Theme: Dribble Day — Be Friends With the Ball Wonder Question: "What if you could dribble a soccer ball so well that the ball NEVER left your foot — like it was attached?" Take-home: Skill Card 1 (DRIBBLE DAY) — kept at camp through Friday, goes home on the binder ring at Friday pickup Photo moment: Group "Soft Feet Squad" — kids point at their feet with both hands, big grin

🧠 Learning goals & SEL focus

• Soccer skills: ball familiarity (foot, sole, inside, outside, top), soft touches, basic dribbling control, stopping the ball
• Vocabulary in kid words: soft touch (gentle foot taps), control (keeping the ball close), dribble (running while pushing the ball with your feet)
• SEL: comfort/confidence with the ball at your feet, listening to coach calls quickly, sharing space without crashing into each other

🛠️ Equipment for today (group of 16)

From the camp bag:

• 16 size-3 soccer balls, pumped firm but not rock-hard (1 per camper)
• 30+ disc cones for the cone maze + dribble grid
• 4 tall pylons for station markers
• 1 whistle, 1 stopwatch, 1 clipboard
• 4 PUGG-style mini goals (not used heavily today; staged on the sideline for tomorrow)
• 16 pinnies (not needed today, but pack them — Tuesday)
• First-aid kit + sunscreen + spare hats + water cooler (or kids bring bottles)

Take-home:

• 16 Skill Card 1 (DRIBBLE DAY) — pre-printed, cut, rubber-banded with each kid's name
• Pencils + crayons for the cooldown circle (2–3 of each per table)

⏰ Schedule

9:00 – 9:15 | Welcome + Hype + Wonder Question + Skill Card Out (15 min)

• Counselors greet at the gate with high-fives. Campers find their assigned spot on the grass (counselor pre-sets a 4×4 grid of disc cones — one per kid).
• At each spot: a soccer ball + the kid's Monday Skill Card (rubber-banded set face-down so they don't start writing yet).
• Counselor hype (high energy):

  "Welcome to GrowFit SOCCER CAMP! This is the week you become a REAL SOCCER PLAYER. Today is DRIBBLE DAY. You're going to learn how to be FRIENDS with the soccer ball — control it, stop it, move it where you want — without using your hands. By Friday, you'll be running real scrimmages and your parents will see you DEMO your favorite skill. Let's GO!"

• Wonder Question read-aloud:

  "What if you could dribble a soccer ball so well that the ball NEVER left your foot — like it was attached?"

• Demo: counselor dribbles 5 cones in a tight zigzag. Kids ooh. "By 11:30, every one of you can do this."
• Skill Card intro (2 min): "This is YOUR Soccer Skill Card for the WEEK. There's one for every day. You'll fill them in at the end of every camp. Friday — you take ALL 5 home on a binder ring with your MVP award. Don't write yet — flip face-down for now. We'll come back to it at 11:30."
• Safety contract (60 sec): "Soccer rules: ball stays on the ground unless I say throw. No tackling. No hands on the ball. Water bottles at the sideline. If you feel hot or dizzy, raise your hand."

9:15 – 9:30 | Dynamic Warm-Up + "Red Light, Green Light" (15 min)

Warm muscles + get listening ears + zero balls until 9:30.

• First 7 min — Dynamic Warm-Up: counselor leads, kids copy in their cone spot.
  • High knees x 10 each leg
  • Butt kickers x 10 each leg
  • Toe touches x 10 (alternating fingers to opposite toe)
  • Arm circles x 10 forward, 10 back
  • Lunges x 5 each leg
  • Standing leg swings x 8 each leg
  • Final: 3 jumping jacks + a "GO!" shout
• Last 8 min — Red Light, Green Light (NO BALLS yet):
  • Counselor stands at one end. Kids line up at the other.
  • "GREEN LIGHT!" — kids run forward. "RED LIGHT!" — kids freeze. Anyone moving on red goes back 3 steps.
  • 3 rounds. Reset kids to their cone spots between rounds.
  • Counselor seal: "That's listening. Same listening when I say FREEZE during dribbling. Got it? Great — grab your ball."

9:30 – 10:15 | Skill Drills: Ball Familiarity + Dribbling (45 min)

The day's anchor block. Three stations, ~15 min each, rotate through.

Station 1 — Ball Familiarity (15 min) — kids at their cone spot, ball at their feet:

• Toe Taps: tap the TOP of the ball with alternating feet. Start slow (5 each foot), build to fast (20 each foot, "as fast as you can wiggle"). 3 rounds.
• Ball Walk: roll the ball forward with the bottom of one foot, step over it with the OTHER foot, then roll it back with that foot. Slow and controlled. 2 min.
• Around the World: tap the ball in a circle around your standing foot — outside, behind, outside, in front, repeat. Both feet. 2 min.
• Counselor cue: "SOFT touches. The ball is your FRIEND. Don't hit it — TAP it."

Station 2 — Cone Maze Dribble (15 min):

• Counselor sets up a zigzag of 6 cones, ~3 feet apart.
• Pairs of kids take turns dribbling through. Counselor at the start, calling encouragement.
• Form check: "Keep the ball CLOSE — within one step of your foot. Inside of the foot, outside of the foot. Both feet."
• After 2 successful runs, increase challenge: zigzag tighter (cones 2 ft apart), or "dribble through then BACK without turning around" (kids learn to pivot).
• Younger camper (6–7) tip: wider cone spacing (4 ft). Counselor walks alongside.
• Older camper (8–9) stretch: tighter spacing + a STOPWATCH challenge: "best time without losing the ball."

Station 3 — Freeze Dribble (15 min):

• Kids dribble FREELY in a 15×15-yard square grid (marked by 4 cones).
• Counselor calls "FREEZE!" — every kid must stop their ball IMMEDIATELY with their foot. The ball should not be rolling.
• Anyone whose ball is still rolling does a quick re-do.
• Counselor calls "GO!" — kids resume dribbling.
• 6–8 freeze/go cycles. Add complexity in later rounds: "FREEZE — and put ONE FOOT on top of the ball!" "FREEZE — sit on the ball!"
• Counselor cue: "Stopping the ball is HALF of dribbling. Anyone can kick it — only a real player can STOP it."

10:15 – 10:30 | Water + Snack + Pass-the-Compliment (15 min)

• All kids to the shade area for water + light snack (if site provides; otherwise water-only).
• Sunscreen re-app (spray sunscreen, counselor sprays kids' arms + legs + back-of-neck; kids do their own face).
• Pass-the-Compliment: counselor starts the circle. "I want to compliment Jamie — your toe taps were SO FAST." Pass to Jamie. Jamie compliments someone else. Keep going around — each kid gives ONE compliment to ONE other kid.
• Counselor checks the roster while kids hydrate — anyone looking flushed? Confirm they're drinking. Any complaints? Address now, not later.

10:30 – 11:15 | Skill Games + Mini Scrimmages (45 min)

Where the drill becomes a game.

Game 1 — Dribble Sharks (15 min):

• All kids dribbling in the 15×15 grid. 2 kids are designated "sharks" (no ball). Sharks try to kick OTHER kids' balls out of the grid.
• If your ball gets kicked out, YOU become a shark. Last 2 kids dribbling win the round.
• 3 rounds. Different starting sharks each time.
• Safety: sharks kick BALLS, not legs. Counselor watches for over-aggressive kicks — calls out and gives a quick "soft kicks only" reminder.

Game 2 — Mirror Dribble (10 min):

• Pairs: one leader, one mirror. Leader dribbles slowly anywhere. Mirror follows side-by-side, copying every move.
• Swap roles after 2 min. Counselor circulates.
• Cue: "Leader — go SLOW so your mirror can keep up. Mirror — keep your EYES on the leader's ball."

