Despite some unruly weather early in the week, 66 kids between the ages of three and 16 took part in a weeklong soccer camp from July 2 to 6 in St. Paul, thanks to the expertise of a group of coaches from overseas.
Although the camp was rained out on Wednesday, by Thursday morning, the soccer players were back on fields, eager to learn new skills.
“It’s going really, really great,” said coach Darryl Foley, who is from Glasgow, Scotland, and one of the six coaches at the British Soccer Camp. He said that the kids were adapting really well and making progress. “We can see them develop.”
Sal Besim, who is from London, England, and another coach at the camp, pointed out that the children at last week’s soccer camp were very willing to learn and well behaved, making for a great experience in St. Paul.
“We’re learning about them and they’re learning from us,” said Besim.
Each of the six coaches at last week’s camp had to apply for the role of coach and underwent an interview process to be selected. Besim and Foley both had experience playing soccer as youth, but agreed they enjoyed coaching more than playing.
“I’m a better coach than a player,” said Foley, with a laugh.
Children were taught a variety of technical skills at the camp, and learned how to put those skills to use in an actual game of soccer.
But the camp didn’t serve only as a one-of-a-kind experience for the participating children. It has also served as a unique experience for the coaches, who stayed with host families from the community while in St. Paul.
Besim and Foley agreed they felt welcomed by the community and said their experience in St. Paul had been amazing. They even spent an evening at a local lake where they were able to wakeboard and try smores for the first time ever.
Besim said it was great to experience how people live in Canada. The coaches will continue to travel throughout Alberta and possibly into B.C. over the summer, spending a week coaching camps in each community they visit.
