From Bossy:

Last week, Skittles was able to attend the Challenger Soccer Camp after I agreed to write this post for Mom's blog.

As his mom, I was worried about Skittles attending a week-long soccer camp in the heat of July. Soccer has not been one of his sports of interest and it has been super hot, but the camp was well prepared even if I wasn’t. The kids had plenty of chances to refill their water bottles and they were even given healthy snacks during the day. 

On the first day, I forgot sunscreen! And boy did Skittles let me know he was not happy about his cheeks being sunburned. 

The camp was super organized and required check in and check out of the players each day for safety. As part of the camp, Skittles received a jersey and ball. We had the option of purchasing shorts or an extra jersey, but even though the prices were pretty reasonable, we decided he really didn't need them. 

Every day, there was some sort of homework or game assignment that tied into the theme for the day. Unfortunately, since Skittles is only 6, he didn’t remember his assignment until we were running out the door the following morning. And trying to get him to tell me how it went was like pulling teeth the day of. They had a trophy decorating contest, a flag making contest and other activities to not only teach foundational soccer skills and sportsmanship, but also the “culture” of British soccer. Skittles really liked hearing that his older brothers and aunts and uncles had all attended the same camp when they were younger. 

As a mom that just isn’t a fan of soccer because I was punished one year and made to try it and hated all the running, my child left with a much higher opinion of soccer and its history. 

I would highly recommend this camp to anyone wishing to learn more about the sport and culture. And while I don’t know how much the skills groups would help a veteran player, I can say they made it fun and enjoyable for a kid that probably would have preferred to be inside with his tablet and air conditioning.