Game 3 — Relay Races (10 min):

• 4 teams of 4 kids. Each team has a starting cone + a turning cone 15 yards out.
• Kid 1 dribbles to the turning cone, stops the ball with their foot, turns, dribbles back. Tags the next kid (high-five). Next kid goes.
• First team to finish wins a goofy victory cheer.
• 2 races. Mix teams for race 2.

Mini 3v3 setup (10 min):

• Split the 16 kids into 4 teams of 4 (counselor pre-assigns mid-camp based on observed skill mix).
• Set up 2 mini-fields (each ~15×20 yards) with 1 PUGG goal at each end of each field.
• 3v3 scrimmage on each field (1 kid per team sits out, rotates in every 2 min).

11:15 – 11:30 | Scrimmage / Game Play (15 min)

• Continue the 3v3 scrimmages. Counselor focus: call out today's skill in action — "Great DRIBBLE, Jess!" "Soft TOUCH, Marcus!" "Good STOP!"
• Score doesn't matter today. Touches and confidence matter.
• Rotate subs every 2 min. Every kid plays both halves of the scrimmage.
• Counselor seal: "Stop. Bring it in. Cooldown."

11:30 – 11:45 | Cooldown Circle + Skill Card Fill-In + Shoutouts (15 min)

• All kids to the shade circle with their Skill Card + pencil.
• Cooldown stretch (3 min): seated stretch — toe touches, butterfly stretch, side bends. Counselor leads, kids copy.
• Skill Card fill-in (7 min):
  • "Open your Monday card. Write your name at the top. Draw your SOFTEST TOUCH in the box — could be your foot with the ball, or just your favorite move from today."
  • "Check the boxes for the skills you DID today — toe taps, around-the-world, cone maze, freeze dribble, dribble sharks. (Check ALL the ones you tried.)"
  • "Write what you're PROUD of in the bottom line. Counselor will come around and seal each card with a star sticker (or Sharpie star)."
  • Younger camper tip: counselor scribes for any kid who can't write fast enough. Ideas matter, not spelling.
• Daily Shoutouts (5 min) — counselor calls out 3 themed shoutouts from the day:
  • 👣 Soft Feet — best ball control today: ___
  • 🕹️ Dribble Master — smoothest turns: ___
  • 😁 Confidence Captain — tried something new: ___
  • Each named kid stands up, group claps.

11:45 – 12:00 | Group Photo + Goodbye Cheer + Card Storage (15 min)

• Cards collected: counselor walks the circle, takes each card with a "great job today!" — stacks them in a labeled bin (one bin per camper or one bin per group, organized by name).
• Photo wall:
  • Individual: each kid holding their ball at chest level.
  • Group: "SOFT FEET SQUAD!" — kids point at their feet with both hands, big grin. 3 shots.
• Equipment pack-out: kids help collect cones + balls (counselor calls "Ball Pick-Up!" — every kid grabs ONE ball + brings it to the equipment bag).
• Team cheer: "Kick it! Pass it! GROWFIT!"
• Goodbye: kids walk to parents. Counselor releases each kid to confirmed pickup adult.
• Daily photo upload: counselor uploads both individual + group photos to the parent socials folder by 12:15 PM.

💬 Counselor tips

• Day 1 sets the tone. First-day campers are nervous. Lead with energy, use names IMMEDIATELY, and praise SOFT touches over hard kicks.
• The "Freeze!" game is the most important drill of the day — it teaches LISTENING. If kids can't stop on "Freeze!" today, they can't scrimmage safely later in the week.
• Don't let the Dribble Sharks game get aggressive. Kicks at the BALL only. Anyone kicking AT a leg gets a 30-second sideline reset.
• The shy kid: identify them in the first 30 min. Walk over, kneel to eye level, learn their name, find one thing they did well, name it out loud. By Tuesday they'll be a confident dribbler.
• Cleats: if a kid shows up in cleats on a turf field or hard ground, ask the parent to bring sneakers tomorrow. Risk of slip + tear.
• Ball deflated mid-day? Counselor pulls the ball pump from the equipment bag, re-inflates in 60 sec. Don't let a kid play with a flat ball.
• The 11:30 cooldown circle is non-negotiable. It's where the Skill Card gets filled out. Don't let it get skipped because "we ran long on scrimmage."
• Hot weather (>85°F)? Re-read the heat rules above. Move stations into shade. Cut Dribble Sharks short if kids look flushed.

🛟 Safety call-out (read at start, repeat at break)

• Water + sunscreen — drink every 20 min, re-apply at the break.
• Soft KICKS only — never at legs, never at faces. Ball stays on the ground.
• No hands on the ball during drills (except to pick up + reset).
• If you feel hot, dizzy, or sick, raise your hand and tell a counselor IMMEDIATELY.
• Cleats only on grass; sneakers preferred for everyone.
• No climbing the goals.

🎯 Parent take-home — Day 1 (no physical artifact today; this is texted/emailed if Russ chooses)

Your camper became a SOCCER PLAYER today! Today was DRIBBLE DAY — meeting the ball, learning soft touches, freeze-dribbling, and racing through the cone maze. No physical equipment goes home this week — the soccer balls and cones stay at camp. Instead, your kid is filling out a printed Skill Card every day that comes home FRIDAY on a binder ring with their MVP award. Ask tonight:

• "Show me your SOFTEST touch with an imaginary ball."
• "What was your favorite part of dribbling today?"
• "Did you freeze when the coach said freeze?" At-home practice (optional, 5 min): find a soft ball at home. Tap the top of it with alternating feet — slow first, then fast. That's a real soccer drill. Tomorrow: PASS DAY — your kid passes with a partner. Wear sneakers + bring a full water bottle.

Theme: Pass Day — Soccer Is a Team Sport Wonder Question: "What's harder — kicking a ball really hard, or kicking it so your friend can catch it perfectly with their foot?" Take-home: Skill Card 2 (PASS DAY) — added to the camp stack Photo moment: Group "Passing Squad" — shoulder-to-shoulder line, balls held overhead

🧠 Learning goals & SEL focus

• Soccer skills: inside-of-the-foot passing technique, pass-and-trap (stopping a moving ball), short-range partner passing, moving passes, basic keep-away
• Vocabulary in kid words: inside foot (the flat-side of your foot where laces meet ankle), trap (stopping the ball with a soft foot), first touch (what your foot does the moment the ball arrives), give and go (pass + run + receive back)
• SEL: working with a partner, communicating ("ball!", "yours!", "back to me!"), patience when your partner misses

🛠️ Equipment for today (group of 16)

• 16 size-3 soccer balls (1 per kid)
• 30+ disc cones for the passing gates + partner stations
• 4 tall pylons for station markers
• 4 PUGG-style mini goals (for scrimmage at the end)
• 16 pinnies (8 each, two colors) — first day they're needed
• 1 whistle, 1 stopwatch, 1 clipboard
• First-aid kit + sunscreen + spare hats + water cooler

Take-home:

• 16 Skill Card 2 (PASS DAY), pulled from the kid's Tuesday slot in the rubber-banded stack
• Pencils + crayons for cooldown circle
• Each camper's collected Skill Cards from Monday (in storage bin)

⏰ Schedule

9:00 – 9:15 | Welcome + Hype + Wonder Question + Skill Card Out (15 min)

• Counselors greet at the gate with high-fives + use kid names by sight ("Hi Jamie! Hi Marcus! Welcome back!").
• Campers find their cone spot (pre-set 4×4 grid). At each spot: a ball + their Monday + Tuesday cards (Tuesday on top, face-down).
• Counselor hype:

  "Welcome back to GrowFit Soccer Camp! Yesterday you became friends with the ball. Today — you make new friends. PASS DAY. We're learning the most important skill in real soccer: making the ball go EXACTLY where you want it to go, so your TEAMMATE can catch it with their foot."

