Once school is out for the summer, panic starts to set in for parents. How to keep your child engaged? How to build a structure without too much structure, formality without being too formal, and learning opportunities that don?t feel like school work to engage your child during their two months of ?freedom?? For many families, this involves family vacations, summer camps, programs and classes. One of the luxuries of looking at programs or camps is that they are more easily adapted into your new summer schedule. For a child who loves sports?particularly soccer?there are endless opportunities. This summer, why not look at enrolling them in a five day soccer camp?

World Cup Soccer Camps for Children

Here at World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics, we provide soccer camps for children of all ages and abilities. Since running our first camp in 1991, we have maintained the highest standards of professional coaching, earning a reputation as one of the best all-around camp businesses in Northern California. We employ approximately 90 coaches, all with high levels of coaching experience and training/course work. Further, we maintain a ratio of one coach for every 10 players, so you can be sure your child is getting the attention he/she needs.

Types of Camps

World Cup Soccer Camps offers camps for children from age 5 to 18 based on their experience level, such as Advanced Player?s Camps which focuses on high level players, or those seeking to better their goalkeeping skills or Team Camps to prepare the school team for the upcoming season. Our summer camps are five days long (Monday to Friday), and participants can choose between a half-day and a full-day camp. Half-day sessions run from 9:30 A.M – 12:30 P.M with full-day extending up to 3:00 P.M. For an additional fee, there is extended care option in the mornings and afternoons to address pick-up and drop-off before and after work.

Classic Skill Camps

One of our most common camps is our Classic Skill Camp for players of all levels, ages 7-9. Do not fear that your child will get lost in this camp. The first thing that we do is put the kids into groups according to their age and skill?we evaluate all participants on the first day of camp to ensure their experience is a positive one with learning opportunities at their current skill levels i.e. beginner, intermediate and advanced. The Classic Skill Camp format dedicates the morning session to working on basic skills and soccer concepts, and the afternoon session to teamwork and game situations. While a lot of emphasis is placed on skill development, everything we do and teach is done in a way that is fun and challenging to the participants?no boot camps here.

Daily Agenda

We have a very structured agenda to help participants understand daily expectations and to create consistency between experiences. As noted above, we offer extended childcare upon request from 8-9 A.M in the morning and from 3-6 P.M in the afternoon. Instruction begins sharply at 9:30 A.M, warm up and stretching followed by skills training to teach and improve the fundamentals of soccer, such as passing, dribbling, shooting, etc. After a leisurely one-hour lunch, afternoon activity consists of strategy, team concept games, and a scrimmage to practice the newly-learned skills.

This summer, make it a soccer experience and enroll your child for five day soccer camps in California. To find out more about the camps at World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics, call us at (408) 354-4949 or e-mail contact@worldcupsoccercamps.com.

Soccer, or football as it is known outside of North America, has proven to be a popular athletic sport for kid and adults. With soccer season coming up that means that it is time for soccer tryouts. Here are a few tips to help people get ready for soccer tryouts.

Equipment

?Soccer is a great sport because there are only a few pieces of equipment needed to play the game. A pair of gym shorts, a T-shirt, athletic socks and running shoes is the basic athletic equipment needed for soccer. People might also want to have gym pants and a longer shirt for cooler outdoor weather practice or games. Those who are training for goalkeeper position may want to purchase goalkeeper gloves, but these gloves are not needed for any other position on a soccer team.

The most important part of the soccer uniform is the shoes. If soccer is being played in an indoor gymnasium or field, then a regular pair of athletic running shoes will suffice. For outdoor soccer, a pair of cleats will be needed. Cleats are a type of athletic shoe that have studs on the bottom of the soles. They are used to help gain traction on the outdoor field, which is particularly helpful if the ground is soft or muddy from a recent rain. While some cleats may be metal and spiked, most cleats will be rounded at the bottom. Pointed cleats are illegal in some soccer organizations due to safety concerns. People should contact the soccer organization directly to find out if spiked cleats are allowed.

While the soccer organization will likely have their own soccer balls for games and tryouts, people should make sure to purchase a soccer ball to practice with, both before tryouts, and after they have made it onto the team. Have a tote or small gym bag to carry the equipment. Do not forget to include a water bottle to keep hydrated.

Soccer Positions

?There are several different positions on a soccer team. The goalkeeper stays in the soccer net and prevents the other team from scoring a goal on the goalkeeper?s team. The defenders help defend their team?s goal from the opposing team. The forwards work together to move the ball forward to score a goal for the opposing team. Midfielders switch between acting as defensive and offensive for their team. The players should pick one position on a soccer team to try out for, as they will be able to work on perfecting their skills for that position during tryouts.

