Kicking up interest
Soccer camp in Rankin Inlet to benefit all skill levels among young players has attracted 100 participants
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
RANKIN INLET
The outdoor soccer field will be alive with activity in Rankin Inlet this week.
Paul Stroeder is the head instructor for a youth soccer camp in Rankin Inlet that could likely see participation of more than 100 kids aged 5 to 16. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
The hamlet is hosting a soccer camp for kids aged five to 16 and, to date, about 100 children have signed up for the activity.
The camp was organized by summer recreation worker Tagalik Eccles, and is being lead by Level B (territorial) Canadian Soccer Association coach Paul Stroeder, with help from a number of assistants.
The children will be divided into groups, with group sessions beginning this coming Thursday, Aug. 25, and going to Sunday, Aug. 28.
Stroeder said he and Rankin rec co-ordinator David Clark talked about doing something for children interested in soccer this past spring.
He said they decided to wait until the end of August to hold the camp, so all the children and young people would be back in school.
"Hopefully, waiting to have this camp until school started back will have the kids more excited to carry on playing indoors once the school soccer programs start," said Stroeder.
"Previously, the hamlet used to hold the soccer camp during the first or second week of July.
"But we found, during the past couple of years we ran it, we'd lose about 50 to 75 per cent of the kids when the weekend came, because it was very important for them to go out on the land with their parents and families.
"So we're hoping by waiting until the end of August a lot more of them will stick around for the weekend sessions, weather permitting."
Stroeder said he's looking forward to working with the children this week.
He said the camp is all about instilling more of a love for the game in a lot of the kids, so, hopefully, they'll have a lot of fun playing and want to continue.
"You have all different skill levels with the kids at a camp like this, from kids who just want to come and have fun to kids who are really skilled at the game.
"You have to work with them and challenge each group, or each individual, with what they really want to do, so we'll break them into groups based on either skill level or friendship level.
"We try to design the camp to help the kids out who want to come and have fun, learn about soccer, and enjoy it with their friends so that, maybe, they'll go into the school and be more happy to play soccer in its programs.
"And, with the ones who are more into the competitive side of things, we want to try and peak their skill levels so they're ready for the territorial tournaments and, possibly, the Arctic Winter Games."
