Also see:
When Should We Teach
Positions? Choosing The Right Soccer
Camp
By Jan Smisek, U.S. Soccer U-14 National Coaching Coordinator
By Shasta Walker
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Also see: When Should We Teach
Positions? Choosing The Right Soccer
Camp |
Camps, Camps And More Camps
By Judith Phillips RogersThese are surely the best of times for girls and young women who want to go to soccer camp. More programs and options exist than ever before, and numerous courses designed specifically for girls are available. However, camps are expensive, so that players and their families want to know whether significant improvements in playing skills can be expected.
Brandi Chastain, U.S. National Team member and Assistant Coach at Santa Clara University answers, "One week in a camp can do wonders for a young player." She attended day camps run in conjunction with a professional league team from the time she was nine until she was 13 or 14, and feels she gained much from the experience and exposure to professional coaching staff.
When asked if he can see better skills in the incoming Notre Dame players as a result of their having attended camps, Fighting Irish Coach Chris Petrucelli responded with an unequivocal, "Absolutely."
Coach Kevin Boyd of the University of California, Berkeley worked as a club coach before moving to the college arena. He also was unhesitating in noting the big improvements he has seen in teen club players after they attended a summer soccer camp.
Committed soccer players can raise their level of play by about 60% by attending a camp with a specific focus and individual attention, according to Dr. Joe Machnik, former women's coach at the University of New Haven, currently Vice President of Game Operations for Major League Soccer (MLS) and founder of Joe Machnik's #1 Camps.
Keep in mind that we are talking about self-motivated, committed players, and that all of those interviewed for this article are involved in running summer soccer camps. However, it does seem that camps are able to offer a variety of advantages, depending on the age and goals of the player. Arkansas Head Coach Janet Rayfield has observed that for teens living in areas where there is not a high level of competitive soccer, a camp experience can offer a vision of the level of play that is out there and can challenge a player to a higher level of play and competitiveness.
April Heinrichs, University of Virginia Head Coach, Head Coach U.S. U-16 National Team and former U.S. National Team Captain, notes that camps offer an opportunity for teens to be exposed to different styles of coaching and that for many players, camps help to bridge a gap in summertime when they aren't able to play as much. She also points out another important aspect of camps for high school students: most college coaches use camps as a recruiting tool and a way of looking at potential college players. All the college coaches interviewed for this article agreed that they use camps as one way to look at prospective recruits and that players' exposure to the college campus and coaching staff can help students decide which college they want to attend.
Coach Heinrichs is frank in pointing out that attending a camp at a desired university or run by a certain coach is by no means a guarantee of getting into the school. Several hundred campers usually attend each camp and the odds of being a player who is recruited may be about one in seventy.
While many serious high school players may chose a camp in hopes of being spotted by a college coach, others need to consider their own specific goals for attending a camp. Most of the top college coaches are actively involved in running camps, while many excellent camps are run by camp professionals. All agree that it is very important to check the credentials of who is actually doing the coaching. In deciding which type of camp to attend, one needs to consider that people in the business of running camps had many seasons in which to work out the logistics and be prepared for all sorts of potential problems, whereas for college coaches it is one of many activities.
The camper's specific goals will be partially determined by age and personality. Younger campers should attend day camps, few residential camps accept players until they are 10 or 12. U.C. Berkeley offers a good model for a day camp curriculum based on age. For campers at age 6 the plan is to develop general coordination while keeping all participants actively involved and making the sport fun. At ages 7 and 8 more ball skills are introduced, with an emphasis on dribbling and specific moves, whereas by 9 and 10 campers are taught passing and more advanced ball control. Residential camps usually divide participants by skill level after an initial review of their play, so that girls from beginners to advanced players can benefit and acquire new skills.
For older girls the choice of coed vs. same sex camp is important, and advice from the experts is mixed on this. Coach Heinrichs recommends that players should stick with their own gender from age 15 up, but feels that for younger ages mixed sex camps are fine. Coach Chastain believes that the choice depends greatly on the girl's personality, noting that an aggressive player (like herself) enjoys the challenge of playing against boys, but that less aggressive players may be intimidated and do better in an all girls camp. Coach Boyd notes that in many settings when activities are coed the boys get more attention, and feels that same sex camps ensure girls of getting the attention they deserve. Coach Petrucelli runs a camp exclusively for girls, but feels that, "It's probably good for them to play with guys" - at least occasionally. Coach Rayfield, who also runs an all girls camp, thinks that there are advantages to coed camps, that it depends in large part on the girl's personality and that it is good that girls can have the choice.
Another factor which seems to depend on the camper's personality is size of the camp. In a relatively small setting, such as Coach Rayfield's camp at the University of Arkansas, there are smaller groups and more individual attention for each camper. She notes that some campers will prefer larger camps, because they enjoy being exposed to more styles, having more challenges and competition. Dr. Machnik advises that regardless of the number of total campers, the staff to camper ratio should not exceed 1 to 10.
Many wonder whether they will get more out of an ODP or a camp experience. The most competitive players try to get both, but if resources are limited, the decision depends on the girl's goals. Coach Boyd advises that if the girl needs to be seen and selected, OPD camp is the route to take, but that if the goal is development as a player, she will benefit more from an intensive camp experience.
Most coaches agree that specific camps for goalkeepers are helpful. The Machnik #1 camps train goalies and strikers separately during part of their program, then pit their skills against one another. Coach Heinrichs stresses that for all field positions players need versatility and training in all aspects of the game.
Opinion is divided on the advantage of taking an entire team to camp. Some see this as a gimmick to attract more campers, while others feel that there can be significant benefits for some clubs, especially if the coach gets coached as part of the program.Other camp options include travel to foreign countries, as a team or individually. Exposure to other cultures and styles of play can add many dimensions to the camping experience. Other activities, such as ropes and adventure courses, are being added to some camps. All professionals advise that campers should list their own priorities, preferences and goals, then find the camp which most closely fits. Players and parents should research the staff and facilities, and if possible talk with former campers and their families to find out how the camp really met expectations.
Above all else, camp should be fun. Coach Rayfield emphasizes that soccer camp should be a pleasurable event for "even the most driven athlete." All those interviewed for this article agreed that soccer camp should be an enjoyable experience regardless of the player's specific goals.
©WSW March/April 1998
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