Friday, August 17, 2012

U9-U12 Soccer Camp


27 players, 4 days, LOTS of soccer.  Soccer Camps are always a good experience for me.

This past week we ran a soccer camp under an old project name that I started a few years ago, smartsoccer.ca . I can’t summarize how much I enjoyed it in a single sentence.

We opened the camp up to players ages U9-U12, male and female.  The content was in support of LTPD and it could not have worked out better.  The feedback from parents was encouraging and the enthusiasm of the players was motivating. 

We spent 60 minutes of each day on individual ball work and Agility/Balance/Control.  The rest of the day alternated between technique and applicable small side games to apply those techniques.  All games started with offering a few ideas then letting them play.

Using LTPD as a framework made organizing and planning the camp very simple.

I organized the camp and was helped by my two older sons and a former player from the Niagara College Women’s team that I coached.  I’ve worked several camps in the past but I enjoy implementing my own vision.  

The camp was a success.  I have a few tweaks I would make t the organization and content, but that would be with any organized event.

Olivia Page was a hard-nosed, well-coached central defender when she came to Niagara and she has taken an interesting coaching.   She will be successful and I will utilize her talents again.

All of my sons played for me for several seasons.  Watching them work with players and listening to them I realized something … they really were listening to me and my assistants all those years!   

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