We know you’ve been waiting for this!
Before the summer ends, we knew that we had to give a huge shoutout to our Fletchers Fields location for housing three camps under The STEAM Project! While our STEAM camps have been featured bi-weekly in our end-of-session newsletters, there are two other camps that deserve our attention and praise… our Soccer Camp and Sports Adventure Camp!
All of our Soccer and Sports Adventure campers deserve a round of applause for working hard, and more importantly, playing hard!
Read below to hear from our talented Program Directors, and see some amazing photos and linked reels!
Soccer Camp
1. Introduce yourself!
I’m Andron and I am the Soccer Program Director at The STEAM Project.
2. How long have you been playing soccer?
I started playing soccer at 5 years old, and from then on played for various youth teams as I grew older. I eventually went to university to play soccer and study, and after returning in December I still play!
3. What did Soccer campers learn this summer?
This summer we focused on the fundamental aspects of the game, teaching campers about soccer from the beginning. We focused on physical, mental, social and emotional development, which are the 4 components of entry level soccer.
The fundamentals of our camp program consisted of shooting, passing, dribbling and training through drills and games! Each training drill had its own purpose and was also set up a certain way based on age groups. We taught all necessary components of the game, so it’s not just drills with a soccer ball, it’s drills where they’re jumping over hurdles and focusing on the physical aspects of the game as well!
4. What did campers improve on the most by the end of the summer?
I think the biggest/most common progress seen involved the social development of these campers. Aside from soccer, when the campers first came in they were all strangers to each other… but after two months of camp they learned about each other, played the game together, and became really in sync with one another.
They also learn about skills outside of the game, like leadership, mobility, discipline, respect and more that they carry throughout the games.
5. What is your favourite memory from this summer?
My favourite part of camp has been seeing the kids every morning with smiles on their faces, and getting to coach the beautiful game.
6. Do you have any last words for parents?
I think The STEAM Project is a great bootcamp for parents to put their kids in and who want them to get the best of both worlds. By that I mean kids who are interested in STEAM but are also very interested in sports like soccer! The STEAM Project really offers a great combination of both and gives kids the opportunity to explore different options.
Sports Adventure Camp
1. Introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m Alex and I’m an Assistant Director here at The STEAM Project– and I’m also in charge of Sports Adventure Camp!
2. What is Sports Adventure Camp?
Sports Adventure Camp is the biggest mix of the kinds of activities we take on. Most of our days consisted of a traditional type sport (soccer, basketball, rugby, etc.) in the morning, and then later campers got the chance to do an adventure type activity (tent building, archery, s’mores, firebuilding, etc.)!
3. What did Sports Adventure campers learn this summer?
Not only did campers learn sports skills and actual hands-on skills at Sports Adventure Camp, but they also learned how to do a lot of team building and communicating with their peers, especially while playing a sport or doing an activity. So overall I think that there was a lot of social skills that were gained and developed this summer from the activities and sports we planned, which was great to see.
4. What was a favourite activity?
We did Wilderness Structure Building, where they used sticks and other various materials to make a huge triangular structure that they can go inside. It was definitely a favourite amongst a lot of the campers!
My favourite activity to watch was probably Water Day, but not just any Water Day. It was the last water day when we changed it up and played Watermelon Rugby instead. The kids really enjoyed it and so did the counsellors and instructors because it was really funny to watch!
5. What is your favourite memory from the summer?
My favourite activity to watch was probably Water Day, but not just any Water Day. It was the last water day when we changed it up and played Watermelon Rugby instead. The kids really enjoyed it and so did the counsellors and instructors because it was really funny to watch!
6. Do you have any last words for parents?
I definitely want to give a big thank you to all the parents for giving Sports Adventure Camp a shot! It was the first year we ran the program and I think it was extremely successful, and we wouldn’t have been able to do that without the parents.
I also want to thank all the kids who kept returning for more weeks as well because they loved being here, and just all the positive support we received from them. I hope that they come back next summer, because Sports Adventure Camp will only improve from here on out!
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*Responses have been edited for length, clarity and/or brevity*
We hope you enjoyed reading our Summer 2022 recap of the Soccer and Sports Adventure camp, and we can’t wait to see you next year!
– The STEAM Project Family
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us at 289-819-0178 or office@thesteamproject.ca.