• Wonder Question:

  "What's harder — kicking a ball really hard, or kicking it so your friend can catch it perfectly with their foot?"

• Take a quick poll: hard kick vs. perfect pass. ("Whoever said HARD — by the end of today you'll change your mind.")
• Demo: counselor passes the ball with INSIDE-of-foot to another counselor (or a confident camper). Slow, controlled. "See the inside of my foot? That's the magic spot."
• Skill Card intro (1 min): "Tuesday's card is in front of you. Flip face-down for now. We'll fill it in at 11:30 — including who YOUR partner today was."

9:15 – 9:30 | Dynamic Warm-Up + "Pinnie Tag" (15 min)

• First 7 min — Warm-up: same routine as Monday (high knees, butt kickers, toe touches, arm circles, lunges, leg swings, 3 jumping jacks).
• Last 8 min — Pinnie Tag (NO BALLS):
  • Counselor hands out pinnies (8 in one color, 8 in another). Pinnies tuck into the back waistband like flag football.
  • Kids run in the 15×15 grid trying to PULL the OTHER color's pinnie. If your pinnie gets pulled, sit down and re-tuck it (10 sec) then back in.
  • 2 rounds, 3–4 min each. Win condition: team with the most "pinnies pulled" wins.
  • Purpose: wakes up legs, gets kids comfortable working in two teams (sets up scrimmage later).

9:30 – 10:15 | Skill Drills: Passing Technique (45 min)

Three drills. Build complexity.

Drill 1 — Solo Pass to a Cone (12 min):

• Each kid sets a cone 5 feet in front of them. Kid passes the ball with inside-of-foot, walks to retrieve, comes back. Pass-retrieve-pass-retrieve.
• Form check:
  • Plant foot next to the ball, pointing at the target.
  • Kick with the INSIDE of the other foot (the flat part).
  • Follow through — kick AT the target, foot ends pointing at the cone.
  • Power is LESS important than ACCURACY today. "We're not kicking, we're PASSING."
• 5 min solo passing, then increase distance to 8 feet, 5 more min.
• Younger camper tip: show them the "inside of the foot" by having them sit and touch their inside-foot with one hand.
• Older camper stretch: "Can you hit the cone 5 in a row without it moving?"

Drill 2 — Partner Passing (18 min):

• Pair up kids (counselor mixes pairings — best dribbler with a quieter kid, etc.). Each pair has 1 ball.
• Stand 6 feet apart. Pass back and forth using inside-of-foot. Goal: stop the ball (trap) with the bottom or inside of the foot, THEN pass back.
• Counselor cue: "Pass, TRAP, PASS, TRAP. The trap is just as important as the pass. If the ball keeps rolling past you, your trap was too hard. Use a SOFT foot."
• After 5 min: increase to 8 feet apart.
• After 10 min: introduce a call — "Yours!" before you pass. (Communication starter.)
• Counselor circulates — names good traps, good calls. "Beautiful pass, Jess!"
• Younger camper tip: 4 feet apart, no calls — focus on the foot mechanics.
• Older camper stretch: 10 feet, both kids pass with the WEAK foot for the last 3 min.

Drill 3 — Cone-Gate Passing (15 min):

• Set up 4 "gates" (2 cones each, 3 feet apart) around the grid.
• Pairs of kids stand on opposite sides of a gate. Pass through the gate to each other. Each successful pass through = 1 point. Trap, then pass back = next point.
• 5 min: stationary. 5 min: kids move slowly side-to-side (passes to a moving target). 5 min: rotate to a new gate + new partner.
• Counselor cue: "Real passing is to a MOVING teammate. That's why we move."

10:15 – 10:30 | Water + Snack + Pass-the-Compliment (15 min)

• All to shade. Water bottles + snack.
• Sunscreen re-app.
• Pass-the-Compliment circle — every kid gives ONE specific compliment to another kid based on what they saw in the morning passing drills. Counselor models: "I want to compliment Marcus — when you passed back to me, your trap was so smooth."
• Counselor check — anyone struggling? Anyone showing heat signs? Adjust the afternoon pacing if needed.

10:30 – 11:15 | Skill Games + Mini Scrimmages (45 min)

Game 1 — 3v1 Keep-Away (15 min):

• Groups of 4. 3 kids form a small triangle, 1 kid in the middle.
• The 3 pass the ball to each other — the middle kid (defender) tries to intercept.
• After every interception, OR every 60 seconds, ROTATE the middle defender.
• Counselor cue: "Outside kids — pass with the INSIDE foot to the kid who is OPEN (not the one being chased). Middle kid — chase the ball, but stay LOW in your defender stance."
• 3 rounds, ~5 min each. Reshuffle groups between rounds.

Game 2 — Pass-and-Move Lines (10 min):

• Two parallel lines of kids, ~10 feet apart. Kid A passes to Kid B and IMMEDIATELY jogs to the back of B's line. Kid B traps and passes to Kid A's now-empty space, where the next kid in A's line has stepped up.
• "Pass and MOVE. Pass and MOVE."
• This is "give-and-go" in its simplest form. Counselor cue: "Real soccer players don't pass and STAND. They pass and RUN."

Game 3 — World Cup Passing Challenge (5 min):

• 4 teams of 4 kids. Each team has 1 ball, in a 10×10 area.
• Counselor times 60 seconds. How many consecutive passes can your team make WITHOUT THE BALL TOUCHING THE GROUND between kids' feet (must trap and pass cleanly)?
• 2 rounds. Cheer for the winning team. Celebrate the team that improved most between rounds.

Mini 4v4 Scrimmage Setup (15 min):

• Pinnies stay on from this morning's tag. 2 fields, 4v4 on each, 1 PUGG goal per side.
• Today's rule: kids MUST make at least 2 passes per "possession" before shooting. (Counselor reminds them when they break the rule — no penalty, just "remember the 2 passes!")
• Rotate subs in every 2 min.

11:15 – 11:30 | Scrimmage / Game Play (15 min)

• Continue the 4v4 with the 2-passes-before-shooting rule.
• Counselor focus: call out passes by name. "Great PASS, Sam — to Lila!" "Nice TRAP, Marcus!" "Pass-and-MOVE, Jess!"
• After 10 min, drop the "2 passes" rule for the last 5 min — let kids play freely with what they learned.

11:30 – 11:45 | Cooldown Circle + Skill Card Fill-In + Shoutouts (15 min)

• All to the shade circle with Skill Card + pencil.
• Cooldown stretch (3 min): seated stretches as Monday.
• Skill Card 2 fill-in (7 min):
  • "Open today's card. Write your name AND your partner's name from drill 2 — that's the kid you passed with the most."
  • "Check the boxes for skills you DID: inside-foot passing, pass-and-trap, moving passes, cone-gate, keep-away 3v1."
  • "Write your BEST PASS — when was it? Who was it to? Counselor will come around and seal your card."
• Daily Shoutouts (5 min):
  • ⚽ Sharpest Pass — best inside-foot pass today: ___
  • 🛡️ Best Trap — softest first-touch: ___
  • 📣 Communicator — best "Yours!" / "Mine!" caller: ___
• Hand out the named kids' shoutouts. Group claps.

11:45 – 12:00 | Group Photo + Goodbye Cheer + Card Storage (15 min)

• Cards collected — Tuesday card goes on top of Monday's in the storage bin.
• Photo wall:
  • Individual: each kid holding their ball at chest level.
  • Group: "PASSING SQUAD!" — shoulder-to-shoulder in a single line, balls held OVERHEAD with both hands. 3 shots.
• Equipment pack-out: balls + cones + pinnies all back in the bag (pinnies in their own mesh bag — they sweat).
• Team cheer: "Kick it! Pass it! GROWFIT!"
• Photo upload by 12:15 PM.

