Published: June 27, 2008 12:10 am         

British camp concludes eighth year

By SALLY SEXTON

H-P Sports Writer



For the eighth straight year, youth participants and coaches of the Challenger British Soccer Camp will hang up their cleats until next year.

The Palestine chapter will conclude today after a week of games, drills and fun.

This year, around 30 kids ages 4 — 16 showed up along with two coaches from England — Mark O’Leary of Boston, Lincolnshire and camp director Andy Martin of Hull.

“This is one of the smallest camps I’ve done, but the kids always try hard and give 100-percent and that’s really all you can ask for,” said Martin, who is in his fourth year in Texas. “I think it’s a great program and the kids can get something out of it.”

The majority of campers took part in the morning session from 9 a.m. to noon, but this year a special camp for goal keepers was added, which met from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

“It’s usually three hours long and we work on an hour and a half on drills and fun games before the water break,” Martin said. “Then we do a coaches’ challenge followed by a Camp World Cup where the kids are divided into different teams for different countries.”

Martin said the kids must also go home and research something about their particular country, which adds to the general knowledge the campers get.

For O’Leary, this was only his third camp.

“It’s been very different but I’ve really enjoyed it this week,” the 19-year-old said. “Sandra (Webb) has been great in getting this whole thing together for us.”

Since May of 2000, Webb has coordinated the British camp for Anderson County as a way for youth soccer players to enjoyed the advantages of a skill camp as well as an intercultural exchange between Texas and the United Kingdom.

The camp was originally sponsored by the Anderson County Soccer Association and then the YMCA.

After the death of Josh Webb in 2004, a memorial fund was established to help the Webb family pay for funeral and medical expenses.

Webb chose to use the remaining funds to create two high school scholarships to remember Josh and his passion of soccer and music.

Proceeds from the camp go into the Joshua Webb Scholarship Fund, which awards two high school scholarships each year as well as soccer scholarships to area youth participating in the YMCA soccer program or the British soccer camps.

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Sally Sexton can be reached via e-mail at sports2@palestineherald.com

     

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