EMSA Soccer Camps coming to Tillsonburg
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EMSA Soccer Camps are returning to Tillsonburg the last two weeks of July.
Elgin Middlesex Soccer Association (EMSA) is the governing body for 70 soccer clubs, ranging from St. Thomas to Kindcardine/Owen Sound, including the Tillsonburg Minor Soccer Club.
“Geographically, it’s a large area,” said John Hasson, district coach.
“I’m in charge of coaching development and player development for the district.”
Hasson works in conjunction with EMSA soccer clubs to raise the level of coaching and player skills.
“We’ve done camps from Kincardine, Goderich, Strathroy… throughout our district.”
Hasson said they last ran a summer camp in Tillsonburg about four-five years ago.
“At the time I wasn’t the district coach, I was just one of the head instructors.”
When he took the district coaching job in January, he identified clubs he wanted to visit again, and Tillsonburg was on his list.
“There’s a big soccer interest in Tillsonburg. There’s a fantastic soccer facility, and the parents are amazing to deal with and the kids are really keen to learn.”
The EMSA camp will be in town for two weeks this summer, broken down into two one-week camps.
“Drop-offs 8:30, and the camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and they need to be picked up by 3:30.”
Skills learned depend on age, which can range from 5-year-olds to 13-year-olds, and skill levels, with instructors that include an assistant coach at UWO (Western), Fanshawe College’s girls head coach, and another was drafted by Toronto FC, where he played for a year, and a London City captain.
“I’ve got a phenomenal group of coaches this year,” said Hasson. “A lot of expertise.”
The priority, he said, will be developing skills, and learning new technique.
“The coaches, I’m sure, are doing a fantastic job, but it’s always nice to have maybe a different perspective, and for the kids to be in that kind of environment.
“Another thing we started this year, if any teams – a whole team – wants to contact us, we’ll match up one of our head instructors with that team, consult with their coach, and we can take them through a week camp designed for their specific team.”