Training

Finally, it is important to practice for tryouts. Improving cardiovascular skills through running or aerobic exercises doing strength training to improve muscle in the legs and calves will help a person improve their soccer skills.

To help improve with specific techniques, like dribbling and passing, people should consider doing a one on one or group training session with a personal soccer trainer. A trainer will make sure people are using the proper technique that decreases the risk of injury (such as a pulled muscle) while increasing peoples? chances of making it onto the soccer team.

If you are interested in honing your soccer skills, sign up for our soccer training camps conducted by expert coaches at World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics in California. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 408-354-4949 or?contact@worldcupsoccercamps.com.

It is important to know that you have options when choosing soccer camps. Here at World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics, we feel that you should have the answers clearly laid out before you decide which to choose.

Following are 12 questions that parents need to ask before choosing a soccer camp:

1. What is the history of the camp? We, World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics has been providing soccer camps since 1991, increasing the number of camps and locations offered each year.

2. What is the experience of the coaches? We ensure the highest standard of professional coaching with over 90 coaches certified in California.

3. What are the offered locations? We pride ourselves on offering more locations than any other soccer camp. We currently run camps in Northern California, and across the USA. You can search all our locations here.

4. What is the length of the soccer camps? We try to accommodate all schedules with half-day and full-day soccer camps and the option for extended care. Camps are held weekdays, from June onwards till August. Take a look at the ?Current and future camp schedule?for a complete schedule of all our camps.

5. Are there options for one-on-one training? We do offer individual and group training sessions. Individual sessions are good for players who wish to catch up on a specific skill, which others have mastered. We work with you to determine what your child needs and help you meet their goals.

6. How do I determine the appropriate level for my child? It is very important that your child is placed in the right level. We wish to ensure they are comfortable, yet challenged ? we continue to monitor their progress and will work with you to determine if they should move up or down a level.

7. What is the coach to player ratio? With a 1 to 10 coach to player ratio, there is more time to evaluate individual players and focus on developing both athletic and team building skills, while ensuring maximum participation, fun and enjoyment.

8. What Skills are learned? Our emphasis is on creating a fun and safe environment first and foremost, however we will work with each player to build on their athletic and team building skills with a focus on passing, kicking, dribbling and general understanding of the game as it relates to the age of the players.

9. My child is sensitive to weather ? how do you address this in an outdoor venue? Our staff is trained to stop for water breaks frequently throughout camp. We make an effort to hold our camps at sites that provide adequate shade and do not get too hot. If necessary, we will put up tents to provide additional shade for the campers.

10. What you expect parents to do? Please have your child to the camp on time each day and picked up when the camp ends unless extended care has been approved. Encourage your child to explore the game and have fun.

11. How do I prepare my child each day? Since we are outside, prepare for the weather – remember to put sunscreen on your child! Bring shin guards, cleats, sunscreen, a snack, and water. Full Day campers also need to bring a lunch.

12. What about a jersey or T-shirt? We know how important it is that your child feel part of a group so we provide every player with a T-shirt as well as a soccer ball.

To find out more about our soccer camps, contact World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics at camps@worldcupsoccercamps.com.

Summer vacation offers the promise of beautiful weather, hot days, and long, warm nights ? it also means no school for millions of children all over the country. To keep children active during the summer months, our soccer camps and clinics offer both children and parents a great way to stay active and, of course, to play a fun sport. Our summer soccer camps and clinics are a great way for parents to keep their children active in a game of soccer and to boost their confidence while playing the game. What children enjoy the most about these camps and clinics is the great experience, making friends and learning how to enjoy the game.

Personal Attention and Instruction

Summer soccer camps and clinics offer children personal attention and instruction from players and coaches who just want to encourage children to play soccer and to have fun while doing it. Children enjoy summer soccer camps, or any learning, more when the instruction they receive about the sport is fun and personal. When children receive personal attention and instruction from their coach, it makes them feel more a part of a team, and that their contribution is valued, and that someone believes in them. This facilitates learning in a fun way, making soccer camps and clinics a great choice for summer vacation fun.

Team Building and Positive Attitudes

When children play soccer together at summer soccer camps and clinics, they are playing as a team and, children learn how to play together and develop a positive attitude towards all aspects of the game. This comes through teaching children how to play soccer using creative drills. Children of various skill levels can all play together and learn from each other. They do not have to worry about how well they play or do not play; our coaches will help every child to work together and enjoy the game. All of these facets come together to create a familiar camaraderie that builds each child up, focuses on the skills they learn and the team that gets created. Everyone is encouraged to have a positive attitude when playing and children can enjoy their summer soccer camp and clinic experience.

