Passing this along from Christian Alarie, please contact him if you are interested........
HOMECHOOLING GIRLS
SPRING 2011 SOCCER YOUTH CAMP
(7-10 YEAR OLDS)
Hi, my name is Christian Alarie, and I have two homeschooled daughters. Last summer I put on a soccer summer camp in Simsbury, CT for girls 7-10 years old. We had 24 children sign up and come at least once, with 16 regulars. The children all seemed to enjoy themselves and learn the basic fundamentals of how to play the sport. Each week we exercised, learned a new skill and spent a good amount of time playing actual games and making friends. It also seemed to be a good time for the parents who shared their ideas on teaching and the latest curriculums. This year I will be putting on another camp for homeschool girls starting in April.
Before I get into the particulars of the camp, let me mention a few things. It doesn’t matter if your child has played the sport before. Last year the majority of the kids were new to soccer or had not previously played it in a structured manner and we all survived by having fun. Also, let me quickly tell you a little bit about myself. I’m a Christian dad of four who played soccer for a number of years (long ago, but I still know how to play) and remembers that the most important things are that the children have fun and learn how to play the sport.
The details for soccer camp are still being finalized, but here is where we are at now:
- The dates for the camp are Fridays on April 15 and 29, May 6, 13, 20 and 27 and June 3 (7 weeks). If Weather is a factor dates may be extended further into June
- We will play at the soccer fields off of Iron Horse Boulevard in Simsbury, CT from 9:30-11:30 am
- The camp is free- everyone likes that word
- The only financial issues to consider are:
1. Every child must have there own soccer ball, if one hasn’t already been purchased, a size 4 ball would be best, since we will be using that size for the games
2. It is not a requirement to have cleats or shin guards, but some children may chose to wear them
3. Depending on the number of children, the camp will also be run with league play, working on team building and each team will have color coded tee-shirts with a number and team name (i.e. Golden Eagles, Falcons, etc…) and those shirts while basic, may have to be purchased by the parents. I have however looked into simple shirts that are inexpensive, and depending on the number of children, I may be able to get my work to sponsor the teams, so don’t worry about that cost just yet, it will be worked out when the time comes.
- As of right now I have 9 children signed up and am not putting a cap on the number of participants at this point (I would like to get as many as 24 regulars if not more)
- I am looking for adult assistance for those interested
- I have a special education degree and would be open to children with special needs playing (Please contact me to discuss 1st-so we can make the proper accommodations)
- Last year we made some age exceptions for participants and I would be willing to do so this year-lets just discuss it first
- Refreshments should be brought by the parents
- All children should come dressed appropriately- in April and May it can be cold or hot, so check the weather before coming. Very hot days will be spent between low key drills and sitting in the shade discussing soccer (there is a pavilion that we can all sit on for shade)
- Rain days are at the discretion of the parents- Soccer will be played rain or shine
- The children must come with two attitudes 1) to have fun and 2) want to learn to play (no matter what we learn its more than we knew before, and making friends is even better than sports)
- I will bring necessary equipment for practice and a few extra soccer balls
- We will be playing on the regular size field for the childrens age and shooting on regulation size goals this year.
- As of right now, the camp is being set up as getting to know each other, exercising, learning or refreshing our knowledge of the sport, learning skills and running drills, taking breaks to stay hydrated and playing scrimmages the first two weeks. The other weeks will be run in a similar fashion except instead of scrimmaging the newly learned skills will be put into practice in regular games on set teams (this can generally help the children in building stronger bonds as part of a team and in their understanding of the skills they are learning)
- During the games everyone will play an equal amount of the time and all games are geared towards learning and having fun
- Each parent will need to fill out a basic release form for their child to participate in the camp
- We will be exercising before every practice, and doing some running (nothing to strenuous). Please make your children aware of this- accommodations can be made for those who need them
- ALSO- We ask that parents not bring children that are sick (this includes mildly sick), as there may be some children in attendance that have compromised immune systems. Once your child is feeling better come back for more fun.
- Individual and team soccer pictures are taken, (if desired) the 2nd to last week of the camp and given to the children/parents on the last day. If pictures are not wanted they will not be taken. Last year we were able to do this without cost to the parents.
Please let me know as soon as possible of your child's intent to participate in the camp, so I can put them on the list right away. If there is a big sign up this year we may have to limit the participation so early acknowledgment is appreciated. I will consider participant sign up finalized by April 1st, as adequate time must be allotted to order the shirts. Also, parents please let me know of your availability to assist with the camp- it will be appreciated.
Thank you
Christian Alarie
Reference Soccer Camp
Email is preferred-I will respond promptly
If phone contact is needed please contact 860-216-8034
(If you can't leave a message please send an email or call back)