💬 Counselor tips

• The most common Day 2 mistake: kids try to PUNT the ball. Constantly correct to INSIDE OF FOOT. This sets up Wednesday's laces-shot lesson cleanly (laces shot = different foot part, different drill).
• Partner pairing matters. Don't let kids self-pair (you'll get best-friends in one corner and one kid alone). Counselor pairs everyone for drill 2, then mixes for cone-gate.
• The "Yours!" call is gold. Real soccer = communicating before you receive a pass. Make a HUGE deal of any kid who calls "Yours!" or "Mine!" out loud during scrimmage.
• 3v1 keep-away is hard for 6-year-olds — they sometimes just stand still. Rotate the defender often. If a kid is in the middle for 60 sec and never gets the ball, give them a SUCCESS by passing it to them anyway. Confidence > rules at this age.
• Pinnie smell. They go in a SEPARATE bag from the balls. Wash Friday.
• Hot weather check at 10:00 and 11:00 — re-read the heat policy above.
• The kid who dribbled great Monday but can't pass: that's normal — passing is the next leap. Praise effort, not result. They'll get it by Wednesday.

🛟 Safety call-out

• Water + sunscreen.
• Inside-foot passes only on drills — NO toe kicks (saves it for Wednesday's laces lesson).
• Heads up during scrimmages — no head-to-head contact. Stop play immediately if it happens.
• Pinnies don't go around necks (choking hazard) — back waistband only.
• Hydration check every 30 min minimum.

🎯 Parent take-home — Day 2

Your camper learned the most important skill in soccer today: the inside-foot pass! Today was PASS DAY. Your kid worked with a partner on passing technique, the "trap" (stopping a moving ball), and 3v1 keep-away. They closed with a 4v4 scrimmage where teams had to make 2 passes before shooting — real-soccer rules in kid scale. Ask tonight:

• "Who was your passing partner today?"
• "Show me the INSIDE of your foot — that's the magic spot for passing."
• "What's a 'trap' in soccer?" At-home practice (optional, 5 min): find any ball. Stand 6 feet from a wall. Pass it inside-foot to the wall. Trap it when it comes back. Repeat 10 times. Tomorrow: SHOOT DAY — your kid practices shooting with the LACES of their foot (not the toe). Wear sneakers + bring a full water bottle.

Theme: Shoot Day — Score Real Goals Wonder Question: "Why do real soccer players kick with the TOP of their foot (laces) and not the TOE?" Take-home: Skill Card 3 (SHOOT DAY) — added to the camp stack Photo moment: Group "Sharpshooter Squad" — mid-shot follow-through pose, kicking-foot in the air

🧠 Learning goals & SEL focus

• Soccer skills: laces shot (instep shot) — the correct shooting technique, target shooting (aim before power), dribble-and-shoot, goalie basics, shot celebration
• Vocabulary in kid words: laces (the top of your foot where your shoelaces are — strongest place to kick), follow through (foot keeps going AT the goal after the kick), plant foot (the foot that stays on the ground, points at the target), aim (looking at WHERE you want it to go), celebration (the joyful run/dance/jump after a goal)
• SEL: confidence under pressure (taking a shot in front of others), graceful when you miss, big personality when you celebrate

🛠️ Equipment for today (group of 16)

• 16 size-3 soccer balls
• 30+ disc cones for the dribble approach + target stations
• 4 tall pylons
• 4 PUGG-style pop-up mini goals — heavily used today
• 8 small cones or 4 short pylons as "target zones" inside the goals
• 16 pinnies (8 each color) for scrimmage at the end
• 1 whistle, 1 stopwatch, 1 clipboard
• First-aid kit + sunscreen + spare hats + water cooler

Optional but recommended:

• 4 brightly-colored bibs or sashes to mark the goalies (something OBVIOUSLY different from a pinnie — kids need to see the "goalie role" clearly)
• A few orange traffic-cone "targets" for the corner-shot zones

Take-home:

• 16 Skill Card 3 (SHOOT DAY)
• Pencils + crayons for cooldown

⏰ Schedule

9:00 – 9:15 | Welcome + Hype + Wonder Question + Skill Card Out (15 min)

• Counselors greet with high-fives. Energy is HIGH today — Wednesday is the most exciting day for most kids.
• Campers find their cone spot. At each: ball + Wednesday Skill Card (face-down).
• Counselor hype:

  "Welcome back! Yesterday you became real PASSERS. Today — you become real SCORERS. Today is SHOOT DAY. You're going to put the ball in the back of a REAL GOAL — and you're going to CELEBRATE every single one. By the end of today you'll know how to shoot like the pros: with the LACES of your foot, not your toe."

• Wonder Question:

  "Why do real soccer players kick with the TOP of their foot (laces) and not the TOE?"

• Take answers. ("Because…") Answer: toe shots HURT (try it on a kickball — ouch). Laces shots are STRONGER and MORE ACCURATE. The top of your foot is bigger and harder than your toe. Pro players never toe-shoot.
• Demo: counselor plants their non-kicking foot next to the ball pointing at a goal. They lean over the ball. They kick with the top-of-foot — straight, with follow-through. Ball goes in. Group cheers.
• Skill Card intro (1 min): "Today's card has a place for HOW MANY GOALS you scored. Keep count in your head! We'll fill in at 11:30."

9:15 – 9:30 | Dynamic Warm-Up + "Steal the Bacon" (15 min)

• First 7 min — Warm-up: standard routine (high knees, butt kickers, toe touches, arm circles, lunges, leg swings).
• Last 8 min — Steal the Bacon (NO BALLS… yet):
  • Two lines of 8 kids facing each other across a 20-yard space. Each kid in each line gets a number 1–8.
  • 1 ball ("the bacon") in the middle.
  • Counselor calls a number ("THREE!"). The TWO threes (one from each line) sprint to the bacon. Whoever grabs it first dribbles back to THEIR line — that's a point.
  • 5–6 rounds. Call multiple numbers in one round for chaos ("3 AND 7!"). Mix up.
  • Purpose: explosion + first-touch under pressure + warming the legs.

9:30 – 10:15 | Skill Drills: Shooting Technique (45 min)

Three drills, build technique → accuracy → power.

Drill 1 — Stationary Laces Shot (15 min):

• Kids in lines of 4, each line facing one of the 4 PUGG goals. Ball is stationary 10 feet from the goal.
• One kid at a time. Counselor at the goal coaching form.
• Form check (counselor scripts these out loud, kid by kid):
  • "Plant your NON-KICKING foot NEXT TO the ball, pointing at the goal."
  • "Lean over the ball — your chest should be over your toes."
  • "Kick with the TOP of your foot (the laces). Point your kicking-foot toe DOWN."
  • "FOLLOW THROUGH — your foot ends up pointing at the goal."
  • "Don't try to KICK HARD. Try to kick STRAIGHT."
• After each kid shoots, they jog around the goal and rejoin the back of the line.
• 12 min of rotations. Counselor names good form: "Beautiful plant foot, Jess!" "Great follow-through, Marcus!"
• Younger camper tip: start them at 6 feet, not 10. Smaller success builds confidence.
• Older camper stretch: 15 feet, AND aim for a CORNER (counselor places a cone inside the goal as a corner target).

Drill 2 — Dribble + Shoot (15 min):

• Same 4 lines, 4 goals. Now the ball starts 20 feet from the goal.
• Kid dribbles forward (3–4 touches) and then shoots from ~8 feet out.
• Form check:
  • "Soft dribble touches first — same as Monday."
  • "When you're close, set up — plant foot beside the ball, lean, shoot."
  • "Don't shoot WHILE RUNNING — slow your last step, then strike."
• 4–5 reps per kid. Counselor counts goals scored per kid (whisper to the kid, "that's 3!") for the Skill Card later.

