The Discoveries Soccer Club is off on a long road trip. The team of 14 players - including two from Fort Mill - traveled just a shade more than 3,880 miles to the city of Shrewsbury, England, to compete in the Shrewsbury International Soccer Tournament.

The group, including 13 adults, flew out of Charlotte last Saturday night and arrived in London Sunday morning. A bus carried them to Shrewsbury for the opening ceremonies that night. The team is comprised of players from Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Northwestern and Clover high schools.

Fort Mill High is represented by rising senior Christian Datz and rising junior Jack Gantzer.

Discoveries is coached by Jon Rayment, who was born and raised in Shrewsbury. He moved two years ago with his wife when she was transferred from England to Rock Hill. Soon afterward he was fully engaged in local soccer with Discoveries. He also worked as a PE teacher and assistant boys soccer coach at Rock Hill High School.

Rayment said last week his team was likely to see "some dirty play, shirt-pulling and knocks" at the tournament.

"It is faster play in England, a lot more passing," he said.

The team is likely hearing English soccer talk. Locals will refer to the players as "lads."

Typical English play is described with phrases that include vicious tackles and hard challenges and you can believe the teams won't be sitting for tea after matches.

Rayment worked for months to prepare for this trip. His younger brother, Tom, practiced with the team the past two weeks. It is Tom's semipro team, the Ellesmere Rangers, that the Discoveries faced in Monday's tournament opener.

Rayment was looking forward to showing off his hometown, located two hours northwest of London in the West Midlands region of England. The River Severn serpentines around the city of 70,000 people. It is the hometown of Charles Darwin

"It's a beautiful town with a lot of history," Rayment said.

Shrewsbury is old, medieval. There are many buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries. The Shrewsbury Castle and Shrewsbury Abbey were built in 1074 and 1083, respectively.

"The United States is still a baby compared to England," said goal keeper Ryan Foster's mother, Marilyn. She serves as team manager. She was looking forward to the trip as much for the soccer as she is for the tourism.

"There is so much history. This is a chance of a lifetime," she said.

But last week, the soccer complex at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill was the setting for the final tune- up before the eight-day trip. Rayment had his team running at 8 a.m. They ran three miles, rested for a few minutes, then ran three more miles.

Later, on the practice field, Rayment ran the team through drills to simulate the rough play and quick style they would see in England.

"You've got to be more physical. You need to toughen yourself up," Rayment yelled to his team.

Datz was eager to go last week.

"We'll see really good players from all over the world," he said.

"I'm really excited about the trip. Coach told us it will be pretty good competition," Gantzer said.

Team captain Jordan Cramer was also excited about the trip.

"Oh my God, you have no idea how excited I am," Cramer said.

Discoveries is used to traveling for matches. But trips to Spartanburg, Greenville, Columbia and Clemson are more the norm, according to director of Discoveries soccer Richard Stutts.

"This will be a once in a lifetime trip to be able to go to England, experience another culture and see differences in soccer styles. There are definite differences," Stutts said.

Rayment played in this tournament growing up. It was played in Wales then, just about nine miles away from Shrewsbury. The tourney moved to Rayment's home town last year with the completion of the Shrewsbury Sports Village where they use 20 to 25 fields.

The team will stay at the Shrewsbury School, an exclusive private school. They will play a game each day through Friday. The schedule will allow the contingent to get its fill of soccer and sight-seeing.

"Posh, very posh," was the way Rayment described the team's accommodations.

If the play is as rough as Rayment makes it out to be, posh may be just what the team will need each night.

Rayment will fly home with the group. Then he and his wife will travel to Maine, Cape Cod and Washington D.C., as a farewell tour of sorts. The Rayments are moving back to England.

"Jon ingratiated himself in the southern culture. He is a very fun person and knows quite a lot about soccer," team treasurer Joe Raad said. His son Philip is vice-captain of the team.