Unique soccer camp coming to Washington

A special summer camp is making a first of its kind in Washington this summer.

Those taking part will have even have the chance to see a sports team play in a bigger venue.

The major league soccer team Chicago Fire is holding the camp for children from age 2 through high school.

Washington Area Soccer Program (WASP) coach Heather Perez says she learned about the camp while she was at work.

?I heard about the camp program from a coworker who is a coach in Solon,? she says.

?That person was able to get us in contact with the Chicago Fire team to get everything in place.

?They actually emailed me. The coach from Solon had contacted them to get everything started.?

Why would a professional soccer team based in Chicago want to have a camp in Iowa?

Community.

?They have a community outreach program that involves the camps which gets more people involved in their program as well and gives them a chance to look at kids and see them as they grow into potential future players,? Perez says.

Not only is the camp like this the first for the soccer players, but for Perez as a coach.

?This is my first time, so I haven?t seen this camp, although I?ve been involved with a few others during my time as a coach.

?I?ve never seen on that has been for 2-year olds. I?m excited that my son can take part. I think they will just a lot of the fun games and story-type things to get the little ones interested and as they grow, they will get more into the skills and fundamentals.?

Having the camp for the very young children will have its benefits, Perez says.

?If they grow up with it, they become more familiar with the sport and they are a lot more into it and are able to perform better than if they just start at the high school,? she says. They would have a harder time competing.?

Not only is the program for the current WASP players, but for others in the community.

?I definitely hope we have a lot from our youth program take part,? Perez says. ?We are also going to pass some flyers around in other towns and get some interest. I don?t know that if someone hasn?t played soccer before will take part because of the cost involved, but we?ll just have to wait and see.

?I hope that a lot of kids show up and have a good time and get interested in the sport.?

If the cost might seem too much, there?s another option.

?Depending on the number of players that sign up will determine the number of coaches that come.

?Families who have the ability to host a coach can have their child attend camp for free,? Perez says. ?That?s a really positive thing the program does and I think it?s good for the coaches to be involved with the families in the community and also for the families to have a way to get to camp.?

After the camps are over, children will have the opportunity to see soccer players play the game at the professional level.

?Children will get a free ticket to a Chicago Fire game so families can head to Chicago and see a professional team play,? Perez says.

Besides the soccer players getting to attend camp, the WASP coaches get to attend a camp as well. ?They are providing us with some coaching clinics,? Perez says. ?Not only during the camp, but they are supposed to come during our season as well.

?I?m really excited for our coaches as well, just to improve our program, not just have the one week of camp.

?We create a working relationship with the program by signing up for this. Instead of having the one-week camp, we will have a year-long relationship where they plan on coming again and we plan on having them during the season to do another clinic.?

The timing of the camp is very appropriate as well because the fall WASP program starts after the camp ends.

?It most definitely is appropriate,? Perez says. ?We tried to schedule it at the time. It?s going to be a great lead-in to the fall program. The hope is those who attend the camp that haven?t been part of a soccer program join WASP. We want to keep growing and be a place for the kids to go and have a safe, fun time.?

Registrations can be made online at Chicago-fire.com/youth and to find out more about the camp happening July 31-August 4, contact Heather Perez with the WASP program or email Ed Kaczynski at kaczynski@chicago-fire.com.