With a turnout of 57 future soccer stars, the first ever Oakland FC Dragons summer camp was a rousing success.
And, on top of that, the soccer club will have a record nine teams competing this fall.
The 125 players will be on five different boys teams ranging from U9 to U14 and four girls teams ranging from U10 to U16, according to Director of Coaching Matt Paukovits and Director of Administration Tom Weaver.
‘We’re going to have a couple of teams in high divisions,? Weaver said. ‘We’re pretty excited. Obviously soccer is a growing sport in this area.?
The fall seasons for the various teams will kick off with a tournament in Midland at the end of August and run through mid-October.
The club’s indoor season will start in November.
At the week long camp, which wrapped up on July 14, emphasis was on having a good time, but learning the ins and outs of the game in the process.
‘We try to do everything we can to have fun,? Weaver said. ‘If we’re teaching the technical things, everything else will take care of itself.?
Weaver said that Paukovits and his training staff showed up early every day to go over their instruction plans.
Paukovits said the camp was a big success and that the players all responded well to the various drills.
‘We tried to mix up the drills and the scrimmages to keep all of the players interested and focused,? he said.
The camp had players from age six all the way up to 13, and all players got a t-shirt, socks and shorts.
Weaver said the strength of the growing program is in the families involved, which have helped to build a solid foundation for the club.
‘People are starting to hear about our program and it’s going to be good for the community for years to come,? he said.
For more about the Oakland FC Dragons, visit their website at oaklandfc.org or e-mail them at ofc-dragons@comcast.net.