DUNCAN —
With the extreme heat blazing across the country, outdoor activities and camps are becoming less and less frequent, due to the dangers and health concerns.
But, for the 10 kids participating in the Simmons Center Soccer Camp, there wasn’t much concern about rising temperatures, being exhausted, or even dehydration.
In fact, the only question on the kids’ minds was, How much fun can we have playing the game of soccer?
Tuesday morning saw Day 2 of the week-long camp happen from within the air conditioned safety of The Simmons Center gymnasium.
“We have the camps inside mainly because of the weather,” camp coordinator Steven Gillispie said. “The Oklahoma High School guidelines state that anything above 100 degrees is deemed unsafe for kids. Even with the temperature sitting at 90, then when you add in the humidity, it’s just better and safer for the kids to be inside.”
Gillispie said the kids learn about the basic fundamentals through a series of games, which he said makes it easier to communicate to kids than drills or other activities.
“We work on proper passing, dribbling and shooting,” he said. “At this level, if the kids can learn all of those then that’s a big accomplishment for them. Playing lots of games really helps their progress. Some of the kids have to adjust to not picking the ball up with their hands, but most of the kids tend to pick up on things very quickly.”
Now, while there weren’t many fouls or handballs called during the session, that didn’t stop the kids from chasing down loose soccer balls, no matter if they were inbounds or not.
Aside from learning the fundamentals, Gillispie said it’s important for kids to keep progressing and working all the time if they are serious about playing the game of soccer.
“A lot of the benefit comes from if the parents choose to follow up with the kids after the camp is over,” he said. “We teach the kids the basics and instill in them the concepts they need to learn the sport. It’s just like with reading and education, if you don’t follow up at home, then there isn’t going to be a benefit for the kids. But, generally the parents grasp the fundamentals and therefore are able to help the kids as well.”
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Related Photos
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Camrin Nesmith dribbles during a scrimmage Tuesday at the Simmons Center Soccer Camp. Evan Grice/ The Duncan Banner
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