Camp teaches students about 'football'

UK International Soccer Camp coaches congratulate Sisters students for completing a week of soccer training and give them each a handshake and an evaluation for improving their game. photo by Susan Springer "Back home it's a fever!" exclaimed an English soccer coach visiting Sisters. He was describing the popularity of his sport in Europe.

Sisters youth caught a bit of that fever last week, learning soccer skills and enjoying a cultural exchange with coaches who call the sport "football." At a weeklong soccer camp at Sisters Middle School, students -- from four-year-olds to teens -- honed their soccer skills under the tutelage of eight coaches who traveled here from the United Kingdom.

Suzy and Mark Peterson of Sisters Soccer Club organized the camp and were "really excited" by the increase in enrollment. With the camp now in its second year, the number of enrollees almost tripled.

"We had no idea it would explode like this to 70 students. Next year we will probably have 100 kids!" said Suzy Peterson. She said in addition to more students, many parents asked her if they could host a visiting coach next year.

The coaches were here as part of the UK International Soccer Camps program in which coaches travel to America to teach the game, which is long established in Europe. Coaches complete a training program to attain a badge that is the equivalent in this county of a U.S. Soccer Federation "A" or "B" level license.

Last week, these experts taught Sisters' students about passing, dribbling, shooting, teamwork and the strategy of soccer.

One coach was so pleasantly surprised with Central Oregon that he joked he was hoping to be adopted here.

Mark Ozed had not been out of his native England in his 19 years before coming to America this summer to teach at several camps on the West Coast.

While he says the Californians he met at another camp had their "head in the clouds," the people of Sisters are "so hospitable and down to earth."

Ozed said the students in Sisters stood out due to their good soccer skills compared with kids in other towns.

Since Ozed taught the four- to six-years-olds, he used fun games to teach them soccer. His game called Shark Attack taught the youngest students to guard the ball.

Ozed will continue traveling to other soccer camps before returning home in October.

The coaches' team leader, 24-year-old Chris Hardy, said soccer is "like a religion" in his native England and that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all soccer players. At home, he says, kids start playing soccer at five years of age. Hardy enjoys teaching camps in the Pacific Northwest because people "embrace soccer like back home."

On the last day of camp, the coaches thanked the families who hosted them.

All said they felt welcome in Sisters and had their "greatest camp" experience here. The coaches gave cheers to parents for "feeding us, washing our dirty clothes and entertaining us for the week."

One coach said he was afraid Sisters would be a "sleepy town" but it turned out to be "so much fun!"

Another coach said he was "on edge about the rattlesnakes" but managed to get through it and enjoy his week here.

Students were equally enthusiastic about their days at camp.

Holly Worth, 14, has been playing since she was in the fourth grade. She said, "I improved on most of my skills" at camp.

Molly Boyle, seven years old, said she learned "lots of stuff!" And five year old Kade Owen, who was trying soccer for the first time, said he learned to "jack it up!" or kick the ball high.

His mother added that he slept well at night.