Great Experience

Most of all, what children enjoy about our summer soccer camps and clinics in California is the great experience they get during the summer, practicing their skills, and playing soccer in a fun, yet supportive environment. At summer soccer camp, children can make lifelong friends with other children who enjoy soccer and just want to play. Although these children may live on opposite sides of the city or state, the bonds they forge while at camp will withstand any distance put between them. We, at World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics not only help turn children into better soccer players, but also enjoy the game of soccer, get great personal attention and instruction, team skills, and develop a positive attitude.

Nowadays, parents are inundated with opportunities for programs for their children to participate in ? dance, music, art, sports, martial arts, skating, gymnastics, etc. For some people, it is simply a matter of juggling activities, exposing children to the widest range of activities and ensuring high standards are being met in each of these activities. Some families have the added challenge of having to choose programs not only based on schedules but on cost. All these need to be considered.? Once the activity is decided upon, for example, soccer, determine how to choose the best soccer camp to meet your family needs. Let us look at a couple factors that have an impact on choosing the best soccer camp in California: accessibility or availability and reputation.

Accessibility / Availability

For most families, decisions on children?s activities will be greatly impacted by location, availability and accessibility. Most communities will have recreational soccer leagues, providing play opportunities for children ? coaches are often parents and are volunteers rather than professional coaches. For children who are simply playing to stay active and have fun, these programs are perfect. However, for the child who wants to focus on their skill development or progress to a more competitive program, they may be looking for something more. World Cup Soccer Camps, realizing the importance of accessibility, have opened up soccer camp programs in Northern California and across the USA. Click here for a complete list of our locations and available camps.

Reputation

When you are paying for a program, it is important to know that not only are your children safe and respected and having fun, but that they are being exposed to the game and taught skills by those qualified to do so. When determining how to choose the best soccer camp, the quality of coaching is key as is the reputation of the program itself. Specific to reputation, World Cup Soccer Camps began in 1991 with two small camps; we have grown steadily each year, adding more sites and increasing the numbers of children accessing the program. Last year over four thousand children joined our camps. In our soccer camps, there is an emphasis on instruction targeted to the age and skill level of each child. With a 1:10 coach to player ratio, there is more time to evaluate individual players and focus on developing both athletic and team building skills while ensuring every child has fun.

Why World Cup Soccer Camps

Here at World Cup Soccer Camps, we provide top notch soccer camps, clinics, after-school classes, team camps, goalkeeper training and personal soccer training for children of all ages and abilities.? We will work with potential families to choose the best soccer camp or program for their child, based on their current skill level, passion for the game and any known challenges or limitations. We ensure the highest standard of professional coaching with over 90 certified coaches and over two hundred soccer camps in California across 40 cities providing opportunities for over four thousand children.? To find out more about our soccer camps and clinics, contact World Cup Soccer Camps at contact@worldcupsoccercamps.com.

The kids cluster around the synthetic rubber sphere kicking and screaming at it and each other in unison. If they are lucky the tips of their shoes are actually touching the ball, but the majority are striking their teammates shins.? The ball rolls a couple of inches at a time, every once in a while it squirts out of the hungry pack of flailing feet, but it?s escape is short lived.? The hovering knot of hyped up children soon catches the ball and it disappears once again into the twisted hoard of legs and feet.?? Soccer, the beautiful game but is it really? They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.? World Soccer Camps sees beauty in that swarm of pint-sized humanity making them a leader among soccer camps in California.

5,000 future David Beckhams? and Mia Hamms? attended World Cup Soccer Camps last year compared that to just 30 kids who attended the first World Cup Soccer Camps in California (San Mateo) just over twenty years ago.? The dramatic rise in attendance at the camp can be attributed to two factors; the upswing in the popularity of soccer in North America and the hard work, dedication and passion of Ruedi Graf who started World Cup Soccer Camps in 1991.

There are plenty of players on the pitch when it comes to soccer camps in California.? To be a header above the rest, World Cup Soccer Camps have earned the reputation of one of the best all-round camps.? A team of 90 coaches, with a ratio of 10-1 participants to instructors, guide players from age 5 all the way to 18.? The goal is to bring out the full potential of every child on the field regardless of their skill set.? This is accomplished through a concentrated focus on fundamentals and an emphasis on instruction, all while having fun in a safe environment.
From drop-off to pick-up, participants will be passing, dribbling, shooting, trapping and scoring.? The experienced coaching staff will keep a close watch to evaluate the player progress.? This is to ensure every participant is in the proper category, which not only challenges them to improve their skills but also builds their confidence so they keep pushing themselves at soccer camps in California.

