More than just a game: How a summer sports camps can transform your child’s maturity
In a world full of technology and connectivity everywhere, summer soccer and sports camps have established themselves as one of those ‘traditional’ activities that continue to attract young people.
Summer camps not only help players grow in the sporting arena, but also offer many other advantages that enrich them on a personal, social, and cultural level.
Beyond a sporting event, camps have become occasions to share with kids from all over the world, visit historical sites, and foster a sense of discipline, both on and off the field.
Soccer camps develop independence and leadership skills.
For both children and teenagers, soccer camps have the gift of developing independence, opening the way to new experiences and testing them in different sporting and social situations.
As complicated as it may seem at first, taking a child away from their parents and sending them to a camp abroad for a limited time, always under professional supervision, can have a host of benefits that will help them build a strong character and prepare them for adversity.
Large agencies such as Ertheo have specialized staff who ensure that all soccer players are integrated into the camp, with programs for children and teenagers aged 6 to 21.
Enrolling a child in this type of camp is recommended because it allows them to gain self-confidence and bring out the leadership qualities that we all have within us in an organic and supervised way.
Living with peers from all over the world allows them to learn from different cultures and form a broader view of society and multiculturalism.
Although it is ‘normal’ for an adult, for a child to feel that they can fend for themselves can give them a lot of motivation to work towards their dreams and set long-term goals.
There are camps with different levels of difficulty so that children can adapt quickly and progressively raise their standards.
Discipline and responsibility as fundamental values
Unfortunately, a false belief that has taken hold around soccer camps is that they can harm students’ academic performance, when in fact the opposite is true: they improve their grades and performance.
In today’s soccer camps and academies, coaches and tutors focus on players’ performance both on and off the field. In fact, the most renowned camps offer language learning programs in English, Spanish, Italian, or French.
The philosophy of camps and modern soccer no longer revolves around natural talent and mysticism, but rather focuses on the daily effort of players to improve and surpass themselves in each training session.
Nowadays, sports training goes hand in hand with personal growth and teaching values that create good citizens and make the world a better place.
This comprehensive teaching method has enabled children to cultivate their own maturity while enjoying their passion for their favorite sport and competing in the best environments as shown in this study.
- Athletic and academic growth go hand in hand at modern soccer camps.
- Teaching methods encourage discipline off the field, from behavior, personal relationships, nutrition, sleep hygiene, and more.
The essence of collective work
Soccer camps also teach children at an early age about cooperation and collective efforts to achieve a common goal.
It is normal that when a child is just learning to play soccer, they do not have much knowledge about how to pass the ball correctly, how to make defensive plays, or simply understand the importance of defense in the game.
As children (it happened to all of us), all we wanted was to score a goal in every game. However, at these camps, players are taught the value of teamwork and tactics in order to win games.
Extrapolating this wisdom and maturity to other areas of life is something that generates many benefits for children, whether at school when doing group work or when they have to do their chores at home to help their parents.
Summer camps help develop the maturity that makes children understand that they are part of a whole, a family, a team, and a society that must work collectively to progress. And all in the most natural way possible.
- The tactical aspect of soccer helps children understand that people can have different roles, but all with the same goal in mind.
- Tactical discipline helps them stay focused and follow orders in the best possible way.
- They learn that we are all important in a group, reinforcing their individual value as a person and increasing their confidence in their abilities.
Professional supervision and guaranteed safety
Finally, another reason for the growing popularity of soccer camps in recent years is that they have professional and medical staff who ensure that no accidents occur throughout the experience.
Whether at soccer camps, such as those offered by Ertheo, or at other multi-adventure camps, the children are supervised at all times.
Some of these camps offer accommodation in student residences at major European universities and others in prestigious hotels, always ensuring the well-being of the soccer players.
And if that weren’t enough, they don’t come with a huge financial cost for parents either. The camps have financing and installment payment programs that make them more accessible.
For all these benefits, summer soccer camps are an excellent option for your child’s vacation. Besides, who knows if you have the next Erling Haaland or Jude Bellingham at home? It can’t hurt to give them a chance to prove it.