Drill 3 — Target Practice (15 min):

• Two small cones placed INSIDE each PUGG goal — one in each corner, ~1.5 feet from the post. These are the "targets."
• Same lines + same dribble-and-shoot — but now kids try to hit a CORNER cone, not just the middle.
• A hit on the corner cone = a special "BULLSEYE!" cheer from the group + counselor adds it to the kid's count.
• Even a near-miss (within 1 foot of the corner cone) gets a verbal "great AIM!"
• Counselor cue: "Real strikers don't shoot AT the goalie. They shoot at the CORNERS where the goalie can't reach."

10:15 – 10:30 | Water + Snack + Pass-the-Compliment (15 min)

• All to shade. Water + snack + sunscreen re-app.
• Pass-the-Compliment: today the compliment must include the word "AIM," "POWER," or "GOAL." ("I want to compliment Sam — your AIM on that target shot was perfect.")
• Counselor check — anyone limping? Anyone showing fatigue or heat signs?

10:30 – 11:15 | Skill Games + Mini Scrimmages (45 min)

Game 1 — Goalie vs. Shooter (15 min):

• One goal at a time. One kid is the goalie (puts on bib/sash), 4 other kids line up to shoot.
• Counselor rolls the ball to a shooter, who has ONE touch to set up + ONE touch to shoot.
• Goalie tries to block. After each shot, the SHOOTER becomes the new goalie. Old goalie rotates to the back of the line.
• Counselor cue to goalies: "Stay low. Watch the SHOOTER'S PLANT FOOT — it points where they're going to shoot. Hands ready."
• Counselor cue to shooters: "Don't shoot right at the goalie. Aim for a CORNER."
• 12 min of rotations across all 4 goals. Counselor tracks goals + saves for shoutouts later.

Game 2 — Power Shot Challenge (10 min):

• All kids line up at one PUGG goal. Each kid gets 3 shots, one at a time.
• Goal: hit the BACK NETTING hard enough to make it "POP." (Real pros' shots make a satisfying snap.)
• Counselor judges: "POP!" or "good shot but no pop." After 3 shots, kid goes to the back of the line.
• Make it celebratory. Every kid claps for every shot.
• Counselor cue: "Power comes from the FOLLOW-THROUGH, not the windup. Kick THROUGH the ball, not AT it."

Game 3 — Celebration Practice (5 min):

• This is FUN. Every kid is going to score one goal each in the next 5 min — and CELEBRATE it.
• Counselor sets the ball at 8 feet from the goal. Kid shoots. Goal goes in (counselor "helps" if needed — confidence > strict scoring).
• After the goal, kid does a CELEBRATION of their choice — slide on knees, big arms, run a lap, dance move, jump in the air, fist pump.
• Group cheers each one.
• Counselor seal: "Real soccer players CELEBRATE every goal. That's part of the game. Remember your celebration — you'll show it Friday."

Mini 4v4 Scrimmage Setup (15 min):

• Pinnies on. 2 fields, 4v4, 1 PUGG goal per side.
• Every goal = a celebration (counselor cues if a kid forgets to celebrate).
• Rotate subs in every 2 min.

11:15 – 11:30 | Scrimmage / Game Play (15 min)

• Continue 4v4. Today's counselor focus: count goals out loud — kids LOVE the scoreboard energy. Cheer for every shot, score or not.
• 10 min standard, 5 min "remix" — let kids set the rules ("counselor, can we play with NO hands FREEZE?")

11:30 – 11:45 | Cooldown Circle + Skill Card Fill-In + Shoutouts (15 min)

• All to shade with Skill Card + pencil.
• Cooldown stretch (3 min): seated.
• Skill Card 3 fill-in (7 min):
  • "Today's card asks how many goals you scored. Write your number — counselors counted, so we'll verify it. Even ONE goal counts!"
  • "Check the boxes for skills: laces shot, target shots, dribble-and-shoot, power shot, goalie vs. shooter."
  • "What was your BEST goal celebration today? Write it down or draw it. Make sure you can remember it — you're going to do it for your PARENT at Friday pickup!"
  • Counselor seals each card.
• Daily Shoutouts (5 min):
  • 🎯 Bullseye Boot — best target shot today: ___
  • 🥅 Wall Builder — best goalie save: ___
  • 🎉 Best Celebration — most creative goal dance: ___
• Named kids stand, group claps.

11:45 – 12:00 | Group Photo + Goodbye Cheer + Card Storage (15 min)

• Cards collected — Wednesday on top of Tuesday + Monday.
• Photo wall:
  • Individual: each kid in MID-SHOT follow-through pose (kicking foot frozen in the air).
  • Group: "SHARPSHOOTER SQUAD!" — every kid in the follow-through pose, one big freeze-frame. 3 shots.
• Equipment pack-out — careful with the PUGG goals: 2 counselors fold each one (they snap fast and can pinch fingers).
• Team cheer: "Kick it! Pass it! GROWFIT!"
• Photo upload by 12:15 PM.

💬 Counselor tips

• Wednesday is the kid favorite. Goals are the most fun thing in soccer at this age. Lean into the joy — every goal scored is a celebration.
• The biggest technique gap on Wednesday: kids reverting to TOE kicks. Constantly redirect. Praise laces, redirect toes. By the end of the day, 80% of shots should be laces.
• Confidence > accuracy. A kid who takes 5 ugly laces-shots is doing better than a kid who toes 1 perfect goal. Reward the EFFORT.
• Goalie rotation is the equalizer. Some kids LOVE being goalie, some HATE it. Make it a 1-shot rotation so nobody gets stuck.
• PUGG goals = pinch hazard. Two counselors per goal when folding/unfolding. Don't let kids handle.
• Hot weather check — shooting drills can be all in shade if you stage near a treeline. Move there for the day if it's above 85°F.
• Celebrations matter. This sounds silly but it's the BEST emotional moment of the week for shy kids. A kid who celebrates a goal on Wednesday is a kid who walks into Thursday with confidence.

🛟 Safety call-out

• Water + sunscreen.
• Laces, not toes. (For technique AND foot safety — toe shots hurt.)
• Shoot AT the goal, not AT a person. Counselor calls "no one in front of the goal" before every shot.
• Goalies stay IN the goal — no goalies running out into the field of fire.
• PUGG goals are not for climbing or hanging on. They tip.
• Heat policy enforced — water every 25–30 min, sunscreen re-app at the break.

🎯 Parent take-home — Day 3

Your camper SCORED today! Wednesday is SHOOT DAY. Your kid learned to shoot with the LACES of their foot (not the toe — toe kicks hurt and miss). They practiced power, accuracy, target-corner shooting, AND goalie work. Most importantly: they CELEBRATED every goal they scored. Ask tonight:

• "Show me how you celebrate a goal!"
• "Why do soccer players use LACES instead of toes?"
• "What's your favorite shooting drill from today?" At-home practice (optional, 5 min): set up 2 shoes as a mini goal. Stand 10 feet back. Take 5 shots using the LACES (top) of the foot. Lean over the ball, follow through. Celebrate every goal. Tomorrow: DEFEND DAY — your kid learns the unsung heroes' skills: defending, stance, channeling. Wear sneakers + bring a full water bottle.

