Organizers of the upcoming British soccer camps are hoping that children who participate not only improve their soccer skills but also catch football fever.
“Where hockey is king in Canada, the same is true for football in the UK,” said Richard Upton, regional representative for Challenger Sports, the Seattle-based company that recruits, trains and brings British soccer coaches over from the United Kingdom to teach North American children in summer soccer camps.
“It’s the sport everybody plays and follows,” said Upton. “It’s a deeply engrained passion in British people.”
This is a first for Powell River and according to Bill Reid, director of parks, recreation and culture for the City of Powell River, registrations have been few, but he’s confident that the numbers will improve. “As with anything new in this community, we know it takes a while for things to catch on,” he said.
Reid is hopeful that as summer vacation approaches, parents start thinking about registering their children for summer camps.
The camps are divided into four age categories from children as young as three years old up to 16 years old. Camps run from one hour per day for the youngest participants up to six hours a day. Coaches take a multi-pronged approach and focus on helping to improve a player’s fundamentals like passing, shooting, moves and defending while at the same time keeping it fun and cultivating a passion for the sport.
Over the past few years the popularity of British soccer camps has really taken off throughout Western Canada. The first BC community to host the camps was Golden in the Kootenays, and since then they have become increasingly widespread.
“Saanich has had the camps for the past five seasons and it’s been a great success,” said Reid.
According to Upton, 35 BC communities host the summer camps and about 100 throughout Western Canada. Challenger Sports hires around 1,000 British coaches each year and runs camps throughout the United States and Canada. All coaches go through “a number of assessments and training,” he said.
“It’s a great experience for the coaches because they’re out there doing what they love—coaching the kids and travelling around,” said Upton. “They’ll spend one week in Powell River and then on Vancouver Island.”
Upton said the coaches who are brought over are often looking for a working holiday and a cultural exchange and often stay with local families in the community.
The British soccer camps run from July 22 to 26. For more information about the programs or how to register, readers can contact the complex at 604.485.2891.
