Long-time mainstays with the GSSC (Greater Sudbury Soccer Club), the local teens are spending the 2025-2026 winter season attending school at Collège Bourget, home to the Valencia CF Soccer Academy.

In search of as much soccer development as possible, the northern lads have found a home at the scenic old rural campus some seven hours or so from Sudbury. “The Academy is very organized,” noted Ben-Anteur, a 14 year old who is currently completing his grade 10 school year while bolstering his skill-set in a sport he adores.

“You always know what you’ve got to do next; and the coaches are great.”

At central defensive midfielder through most of his youth, the well-spoken young man who has dabbled a bit at centerback since joining Valencia is aware that simply having the benefits of conveniently devoting more time to soccer is likely to bode well for his future.

“We have two training sessions a day: strength training that Sam and I do during study period – and then we also have our regular practice after school,” said Ben-Anteur. “My athleticism is very important – and my ball knowledge.”

“As CDM, you need to be able to do a lot of running, to have endurance. But as you get older, the players get bigger and stronger, so I need to be better at that.”

Essentially, it’s all about using the tools at one’s disposal to determine how best to counteract attacking foes. In the case of Ben-Anteur, that is frequently a perfectly-timed challenge on the ball.

“When they are sprinting towards us, I am usually the last man back, so I often put a slide tackle in,” he suggested. “First, I need to nudge them towards the side and then I put a slide tackle in – ball first.”

It’s a tactic that he very much hopes to perfect thanks to the merits of repetitive workouts.

From an overarching standpoint, Sam Lazare walks in lockstep with his long-time teammate.

“Obviously, I would like to get seen – but first, I want to progress on the things that will help me get seen,” said the 15 year old who was born in New Caledonia (off the eastern coast of Australia), moving to Sudbury at the age of seven.

“I would like to have a future in this sport, but since I am at a young age, I’m trying to learn and get better. I still have some weaknesses in the sport.”

With tennis and jiu-jitsu as primary hobbies before moving to Canada, Lazare did not immerse himself in soccer until his relocation to northern Ontario, which coincided, relatively speaking, with World Cup 2018.

“Watching the World Cup and pro soccer taught me a lot,” said Lazare. “But it took me a while to get better at it. It wasn’t something that I learned really quickly.”

He did, however, have one very special ace in his pocket.

“One thing I was good at right away was my pace, my speed,” he noted. “I’m a very quick athlete. I also run cross-country and track. That’s one thing I tried to add on to. I tried to learn other basics of the sport while using my speed.”

And it’s out on the wings where Lazare is at his most dangerous, blessed with the ability to play either side of the pitch but with a preference towards the left flank wings. “I prefer the left side because I am a player who likes to receive the ball, dribble past one or two players and then cut in,” he said.

“I like to use my pace to dribble past players.”

That, of course, is a bi-product of both physical skill and the belief in one’s abilities to take on an opponent, one v one.

“It’s not just your footwork, but also our mindset,” said Lazare. “When you are playing really big teams, you need to be confident. You have to show them what kind of player you are.”

And that is exactly where the Valencia Academy comes in.

While both Ben-Anteur and Lazare are located full-time at the Academy, Frank Nzotungwanimana is tapping in fully to his rich family heritage, splitting time between Valencia and other opportunities. Away from campus for much of November, the 16 year old local product has been suiting up with the Burundi U17 national team, recently netting his first goal as he prepared for the U17 African Cup tournament in Ethiopia.