World Cup Soccer Camps is more than just soccer?camps in California, there are also private training instructors who offer personalized training to individuals or small groups.? These highly qualified coaches are experts at the development of technical skills and game tactics. Their customize practice sessions, that are available year round, challenge participants to set, meet and most times exceed their goals.

World Cup Soccer Camps are running all over Northern California including the San Francisco Bay Area. We now also offer camps across the USA. World Cup Soccer Camps and Ruedi Graf have more expansions in mind, which will help keep the beautiful game? beautiful. Click here for a full list of current locations and their schedules and, please, check back as the list continues to expand.

Representatives with World Cup Soccer Camp & Clinics announced today that it has started its Hire a Personal Trainer Service.

Ruedi Graf, founder and spokesman for World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics, said the organization now offers individual training for as low as $85.

?World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics? Hire a Personal Trainer Service (worldcupsoccercamps.com/training?) focuses on the individual needs of our clients,? Graf stressed. ?Our personal soccer training staff is well qualified to train each client for guaranteed results. All of our trainers are seasoned professionals and will challenge you to meet your goals.?

The company, which employs approximately 90 coaches, also offers group training with a one instructor to two player ratio. Prices range from $45 for one session to $570 for six sessions.

In addition, Graf, who was voted and awarded the 2004 MVLA Soccer Club Coach of the Year, and 1995 High School Coach of the Year, noted that the club offers group training where the ratio is one instructor to three players.

Prices range from $35 for one session to $300 for six sessions.

?All six-session personal training packages include a written evaluation,? Graf pointed out.

World Cup Soccer Camps & Clinics, according to Graf, provides soccer camps, clinics, after-school classes, team training and personal soccer training for children of all ages and abilities.

?When it comes to technical knowledge, our trainers have the education and experience and know how to share it with you,? Graf said. ?Individuality we understand that everyone is unique and requires a program that works on the needs of the individual.?

Graf added that the club strives to motivate all players.

?We know how to keep you motivated and focuses on your individual goals,? Graf said, before adding, ?Your time is valuable. We will help you make the most of your 75-minute session by providing you with a time efficient and effective program. We are committed to our clients and helping them, achieve success. Our method of coaching is guaranteed to improve your game.?

For more information, please visit:?http://worldcupsoccercamps.com?andhttp://worldcupsoccercamps.com/locations

Teamwork is one of the most vital skills that anyone will ever learn. It allows us to tackle more difficult problems than we would be able to handle on our own, and to get work done much more quickly than a solo effort could ever manage. Teamwork is also one of the harder skills to learn, since no two people are exactly alike. However, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and one of the very best ways for kids to practice teamwork is to get involved in a team sport. That?s why many parents?look for soccer camps in California?as a fun and skill-building way for their kids to spend their summer downtime.

There are several ways that soccer camps in California can boost a kid?s teamwork skills. First, and most obviously, soccer is played in teams. One of the first things that kids will learn at soccer camp is that they can?t win a soccer game all by themselves; they need to rely on the help and co-operation of their team. With that in mind, instructors will teach the kids in groups and with partners. They won?t just learn to kick a soccer ball as hard as possible. They?ll learn to kick it to someone else, as well as learning what to do with a ball that a teammate has sent in their direction!

Kids who attend soccer camps in California will also learn leadership skills, another natural part of teamwork. First, they will learn to take directions from team leaders such as coaches and camp counselors. Learning to work with leaders in a friendly, low-pressure environment will develop vital listening skills. Next, kids will learn leadership skills themselves as they come to understand the game better. Learning to help their teammates and take charge of a winning game will teach them how to be strong and considerate leaders.

Soccer camps in California teach teamwork and leadership skills, but like many of the vital life skills that children learn, these skills are taught through play. It?s one thing to be told what teamwork is, or to be taught how to be a leader, but at soccer camps in California, kids learn by doing. A playful and non-threatening setting will open kids up to learning in ways that a classroom never can, and since it encourages interaction and play, soccer camp is an excellent place for kids to make new friends. After all, what better way to make friends with someone than learning to work with them as a team?

There are many possible activities for kids to participate in over the summer. There are camps and workshops and day classes galore. But if you have a child who has a talent for sports and a love of playing with others, look at the?options for soccer camps in Californiathis summer. A soccer camp is more than just a class, and more than just exercise. They provide a unique, fun and enjoyable educational experience for aspiring young athletes.