Theme: Defend Day — Be the Wall Wonder Question: "What's a soccer team's super-power: scoring more goals, or letting in FEWER goals?" Take-home: Skill Card 4 (DEFEND DAY) — added to the camp stack Photo moment: Group "Defender Squad" — low defensive stance, hands ready

🧠 Learning goals & SEL focus

• Soccer skills: defensive stance (low, balanced, ready), shuffling without crossing feet, "channeling" the attacker (forcing them where you want), recovery runs (sprinting back when beaten), basic field awareness (knowing where teammates and opponents are)
• Vocabulary in kid words: stance (the ready position — knees bent, low, balanced), channel (pushing the attacker to ONE side so they have fewer options), recovery (sprint back to your own goal after losing the ball), pressure (getting CLOSE to the attacker without diving in), delay (slow them down — buy time for help)
• SEL: patience (don't dive in — wait for the right moment), teamwork (defense is collective), grit (chase the ball back even after you lose it)

🛠️ Equipment for today (group of 16)

• 16 size-3 soccer balls
• 30+ disc cones
• 4 tall pylons
• 4 PUGG-style mini goals
• 16 pinnies (8 each color)
• Optional: 4 bibs/sashes for "designated defenders" in some drills
• 1 whistle, 1 stopwatch, 1 clipboard
• First-aid kit + sunscreen + spare hats + water cooler

Take-home:

• 16 Skill Card 4 (DEFEND DAY)
• Pencils + crayons for cooldown

⏰ Schedule

9:00 – 9:15 | Welcome + Hype + Wonder Question + Skill Card Out (15 min)

• Counselors greet with high-fives. Use kid names by sight — by Day 4 every counselor should know every camper.
• Campers find their cone spot. At each: a ball + Thursday card (face-down).
• Counselor hype:

  "Welcome back! Yesterday you all became SCORERS. Today — you become the kid who STOPS the other team from scoring. DEFEND DAY. Defenders are the unsung heroes of soccer. Without you, your team loses. Every great team has a great defender. Today YOU become one."

• Wonder Question:

  "What's a soccer team's super-power: scoring more goals, or letting in FEWER goals?"

• Take answers. Counselor explains: both matter, but a team that gives up 0 goals can never lose. A team that gives up 5 goals has to score 6. Defense WINS games.
• Demo: counselor takes a defensive stance — knees bent, low, hands ready, feet wider than shoulders, eyes forward. Another counselor (or a kid) dribbles slowly at them. Counselor shuffles side-to-side WITHOUT crossing feet, mirrors the dribbler, doesn't dive in. After 5 seconds, slowly takes the ball with a foot.
• Skill Card intro (1 min): "Today's card has a place to DRAW your defender stance. Practice it now — knees bent, hands ready! That's the pose. We'll fill in at 11:30."

9:15 – 9:30 | Dynamic Warm-Up + "Mirror Game" (15 min)

• First 7 min — Warm-up: standard (high knees, butt kickers, toe touches, arm circles, lunges, leg swings).
• Last 8 min — Mirror Game (NO BALLS):
  • Pair kids up. They face each other 4 feet apart. Knees bent in defender stance.
  • One kid is LEADER, one is MIRROR. Leader moves slowly: left, right, forward, back, up, down. Mirror copies INSTANTLY.
  • Swap roles after 2 min.
  • 3 rounds, alternating leaders.
  • Counselor cue: "Mirror — keep your EYES on the leader's BELLY BUTTON, not their feet. Feet can lie. Belly buttons tell the truth."

9:30 – 10:15 | Skill Drills: Defensive Technique (45 min)

Three drills, building the stance → mobility → pressure.

Drill 1 — Stance + Shuffle (12 min):

• Kids in 4 lines facing the counselor. Counselor leads.
• Form check:
  • "Knees BENT. Lower than you think."
  • "Feet WIDER than your shoulders."
  • "Hands UP, like you're playing defense in basketball."
  • "Eyes UP — looking ahead, not down."
• Counselor calls direction. "Shuffle LEFT!" Kids shuffle without crossing feet. "Shuffle RIGHT!" "Shuffle BACK!" "Shuffle FORWARD!"
• After 4 min, add a STOP: "Freeze!" — kids must end in perfect stance.
• 4 min more: counselor speeds it up, calls combinations ("LEFT-LEFT-BACK-RIGHT!").
• 4 min more: kids in pairs — one mirrors the other shuffling.

Drill 2 — 1v1 Defense (18 min):

• Pair kids. Each pair has 1 ball. Mark a 10×10 grid with cones.
• One kid is the ATTACKER (has the ball). One is the DEFENDER.
• Attacker tries to dribble OVER the back line of the 10×10. Defender tries to stop them — without TACKLING.
• Counselor cue to defender: "Don't DIVE IN. Wait. Stay LOW. Mirror their moves. When they make a mistake, take the ball with your FOOT."
• Counselor cue to attacker: "Use your soft touches. Try to go AROUND the defender, not THROUGH."
• After 2 min, SWAP roles. 4 rounds total, swap between every round.
• Younger camper tip: smaller grid (6×6) so attacker doesn't get too far ahead.
• Older camper stretch: defender must NOT use their hands AT ALL — feet and body only.

Drill 3 — Channeling Practice (15 min):

• Set up: a 15×10 grid with TWO marked exit gates (each ~3 ft wide) on the back line. One gate on the right corner, one on the left.
• Attacker starts with the ball at the front line. Defender starts in front of them.
• Defender's job: FORCE the attacker to exit through the LEFT gate (or right — counselor specifies). Use body position to push them to one side.
• Counselor cue: "Your body BLOCKS one direction. Make them go the way you WANT them to go. That's CHANNELING."
• After 2 min, switch — defender now forces attacker to the OTHER gate.
• 4 rounds.
• Counselor cue: "Real defenders don't chase. They GUIDE. They make the attacker do what they WANT them to do."

10:15 – 10:30 | Water + Snack + Pass-the-Compliment (15 min)

• All to shade. Water + snack + sunscreen re-app.
• Pass-the-Compliment: today's compliment must mention DEFENSE — "great stance," "smart channel," "you stopped me," "smart pressure," etc.
• Counselor check — anyone with an ankle complaint? (Defense involves lots of side-to-side and quick stops.) Anyone showing fatigue?

10:30 – 11:15 | Skill Games + Mini Scrimmages (45 min)

Game 1 — Recovery Runs (10 min):

• Set up: a 20-yard sprint lane between two cones.
• Pair kids. Both stand at the START line. One kid (attacker) has the ball.
• Counselor whistles. Attacker takes 2 dribble touches forward. AT the 2nd touch, defender SPRINTS to get IN FRONT of the attacker before they reach the finish line.
• Counselor cue: "When you lose the ball — DON'T GIVE UP. SPRINT BACK. That's a recovery run. The best defenders never quit."
• 4 rounds, swap roles each time.
• Counselor reward: any kid who beats the attacker to the finish line gets a "SPRINT HERO" shoutout.

Game 2 — Team Wall (10 min):

• Two teams of 8 line up across from each other, 15 yards apart. Team A is "Attack," Team B is "Defense."
• 4 attackers at a time start with a ball — they try to dribble OVER the defenders' end line.
• 4 defenders at a time stand in the way — they shuffle, channel, and try to stop the attackers (without tackling violently).
• After 90 seconds, swap roles. Counselor calls out the best defender and best attacker for the round.
• 4 rounds.

Game 3 — Space Invaders (10 min):

• Set up: a 15×15 grid. 12 kids dribbling balls. 4 kids without balls = "INVADERS."
• Invaders try to kick balls OUT of the grid (like Monday's Dribble Sharks, but with a defense twist — invaders are in low stance, channeling kids to the edges).
• After 60 sec, swap who's invading.
• Purpose: field awareness — kids learn to keep their HEAD UP while dribbling, because defenders are everywhere.

Mini 4v4 Scrimmage Setup (15 min):

• Pinnies on. 2 fields, 4v4, 1 PUGG goal per side.
• Today's rule: the team that DEFENDS BETTER (allows fewer goals) gets cheered as much as the team that scores more.
• Rotate subs every 2 min.

