Get the Most Out of Camp

Get to Understand U.S. Soccer Camps

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It took a while for the soccer camp boom to catch fire.

Two of the oldest camps are the Soccer Academy, Santa Barbara, CA, founded by head coaches at U.C.L.A. and U.C.S.B. in 1973 (www.thesocceracademy.com) and Star Academy, founded by Skip Roderick, head coach Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA (717-560-9030).

On the East Coast, Skip claims to have influenced other folks, such as Larry Boff (www.coerver-coaching.com/world.htm) and Robbie Stahl, associated with Ohio State Youth Soccer, who runs Goal-to-Goal clinics (G2Goal@aol.com). According to Roderick, Hubert Vogelsinger once observed Robbie conducting a finishing clinic that the former German player praised as the "best I've ever seen." Years earlier, Vogelsinger had launched his Vogelsinger tape series and Vogelsinger Soccer Academy,  now nearing its 40th year!

Also on the East Coast, Walter Chyzowych founded, organized and promoted the first nationwide soccer coaching education program. In 1975, he accepted the then new position with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) of director of coaching. In so doing, he helped developed college, USSF, and camp coaches, such as John Kowalski and Joe Machnik.

He founded along with Dr. Leonard Lucenko, the All American Soccer Camp in 1968, claiming the title "America's Original Soccer Camp." This camp's residency program merged with Joe Machnik's No. 1 Camps in the summer of 2000.

Mr. Chyzowych was born in Ukraine and moved to Philadelphia with his family when he was 12. He starred for the Philadelphia Tryzub Ukrainian Nationals powerhouse in the American Soccer League in the 1960s and played for other Ukrainian clubs, including Toronto Ukraina, Newark Sitch, New York USC and Chicago Lions. He died in 1994 at the age of 57.  Walt's Fund (www.waltsfund.com, non-working site) was established  to provide USSF Coaching School and other scholarships to aspiring coaches and players. Contributions to the foundation are welcome. They may be sent to: WCMF, 1421 Dorel Road, Rydel, PA 19046. (See http://www.ukrweekly.com/Archive/1997/129710.shtml)

Some U.S. camps call themselves a "school" or "academy", but they aren't in the European sense. In Europe, soccer is big business. So, for example, the Ajax youth training programme is a full-day, year-long academic and soccer school that can be attended by invitation only (www.ajax.nl). In England, many large clubs run youth training academies, also by invitation. But perhaps picking up on the U.S.'s camp success, some are offering general "soccer schools," such as Manchester United's Soccer School system (www.manutdsoccerschools.com) launched in 1999 and carried to the U.S. in 2003. On the other hand, the Tahuichi Soccer Academy founded in 1978 in Bolivia has extended it's methods to a U.S. camp, known as the Tahuichi Way Youth Soccer Camp. In the U.S., a professional-level youth program is available for kids selected by U.S. Soccer and is held at the Bollettieri Sports Academy (www.zonesoccer.com), Bradenton, FL.

In general, the emphasis on fun and skills provided by U.S. soccer camps is a happy combination.

It's a low-pressure, mentor-peer, uncle-nephew neighborhood experience. This environment encourages developing players not only to play the game, but to love the sport. This attitude, absent in most parent- and coach-driven programs, is the key to arresting the tremendous U.S. player drop out starting at age 12.

Not surprisingly, this neighborhood-family environment is often best created by "old guys" who grew up with the game in their neighborhoods.

That's why soccer camps are part of the solution for U.S. soccer.