Youth Soccer Camps

British soccer coaches a hit at Redding youth camp

At a local youth soccer camp in Redding this week, one of the young campers asked the usual question of who was leading the latest game.

The coach's response was, "We're leading at the moment. Cheers."

To which the youth smiled and responded, "Cheers."

That sort of exchange is common at this point of the year at Redding Soccer Park, which is hosting three British soccer camps this summer.

These camps bring soccer coaches from England and Wales to Redding to give local youths a different take on the sport.

"The camps are really popular," said Mark Starr, the general manager at Redding Soccer Park. "The kids like the accents. They tend to think that since the coaches are British, they know a lot about soccer."

That is why Challenger Sports, the largest soccer camp program in the U.S. and Canada, conducts British soccer camps all over the two countries.

Redding Soccer Park hosts its share of British soccer camps because it is growing in popularity in the local area. Challenger Sports' British Soccer Camp, a weeklong camp for ages 3-16, occurs twice at the Redding Soccer Park this summer. The first one concluded Friday with its highest turnout ever.

"The numbers here for this week has almost doubled from a year ago," said Anthony Lewis, one of the four British soccer coaches on hand for this past week's camp.

Starr said that the camp turnout average in 2010 was around 25 youths.

This past British Soccer camp that lasted Monday through Friday had a turnout of more than 40 youths.

Starr also said interest in a second British Soccer camp by Challenger Sports at the Redding Soccer Park, scheduled for Aug. 1-5, is ahead of last year's camp as well.

Redding Soccer Park also will be the site of a U.K. International Soccer Camp on July 18-22 that is put on with the aid of the Redding Youth Soccer League.

"Typically, we try to put on a soccer camp once a month," Starr said. "I like how the coaches for Challenger Sports run the camps. They do a really good job of adjusting their teachings to each age group and they keep the kids active. The U.K. camp is similar to this."

For the British soccer camps, there are morning sessions for some of the younger campers age 6 and under.

There are also half-day and full-day camps for ages 8-16. Starr said the majority of the campers are usually there for the morning only, though some are willing to go the entire day.

Wagner College to host three youth soccer camps | SILive.com

GRYMES HILL -- Wagner College will host three separate soccer camps this summer with an eye toward accommodating boys and girls of all ages and different skill levels.

The Little Seahawk Summer Soccer Camp (ages 3-5), the AC Milan Soccer Summer Camp (ages 7-18) and the Summer Soccer Day Camp (ages 6-15) will all take place at Wagner’s Grymes Hill campus during the week of July 11-15 and July 18-22. All three camps will run between 9 a.m-4 p.m. daily and the campers will have full use of Wagner’s state-of-the-art facilities.

The camps will include expert coaching staffs, including current Wagner players, local coaches, former college players and several members of AC Milan, the Italian professional futbal (soccer) club based in Milan, Italy. (They have won 18 officially recognized international titles, tied with Boca Juniors as having the most in the world.)

The Little Seahawk Camp will focus on promoting fundamental aspects and basic rules of the game. The cost is $225 and includes camp T-shirt and a soccer ball.

The AC Milan Camp not only includes members of the legendary organization’s coaching staff, but also its director of youth camps and AC Milan Youth Academy players. Campers will receive extensive individual instruction and world-class coaching to improve each player’s skills through technical and tactical training. The fee is $395 and includes an AC Milan white and red jersey, shorts and socks and a soccer ball.

The Summer Soccer Day Camp is designed to help develop and promote comprehension of the game while having a meaningful camp experience. The camp is for novice and intermediate level players. The fee is $295 and includes a Day Camp Soccer T-shirt and a soccer ball.

All three camps include lunch at Wagner’s dining hall.

Campers must bring standard soccer equipment (cleats/turfs, shin guards); sneakers/sandals; a snack; sunscreen and water bottle. Little Seahawk and Soccer Day Campers should also bring a bathing suit for slip-and-slide water fun outside.

Brochures for all three camps are on Wagner College’s women’s soccer page on the school website. In addition, interested parties may contact Robert Cornell at 718-390-3213.

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