11:15 – 11:30 | Scrimmage / Game Play (15 min)

• Continue 4v4. Today's counselor focus: call out DEFENSIVE plays by name. "Great STANCE, Jess!" "Smart CHANNEL, Marcus!" "Beautiful RECOVERY, Sam!"
• Notice and praise defensive plays even more than goals today. Defenders never get the spotlight — give it to them.

11:30 – 11:45 | Cooldown Circle + Skill Card Fill-In + Shoutouts (15 min)

• All to shade with Skill Card + pencil.
• Cooldown stretch (3 min): seated stretches (today: extra emphasis on HIP and HAMSTRING — defense involves lots of side shuffling).
• Skill Card 4 fill-in (7 min):
  • "Today's card asks you to DRAW your defender stance. Stick figure with knees bent, hands ready. Or your foot in shuffle pose. Whatever works."
  • "Check the boxes for skills: stance + shuffle, channel, recovery runs, Space Invaders, Team Wall."
  • "Write your BEST defensive play — when did you stop someone? Or sprint back to win the ball? Counselor will seal your card."
• Daily Shoutouts (5 min):
  • 🧱 Wall Builder — best 1v1 defender today: ___
  • 🏃 Sprint Hero — best recovery run: ___
  • 🧠 Smart Channel — best at guiding the attacker: ___
• Named kids stand, group claps.

11:45 – 12:00 | Group Photo + Goodbye Cheer + Card Storage (15 min)

• Cards collected — Thursday on top of Wednesday + Tuesday + Monday.
• Photo wall:
  • Individual: each kid in defender stance — low, hands ready, eyes forward.
  • Group: "DEFENDER SQUAD!" — every kid in low defensive stance, all in a line. Counselor stands "in front" with a ball as if they're about to attack. 3 shots.
• Equipment pack-out.
• Team cheer: "Kick it! Pass it! GROWFIT!"
• Friday-prep reminder to the kids (BIG announcement):

  "Tomorrow is GAME DAY! Parents will come at 11:55 to watch our AWARDS CEREMONY. You'll get a binder ring with all your week's cards AND a special MVP award. PLUS — remember your goal celebration from Wednesday? You're going to DO IT FOR YOUR PARENT tomorrow!"

• Photo upload by 12:15 PM.

💬 Counselor tips

• Defense is the UNDER-COACHED skill in youth soccer. Most kids never get focused defensive instruction — when you give them this, they FEEL like real soccer players for the first time.
• The big shift today: kids who never got picked first because they're not the fastest — defense is THEIR day. The quieter, more patient kid often becomes the best defender. Give them the spotlight.
• The most common defensive mistake at this age: diving in. Kids see the ball and lunge. Constantly redirect: "WAIT. STAY LOW. MIRROR."
• No real tackling. Soccer at age 6–9 should not have shoulder-tackles or slide-tackles. Defenders take the ball with their FEET only, no body contact.
• Channeling is a higher-order skill. Even 8–9-year-olds will struggle to "force the attacker left." Praise any attempt; don't sweat technical perfection. The CONCEPT plants the seed for next year.
• Ankle watch: all this lateral movement is hard on young ankles. Watch for limping. Stop and ice if needed.
• Friday hype starts today. Make sure every kid leaves Thursday EXCITED for Game Day + the awards ceremony. The promise of their parent watching them tomorrow is a HUGE motivator.
• Hot weather check — defense involves a lot of shuffling, which is more tiring than running. Hydrate more aggressively today, especially if >85°F.

🛟 Safety call-out

• Water + sunscreen — defense is fatigue-heavy.
• NO TACKLING. Take the ball with feet. No shoulders, no slides.
• Defenders stay UPRIGHT — falling on the ball or sliding into ankles = injury risk.
• Watch for ankle rolls during shuffle drills. Stop + ice immediately if a kid rolls one.
• No head-to-head contact — same Day 1 rule, repeated today because scrimmage gets feisty.
• Hydration every 25–30 min minimum.

🎯 Parent take-home — Day 4

Your camper became the UNSUNG HERO today: a defender. Thursday is DEFEND DAY. Your kid learned defensive stance, side-shuffling without crossing feet, 1v1 defending, channeling, and recovery runs (sprinting back when the ball gets past). Most importantly: they learned PATIENCE — wait, don't dive in, mirror the attacker, take the ball with the FEET (not the body). Ask tonight:

• "Show me your defender stance!"
• "What's a 'recovery run'?"
• "What does it mean to CHANNEL the attacker?" At-home practice (optional, 5 min): no equipment needed. Mirror Drill — you move slowly; kid mirrors you, staying in defender stance. 60 seconds. Tomorrow: GAME DAY + family showcase at 11:55 — please arrive 5 minutes early! Your kid will demo their favorite skill, do their goal celebration for you, and receive their MVP award + binder ring with all 5 Skill Cards from the week.

Theme: Game Day — Real Soccer, Real Champions, Real Parents Watching Wonder Question: "All week you learned 4 different skills. Today you get to use ALL of them at once. Who's ready to be a REAL soccer player?" Take-home: All 5 Skill Cards + MVP Certificate on a binder ring — handed out in the awards ceremony Photo moment: Group "Champions Squad" — team huddle in the middle, families behind them, "GROWFIT!" yell

⚠️ Friday is different — counselor PREP is heavier

Today has a parent-facing awards ceremony at 11:55. Counselor needs to be set up early, have the binder ring stacks ready, and run a TIGHT schedule. Read this whole day before 8:45 AM. Print the MVP certificate page in advance.

🧠 Learning goals & SEL focus

• Soccer skills: synthesis of the week — dribble + pass + shoot + defend, all in real scrimmages, all under "kid-real" game pressure
• Vocabulary in kid words: teamwork (we win together), sportsmanship (handshake at the end, win or lose), MVP (Most Valuable Player — and YOU could be one today)
• SEL: celebrating peers, performing under family attention (the awards ceremony), graceful loss, big celebration in front of an audience

🛠️ Equipment for today (group of 16)

• 16 size-3 soccer balls
• 30+ disc cones
• 4 tall pylons
• 4 PUGG-style mini goals
• 16 pinnies (8 each color)
• 1 whistle, 1 stopwatch, 1 clipboard
• First-aid kit + sunscreen + spare hats + water cooler

Friday-specific:

• All 16 campers' Skill Cards (Mon–Thu) from the storage bin — make sure NONE are missing. If a kid was absent a day, prep that card blank with their name so they still have a complete set.
• 16 Skill Card 5 (FRIDAY/GAME DAY) cards — pulled from the rubber-banded stacks
• 16 MVP Certificates — print one per camper. Pre-fill the camper's name (or kid writes their own on arrival)
• Hole punch — for punching all 5 cards + certificate Friday morning
• 20 binder rings (1" diameter) — one per camper, plus 4 spares
• Pencils + crayons for cooldown
• GrowFit Soccer banner — at the photo wall and centered behind the awards ceremony spot
• One small folding table at the awards spot — holds the binder ring stacks ready for distribution

Counselor Friday-morning prep (8:00–8:45 AM, before kids arrive):

1. Pull all 16 campers' card stacks from the storage bin.
2. Add the Friday card to each stack (face-down on top of the others — kids will fill it in at 11:30).
3. Add the MVP certificate to the bottom of each stack (it'll go to the back of the ring later).
4. Hole-punch the upper-left corner of all 6 items per kid (all cards + certificate). Single hole, ~⅜" from corner.
5. Loop a binder ring through each stack — leave the ring OPEN for now (kids haven't filled in Friday's card yet).
6. Lay each prepped stack flat on the awards-ceremony table, in alphabetical order by camper name.
7. Set up the awards-ceremony spot: small table + GrowFit banner behind + a clear spot for kids to stand for the photo when they receive the award.
8. Decide MVP awards in advance — counselor reviews the week's notes and decides which award category fits each kid (see "Award category guide" below). Pre-check the right box on each cert.

