By Gary Curreri
Pompano Beach’s Gabriel Gagnaire and his younger sister Maya were happy campers recently as they took part in the week-long Simply Soccer camp at the city’s Four Fields Complex.
“I had a lot of fun because you got to scrimmage and go to the pool,” said the 11-yearold Gabriel Gagnaire. “There were a bunch of different games and we learned a lot of skills. I liked everything we did.”
The camp marked the seventh year that the city of Pompano has hosted the Simply Soccer camp for boys and girls, ages 5-14, of all skill levels.
The day consisted of a group warm-up with all campers before they broke into groups based on age and skill levels. The first part of the day was learning a skill (dribbling, passing, receiving, heading/chipping shooting) and then playing games or activities utilizing that particular skill.
“This was a lot of fun,” said Pompano Beach 11-yearold Brandon Davis. “I learned a lot more than I usually do and I scored a lot more goals than I usually do. I liked the scrimmages too.”
After a short break for lunch and some time at the swimming pool, the campers were right back out for end-of-the -day scrimmages.
Lighthouse Point’s Jacob Evans, 8, said he learned a lot during the week.
“This was a lot of fun,” Evans said. “I really enjoy playing soccer. We did shooting, different drills and passing. Shooting was the best part of the week!”
“Friday is our World Cup tournament where we break the entire camp up into small teams (5v5) and play during the morning,” said Simply Soccer coach Jim Cappello. “At the end of the day we gave players their evaluations and certificates. We try and make it as fun as possible so they learn and want to keep playing the sport.”
Simply Soccer will return this summer. There are three sessions each day ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ($100 weekly); extended hours camp is available from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. ($125 weekly) and a Tiny Tot program is offered for kids ages 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to noon ($55 weekly).
For more information on the summer camp offerings, call the city of Pompano Parks and Recreation Department at 954-786-4119