I know, I know, this article is going to be a bit bias towards our program as we explain the top 3 reasons why we are the best choice for your soccer star, as you enter the summer camp decision making season (December 1st – March 31st). But before we make our case for the top 3 reasons, we must say that as one of the new camps on the block that we have been doing extensive research on summer camps in the cities that we will embark on this summer, and yes, we are the best option. We are not going to call out the names of the summer camps (wouldn’t want to give them any free promotions :), but here is why we believe that we are the best camp option:
1. Soccer Camps can be really expensive or inexpensive and provide poor quality. We offer a great price point and excellent quality.
There are several soccer camps around the country that can be really expensive. When browsing through what competitors are up to this summer, in one of the cities we saw a camp for $1,750 a week, and another $985 for the week. With these two price points, we really have to question how many parents are actually spending that much on a camp, especially those with multiple children. Now in contrast, there were $99 camps. Most times these camps are led by high school and college students. With these camps you really don’t get anything more than a babysitter for 6 hours. These camps can still be fun for a camper, but if you are looking for your child to get a bit more out of their experience, then we recommend that you invest a bit more. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Our camps on the other hand are $299 before March 1st and only $349 when registered during the regular period. Each camper receives professional training, a uniform, a ball, an evaluation, in addition to professional treatment for the 6.5 hours of camp 4 1/2 days per week.
2. Too many camps have inadequate facilities. We don’t.
As a camp provider we can attest that summer camps can be extremely challenging on the staff and campers, especially when faced with 90 degree weather with humidity on any given day, so it is important that the campers have adequate facilities. An indoor space to cool off, not just a tent, is vital to ensure safety for the duration of a camp week. Camps also need places for campers to cool down, possibly even a water park. However, if a water park isn’t feasible, then camps should invest in water backpacks to spray campers throughout the duration of the camp to ensure that no one overheats. We have been in the camp business for 15 years and have visited many soccer camps across the country prior to launching the North America Caribbean Training Method Camps, and too often camps do not have the necessary facilities and we fear for the safety of the campers. Our camps require immense safety measures and when we are choosing a facility to operate, we make sure that an indoor space is available for our campers to take their breaks, have lunch, and cool down on hot summer days.
3. Too many camps do not have a curriculum, most are just free flowing, we have a curriculum.
Summer soccer camps should be a place for kids to have fun and at times have less structure, but this shouldn’t be the case from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Too often when visiting other camp sites, coaches are lounging and not engaged with the campers, and you just don’t quite know what the theme of any given camp day is because there is no curriculum. Many of our camp staffers have United States Soccer Federation licenses and all have played soccer at one level or the other ranging from high school to profressional. So structure is something that they have known for many years, and when leading a group of 10-12 players at a time, our coaches understand the importance of keeping players structured and engaged. In 2021, our coaching structure will derive from a book written by NACTM National Director of Coaching Myron Garnes called Technical Skills for Life: Presenting the 5 Lanes of Play. The book teaches players as young as 5 the importance of developing their technical skills in a fun way, all the way up to 18 year olds who are taught how to play their positions. It also teached coaches how to structure their exercises and parents what they should know when talking to their kids about soccer.
So there you have it, three reasons why we are the best choice for your child this summer. This summer we will be in Orlando (June 21-25), Houston (June 28 – July 1), Detroit (July 5-9), Atlanta (July 12-16), Virginia Beach (July 19-23), New York City (July 26-30), Washington, DC (August 2-6), and Miami (December 27-31). To view our schedule in full and to register, you can click here. Happy summer camp shopping!