2016 SUMMER CAMPS

August 23, 2016

Campers, coaches and counselors from one of Total Futbol's Summer Soccer Residential Camps.

 
2016 Residential Camps Balanced Serious Soccer with Summer Shenanigans 
By Emily Madden, Total Futbol Camp Director
 
We welcomed more than 275 campers to Total Futbol residential camps at the beautiful campus of Sandy Spring Friends School (Sandy Spring, MD) and Camp Deep Creek (Accident, MD) this summer. Players bonded on and off the field through a variety of activities, from rigorous training sessions, an indoor futsal tournament, 4v4 battles, and juggling contests to navigating a zip line course, "soccer golf" and bubble soccer. The older campers even spent time water white rafting on the Olympic training course at the top of Wisp Mountain!
 
"2016 proved to be another year of raising the bar with our summer camps," said Total Futbol Assistant Director Todd Hamlin. "The structure of the summer camps allows us to focus on many aspects of the game from a tactical perspective that aren't always possible during the season given the constraints on field space in our area."
 
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"2016 proved to be another year of raising the bar with our summer camps. The structure of the summer camps allows us to focus on many aspects of the game from a tactical perspective that aren't always possible during the season."
 —Todd Hamlin, Total Futbol Assistant Director
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"Players were exposed to a variety of fun activities off of the field, but the core body of work that was accomplished each week was phenomenal," continued Hamlin. "The fact that we're able to replicate a wide variety of actual-game situations and manipulate different variables within them is a great tool as a coach and one that has incredible benefit to the players."

Hamlin said that camp directors made a concerted effort to enhance "the culture and passion of the players towards the game" this summer. For example, virtually every returning camper beat their juggling record set at last summer's camp, many of them setting and then besting new personal records multiple times over the course of one residential session. 
 
New this year was the addition of yoga to some weeks of camp. Campers had the chance to improve flexibility and core strength while enjoying the scenery at Deep Creek.
 
Some of the favorite activities included the team building challenges and the futsal tournament. Campers enjoyed cheering on the futsal champions in their attempt to defeat the coaches. Competition day was a fun way to wrap up camp each Thursday. Players competed in juggling contests, small-sided games, and power shot (where a radar gun measured the speed of campers’ dominant and non-dominant shots).
 
Thank you to all the players who attended Total Futbol camps this summer! Best of luck as you start your fall season!
 

Summer soccer camps focus on tactical and technical skills. Almost every returning player broke their own record for juggling from last year!

 

Bubble Soccer. Need we say more?

 

Panoramic view of a summer camp yoga session (read our "Health" section on the synergy between yoga and soccer!). 

 

Jenny Riemer, residential camp counselor and current Elon University soccer player, bonds with campers. TF employs many former players as counselors.

 

Zip line sessions at Adventure Park: NOT for the faint of heart.

 

Champions of the Team Building Competition savor victory. 

 

Total Futbol soccer camps leave campers literally jumping for joy!