Thursday, April 25, 2024
The goal of the Granbury Pirates soccer camp from June 13-16 at Pirate Stadium was to use games to reinforce the skills being learned by the campers.
"That's certainly the goal with our younger kids," Granbury High School girls head soccer coach David Winkleman said. "Teach a skill and then play a game that reinforces it because games are fun."
With a mix of 38 boys and girls in the youth portion of the camp, there is a need to jump from one activity to the next because of short attention spans. Games are designed to go back over what was just learned immediately, which helps keep the younger athletes on track.
Granbury's soccer camp is age-bracketed, which challenges coaches as they shift gears from explaining "this is your right foot" to more technically challenging drills for older players.
"Our approach is similar with the older kids, but of course, you want to go over skills and techniques and challenge your players," Winkleman said. "The coaches will make a couple of points in each instance, so we reinforce good habits – then we also go play a game."
With the interests of children going from one thing to the next, there are always some players who are getting a late start in soccer. While they may be behind, plenty of resources are now available, and in Winkleman's mind, it's never too late to take up the sport.
"Of course, athleticism is a big deal with being able to catch up with other players," Winkleman said. "It's too late for someone like me to become a professional player because I'm not 25 years old anymore, and I'm a little slower now. Soccer can be a life-long sport, and you can play it for fun and to stay physically fit. Playing soccer doesn't have to be about winning a game."
As head coach of the GHS varsity Lady Pirates soccer team, Winkleman is a fair judge of talent, but he pointed out that the sport can be picked up at any age without the goal of playing professionally."
While it may be hard for a seventh- or eighth-grade boy to pick up soccer and make the varsity in his sophomore year, the same can't be said for female athletes because of lesser numbers taking part in select and club sports.
"The boys do get more numbers out there trying to make the team," Winkleman said. "There are also some different philosophies out there. Sports are really good for girls. There's nothing negative. Even if you are a young player or someone who doesn't play very much and is a practice player on the varsity, you will be contributing to the program. You gain confidence because it's earned confidence."
That's confidence that kids can carry to the next level if they continue playing, and there's no better time to seek out a youth soccer association than when your child's interest is at a peak.
"If they're young, they need to get involved in the Granbury Soccer Association," Winkleman said. "If they've been playing and they want to take the next step, there are club teams locally and in Fort Worth to explore."
More than anything, it's about taking action.
"The biggest teacher of the game is the game itself," Winkleman said. "If you want to get better and compete at a high level, then you have to seek out that level of competition and get coached at that higher level."
Russell@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066 ext. 231
