Ben Wilkinson, Youth Development Phase Manager at the Owls academy, has heaped all-round praise on the recent Under-12s tournament in Portugal.
Arranged with the help of head coach Carlos Carvalhal in his homeland, the competition pitched Wednesday against FC Boaventura, CF Uniao De Madeira, FC Andorinha and CF Carvalherio in the group stages.
The Owls impressed and went on to beat CD National in the quarter finals before being eliminated in the semis by eventual winners Benfica.
Wednesday sealed a third-place finish by beating Maritmo in a penalty shooutout.
Wilkinson told swfc.co.uk: “The tournament provided the boys with their first glimpses of the life of a professional on the road. We talked to them about the importance of preparation, the effects of having the right diet, getting the right amount of sleep and the importance of rest and recovery in between games.
“The tournament also gave the boys a great opportunity to play in front of crowds and some fairly vociferous local fans!
“There was a very strong media presence too and the boys were trusted to speak to the local and national media which is a great experience for them in their development in an area in which we spend a lot of time at the academy.
“As a group of staff, we were very pleased with both the performance and the behaviour of the boys shown throughout the trip and we look forward to taking our players on similar visits in the future as the club and the academy continues to move forward.”