Soccer camp aims to make soccer fun

7/1/2009

A free youth soccer event called Give Us Back Our Game Worldwide 4 v 4 Fun Day will take place at Pace-setter Park in Sylvania on July 11 from 9-11 a.m.

The event, sponsored by Ohio Youth Soccer Organization North, is open to children ages 6-11.

What makes this even unique is the absence of coaches and parents on the sidelines. Only kids will be allowed on the fields, giving them the chance to make their own rules and play without direction.

Based in the United Kingdom, Give Us Back Our Game is an international children s sports group that partners with worldwide youth soccer groups to put on the annual Fun Day.

We will be joining the international community in this event along with other soccer communities in Ohio North in order to give the game of soccer back to the kids, Philip Braselton, OYSAN District IV commissioner, said.

Braselton said because soccer has become nearly a year-round organized activity, there has been a loss of creativity and an inability for most players to maximize their potential.

Parents and coaches have become so intent on what they want the kids to do on the field that they re not able to express themselves, Braselton said. It s usually the coach making all the calls, and the athletes that really stand out are the ones that can think on their own.

Parents must be present on the day of the event to sign a waiver, but after that, they will be kept away from the action. The 6-7 age group will play for about 45 minutes, and the 8-9 and 10-11-year olds will compete for two hours. The goal is to let them just play and experiment and have fun, the coach said.