Florida next week.

And though it will be close to Christmas, with the college students on their break, the tour will be anything but a holiday, technical director Clyde Best warns.

Best will accompany coaches Mark Trott and Dennis Brown on the five-day visit which will bring the entire Olympic qualifying squad together for the first time this season. Qualifying matches are scheduled to start in early 2000 so Best is stressing the importance of this tour.

"I feel great, it gives us a chance to get the players in a football environment for the first time,'' said Best.

"Those thinking it will be a holiday will be kidding themselves. We'll be working our butts off, three times a day. We can't afford to have a holiday.'' The team's opponents are yet to be confirmed but Best expects to have it all finalised by this weekend, with matches against semi-professional and other senior teams.

There will be plenty at stake for the players -- 12 of the 21 are in college and will join the team there -- as places will be up for grabs not only in the Olympic squad but also the senior team for World Cup qualifying matches which will start by next summer.

"For those who perform well it could be a springboard into the senior team,'' said Best. "This is the longest we're going to have the players together before the Olympic qualifying starts.'' Added Brown, himself a former national youth team captain: "What we really wanted to do is get them into a training environment which is hard to do in Bermuda because almost everybody works.

"There is going to be a lot of work, with the first session starting at 7 a.m. If you look at the select for the under-23s they are some of the brightest young talent in Bermuda and it would be an injustice just to send them into a tournament.'' The team departs next Thursday and returns on December 21.

Squad: Jermaine Aberdeen, Tokia Russell, Keith Jennings, Chae Simmons, Jamaul Boyles, Tori Davis, Stephen Astwood, Jay Smith, Blenn Bean, Jamal Warren, Damon Ming, Ralph Bean, Nigel Burgess, Joey Rego, David Thomas, Jemeiko Jennings, Kofi Dill, Omar Shakir, Kaiya Darrell, Rohan Simons, John Barry Nusum. Officials -- Clyde Best (technical director), Mark Trott (coach), Dennis Brown (coach), Edwin Lambert (equipment manager), Anthony Raynor (medic).