How to Select the
Right Soccer Camp…
By Don Gemmell, Director of
Coaching & Player Education, Michigan State Youth
Soccer Assoc.
When choosing a soccer
camp, there are several things you may want to consider
to ensure that your son or daughter has an enjoyable
experience. If your child wants to play soccer competitively
and has a desire to be the best player possible, a week
or more at soccer camp is a probably a good investment.
Like any invest-ment, it should be made with careful
thought and planning. Choosing a camp is a tough and
very personal decision. It’s almost like choosing a
college for your son or daughter. The first question
you have to ask your-self is what do you hope to gain
from the experience.
As you can imagine,
there are a lot of different options when it comes to
choosing a soccer camp. First and foremost is how do
you pick the right camp for your son or daughter. Whether
you choose a local university, an area high school or
a club soccer camp, here are a few questions I rec-ommend
you should ask.
- Who
will be coaching your son/daughter? Are they qualified?
Do they have a playing background? Are they licensed
coaches? Do the “high profile” coaches outlined
in the various brochures really spend time coaching
the players?
- What
kind of training will your son or daughter receive?
Are their particular training methods up to date?
Are the methods of instruc-tion age appropriate
and does the soccer camp provide a written curriculum
for your review?
- Are
the facilities and environment conducive to proper
learning? Is there enough equipment for proper training
for each player at the camp? Are the fields that
will be used safe?
- Who
will supervise your son/daughter during “downtime”?
- Finally,
will the camp have certi-fied athletic trainers
on hand in case of injury?
I believe the best way
to judge a program is to ask those who may have attended
the camp in the past. Do the individuals recommend the
camp and would they want to return to that camp in the
future? Do these same individuals recommend the camp
without hesitation and do so enthusiastically? If they
do, that says an awful lot. If those you speak to can
say to you and others that they are better soccer players
because they at-tended the camp, that says it all. Good
luck and have fun!
Editor’s Note: You may contact
Don Gemmell at dgemmell@msysa.net
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