July 15, 2011
Albuquerque, N.M. — Many would label mid-July as the “off-season” for a college soccer program – a break after a competitive spring season, or the calm before the storm of pre-season. But the fact of the matter is there is really no off-season when it comes to New Mexico soccer.
Take for instance, the events highlighting the month of July for the UNM team — the 2011 Lobo Soccer Academy. The Academy, which consists of a two-week series of camps and programs hosted by the men’s soccer program is an outstanding tradition for Lobo Soccer, and one that they feel intrinsically compelled to keep up year after year. And with over 200 participants who brought an unparalleled air of enthusiasm and excitement, week one can be labeled as nothing less than a resounding success.
“A lot of our attendance base comes from our community service projects and camps,” assistant coach Brandon Moss said. “As well attended as our games our, and as supportive as this community is of our program, hosting these camps is an obligation that we are more than happy to fulfill.”
Week one of the Academy is comprised of an overnight team camp for high school programs, as well as half and full day developmental programs for players ages 6-10 and 10-15 respectively.
The high school camp is designed for boys teams looking for a weeklong, intensive program that focuses on the training and techniques pertaining to the game of collegiate soccer, with a special emphasis on team interaction.
“Team camp is a great opportunity for teams to bond and get some interaction with different college coaches,” head coach Jeremy Fishbein said. “It also allows us to become familiar with high school teams and show off some of the highlights of our program.”
This year, eight high schools from across the state of New Mexico, including the likes of Artesia, Santa Fe Prep and Los Alamos, to name a few, were represented at team camp, taking advantage of a really unique opportunity to do some team bonding before their seasons start up in August.
“It’s fun for us to be able to help them prepare for their fall seasons, and it’s an opportunity for us to showcase what we have here at UNM,” Moss said.
In addition to the high school program, the staff hosts co-ed day camps that are focused on the fundamentals of the game, and bring a lot more fun to the table for younger players. Half day campers are still incredibly impressionable when it comes to the game of soccer, and it’s the goal of the coaching staff to grow a passion for the game that will allow younger campers to develop into older, more mature players.
“The bottom line with the younger kids is that you’ve gotta have fun for the entire week,” Moss continued. “We want kinds to leave here saying `that was the most fun, coolest thing I’ve ever done.’
“There’s nothing more rewarding than when you get a group of kids running up to you at the end of camp, giving you hugs, asking when they can come back again,” he finished.
And bringing campers back is another of the primary goals of both the coaching staff and the current Lobo players, who return to campus to help coach the camps. The staff noticed that this year, in particular, displayed endless enthusiasm and a significant excitement by campers to come back every day, and a desire to sign up for week two. This is a testament to the UNM program in and of itself, as the first week of camps allows for the camp coaches to build relationships with younger players, encouraging them to come back for round two. It seems that this year, that interaction was a great success.
“Camps serve a lot of purposes,” Fishbein explained. “They’re instructional for participants, and from our standpoint we get to interact with the community, be role models, and develop relationships.”
Moss added that the camps also serve to pull current players out of their comfort zones. “They’re so used to us telling them what to do, and this gives them the opportunity to do some coaching of their own,” he said. “I think it’s a great experience for them to have that sort of influence over a team.”
In the end, it’s a given that the camp experience at UNM is unique and rewarding, but while the campers leave with the high of a fun week, it is the coaches who really experience the ultimate reward.
“One of the best moments of the year is when all three camps are going on at once, and you step back and look across our facilities and see all of the kids wearing Lobo gear, and our guys coaching them,” associate head coach Paul Souders said. “The heart of our program is our interaction with the community. It’s what makes this place special.”