The San Francisco Seals announce the Summer schedule for Seals and Camps.  This year the Seals have expanded their Walk-In Clinics and Camps for young soccer players.  The Seals Junior Walk-In Clinics have been well received for two reasons.  The primary reason is that no registration is required.  Any child who walks up to the clinic can participate and no child is turned away.  The other reason is the clinic's philosophy, which is stated clearly in the first paragraph of the Registration Announcement:  "Our clinics are loaded with support and guidance. The ultimate goal is to get the skill right.  Winning a game is not the objective though we use small sided games in a pressure-less setting to put the skill into real-time practice."  The problem with competitive soccer is that size, speed, strength and gender trump skill and understanding of the game because players are inexperienced and often poorly trained .  Success as a result has two downsides: the characteristics that brought success are maladaptive in the long run and children who do not have these qualities are driven away from the sport.  Skill, in the long run, trumps these characteristics which become increasingly irrelevant as the young player matures. By focusing on skill, the Seals Junior Walk-In Clinic prepares the child for a long term relationship with the sport.  

 

This year the Seals will hold clinics at two locations at the same time:  John O'Connell High School in the Mission district and Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park.  The program starts Tuesday May 26 and runs every weekday until the end of the Summer vacation period in late August.  The clinic starts at 4PM and ends at 6PM.  Interested individuals can find out more information by clicking the link at the top of the home page, "Junior Seals Clinics," or they can go to the Seals Juniors Google Group Site, http://groups.google.com/group/san-francisco-seals-juniors, and join the group.  For information write to sfuscsoccer@gmail.com or contact the program administrator, Anna Livesey, at sfuscadmin@gmail.com or call her at 415-395-4955.

 

Seals Junior Camps will expand significantly this year.  The Seals have arranged for fields for 8 weeks during the Summer period. Last year the Seals Juniors staged their first camp and it was tremendously successful. Even though there were mixed ages and a nearly equal mixture of girls and boys, all the children had a great time and the feedback from the parents was very positive.  The philosophy of Seals Junior Walk-In clinics was and will continue to be the philosophy of Seals Junior Camps. Attention to the individual needs of players and thoughtful guidance are the hallmarks of the approach.  

 

This year the Seals will also host its first High School Camp. The camp is open to ALL high-school aged players, male and female, looking to fine-tune their skills and tactical abilities, and jump-start "getting their game on" for the upcoming school soccer season. It is the inspiration of Dave Nugent, a San Francisco soccer enthusiast and parent, and Zeke Lopez, the Athletic Director of San Francisco Waldorf High School.  The two of them got together and decided that a high school camp to prepare the players for the Fall season made sense.  The Seals coaches are looking forward to helping these high schoolers get ready for their soccer season. 

 

The Seals Clinics and Camps are managed by SFUSC, the Seals 501c3 affiliate, and the coaches are all current or ex-Seals players. 

 

Click here for more information about Junior Seals Clinics

Click here for more information about Junior Seals and High School Camps

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