Kids learn new soccer skills at St. Patrick's
Group pictured at the launch of the Girls Soccer School which will be held at Parkville United's grounds in August.
THE FIRST week of the FAI Summer Soccer Schools in County Carlow was hosted by St Patrick's Boys FC in Graiguecullen. This was the club's 8th summer hosting a FAI Summer Soccer School and this proved to be as successful as the previous events.
With a week to go before kick off the 'Camp Full' signs were up with 100 children registered to participate. The age range of the camp was 6 to 14 years with eight coaches on site all week.
Monday's topic was ' perfect passing', Tuesday was ' dazzling dribbling', on Wednesday it was ' shooting stars' and Thursday was 'heads up', the afternoon session on everyday was a mini champions league focusing on the topic of the day.
On Friday it was a mixture of ' fans favourite' where the players decided want they want to work on from earlier in the week and the mini World Cup in the afternoon.
The week saw a great mixture of children who play football on a regular basis and those children who use the Summer Soccer Schools as a way of seeing if they want to get involved in club football. All coaches during the week took a 'player centred' approach with the emphasis on fun and participation and as a result the week went off incident and accident free and all 100 children being treated with dignity and respect and the very tired coaches taking a well earned break before the next FAI Summer Soccer School in McGrath Park, Bagenalstown (week 4) kicking off on Monday, July 26.
The FAI would like to thank St Patrick's Boys FC for once again being a great host and a big thanks to the clubs coordinator of the Summer Soccer Schools Fran Darcy who really promoted the camp locally and was always on hand during the week to assist the children, coaches and parents.
On Week 7 (Monday, August 16) Parkville United FC will host its 10th FAI Summer Soccer School with a girls only section new to the camp this year and during the same week the Carlow & District Juveniles League will host a FAI Summer Soccer Schools Goalkeeping camp which will be held in Parkville United on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 17th, 18th and 19th August from 6pm to 9pm. All information for the camps is available from www.summerosccerschools.ie
