If you have a budding, young soccer star in your home who would have a ball kicking around with some Vancouver Whitecaps coaching staff, and even have the chance to meet a star player, a summer camp with the ‘Caps might just be the thing for them.
Held across B.C. from July to late August, the Whitecaps’ Summer Skills camps feature the opportunity for kids from U5 to U14 categories to play like a pro under the watchful eye of former Canadian Men’s National Team captain and former Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto Blizzard player Sam Lenarduzzi.
Lenarduzzi, who is an original NASL Whitecaps team member and older brother of the MLS team’s president, Bob Lenarduzzi, leads a team of professional staff, made up of certified soccer academy coaches from various clubs, in age-specific training that spans all levels and abilities, from recreational to high performance players.
Players will engage in fun and instructive sessions where they will develop their skills that they can put to use in small-sided games, and ultimately a mini World Cup Tournament where they will square off against their fellow campers in a good-natured competition.
Other highlights of the camps include an official camp t-shirt and Whitecaps poster, which will come in handy when a Whitecaps FC player pays a visit, usually on the final day of the sessions, to greet the campers and sign autographs.
In Richmond this summer, the Whitecaps’ camp runs Aug. 28 – Sept. 1 at Hugh Boyd Turf Fields (9200 No. 1 Road — Francis and No. 1 roads), adjacent to the West Richmond Community Centre, from 1 – 3 p.m. each day.
Cost for the week is $159 plus GST.