🏆 Award category guide (counselor pre-decides per kid)

The MVP cert has 7 categories — counselor checks ONE per kid. Every kid gets ONE award (no kid leaves Friday without recognition):

• MVP — All-around standout. Use sparingly (~1–2 per camp of 16). The kid who was a leader in EVERY block all week.
• HUSTLE HERO — Nonstop effort. The kid who tried hardest, not the most skilled.
• SMART PLAYMAKER — Best field awareness. The kid who saw open teammates, made smart passes.
• SUPER STOPPER — Top defender or goalie. The kid who showed up Thursday and made it their day.
• STRIKER STAR — Best goal scorer. The kid who lit it up Wednesday.
• BEST TEAMMATE — Most encouraging spirit. The kid who cheered teammates on, picked others up.
• CONFIDENCE CAPTAIN — Tried something new. Often the shy or new-to-soccer kid who took a risk.

Counselor rule: every category should appear at least once across 16 kids. If you're tempted to give 5 kids "BEST TEAMMATE," go back and look harder — some of those kids are actually Hustle Heroes or Confidence Captains. Spread the love.

⏰ Schedule

9:00 – 9:15 | Welcome + Hype + Wonder Question + Friday Card Out (15 min)

• Counselors greet at the gate with high-fives. HUGE energy — this is the highlight day of the week.
• Campers find their cone spot. At each: ball + their FULL prepped binder ring stack (5 cards + certificate, ring OPEN, Friday card face-down on top).
• Counselor hype:

  "Welcome to GAME DAY! All week you've been TRAINING. Today you PLAY. Real games. Real teams. Real soccer. And TODAY — your PARENTS are coming at 11:55 to watch you RECEIVE YOUR AWARDS. So we play hard, we celebrate hard, and we make this the BEST DAY OF CAMP."

• Wonder Question:

  "All week you learned 4 different skills — dribbling, passing, shooting, and defending. Today you get to use ALL of them at once. Who's ready to be a REAL soccer player?"

• All hands up + a big "I AM!"
• Skill Card intro (2 min): "On the table in front of you is your WEEK STACK — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and today on top. Friday's card has a place to write what you're MOST PROUD of from the week. PLUS your MVP certificate is in the stack — counselor will reveal which award you got at 11:55 in front of your parents. For now, leave the stack flat — DON'T fill in Friday yet."

9:15 – 9:30 | Dynamic Warm-Up + "Champions' Lap" (15 min)

• First 7 min — Warm-up: standard routine. Today add a CHEER between each exercise — "GOOOO GROWFIT!" after every set.
• Last 8 min — Champions' Lap:
  • Whole group jogs a big lap around the field (or grid). Counselor leads.
  • At each cone marker, the lead kid does a different move: dribble pose, passing pose, shooting pose, defender stance. Whole line copies.
  • 2 laps. Builds energy. NO BALLS.

9:30 – 10:15 | Skill Mini-Review + Free Play (45 min)

Today is mostly GAME, less drill. But review the week first.

Mini-Review (15 min) — "All Four Skills in 12 Min":

• Counselor calls a quick 3-min round of each:
  • "DRIBBLE!" — 3 min of freeze-dribble in the grid (like Monday).
  • "PASS!" — 3 min of partner pass-and-trap (like Tuesday).
  • "SHOOT!" — 3 min of stationary laces-shots at the PUGG goals (like Wednesday).
  • "DEFEND!" — 3 min of stance + mirror with a partner (like Thursday).
• Counselor cue: "Remember how good you got at each of these. We're going to use ALL of them in real games today."

Free Play (30 min) — Open Practice:

• Set up 4 small stations: 1 dribble grid, 1 partner-pass zone, 1 shooting goal, 1 1v1 defending grid.
• Kids choose their own station. Stay as long as they want, switch when they want. Counselors at each station, low-pressure coaching.
• Counselor cue: "This is YOUR free play. Pick the skill you want to practice most before your parents come."
• 15 min in, counselors prompt: "If you've been at one station for 15 min, try a different one!"

10:15 – 10:30 | Water + Snack + Champion Compliments (15 min)

• All to shade. Water + snack + sunscreen re-app.
• Champion Compliments: today's twist — every kid gives a compliment AND receives a compliment. Counselor goes around the circle: each kid says "I want to compliment ___ because…" AND then the named kid responds, "Thank you. I want to compliment ___ because…"
• Counselor pre-cue: "These are CHAMPION COMPLIMENTS today. Big and specific."
• 5 min of compliments, then 5 min hydration/rest.

10:30 – 11:15 | Championship Scrimmages (45 min)

The main event before awards.

Setup (5 min):

• Counselor divides 16 kids into 4 teams of 4 (pre-decided based on the week's observations — balance the skill levels).
• Teams get pinnies. 2 fields, 1 PUGG goal per side, 4v4.
• Each team picks a TEAM NAME ("Lightning Bolts," "Thunder Cats," etc.) and a TEAM CHEER (3-word max). Counselor helps brainstorm if needed.

Round 1: 10-min scrimmage (10 min):

• Team A vs. Team B on Field 1. Team C vs. Team D on Field 2.
• Counselor refs each game — calls fouls (rare), throw-ins, restarts.
• Counselor focus: call out moments by SKILL — "Great PASS, team Lightning!" "Smart DEFENSE, Thunder Cats!" — so kids see the connection between drill week and game day.
• After 10 min: WATER BREAK + quick pep talk.

Round 2: 10-min scrimmage (10 min):

• Winners of Round 1 play each other on Field 1; other two teams play on Field 2.
• Same pace, same energy.
• Counselor: announce "BUDDY-UP RULE" — players must PASS to a teammate at least once per possession (no solo-dribble-to-goal).

Round 3: SILLY REMIX Scrimmage (10 min):

• Whatever team configuration. ONE silly rule per game:
  • "Everyone must dribble with their WEAK foot only."
  • "When you score, you HAVE to do a dance celebration."
  • "Everyone must call out their teammate's name BEFORE passing."
• This breaks tension and brings joy after the championship rounds.

11:15 – 11:30 | Cooldown Circle + Skill Card Fill-In (15 min)

• All to shade circle, sit down, water + Skill Card + pencil.
• Cooldown stretch (3 min): full-body — toe touches, butterfly, side-bend, slow-breath.
• Skill Card 5 fill-in (8 min):
  • "Open Friday's card. Write your name. Fill in: 'I felt most like a soccer player when…' — what was the moment THIS WEEK you felt like a real player?"
  • "Check your MOST IMPROVED skill — dribbling, passing, shooting, defending, or being a great teammate."
  • "Write your GOAL CELEBRATION — what are you going to do for your parent in just a few minutes? You're going to DO it during the photo!"
  • "Flip the card over. Name 3 SOCCER PLAYERS you admire — pros, your sibling, anyone."
  • "Write ONE thing you want to try in soccer NEXT SESSION."
• Counselor circulates, seals each card with star sticker.
• At 11:25 (5 min before parents): counselor closes each binder ring. Stack now: Mon → Tue → Wed → Thu → Fri → MVP Cert.

11:30 – 11:45 | Awards-Ceremony Pre-Brief + Photo Warm-Up (15 min)

Final 15 min before parents.

• Awards-Ceremony Brief (5 min): counselor sets the kids up.

  "Your parents are about to arrive. In a few minutes I'm going to call EACH of your names. You're going to walk up here, get your award + binder ring, take a little bow, and your parents are going to clap and cheer. Practice your walk now. PRACTICE YOUR BOW. We're going to make this BIG." "Then we'll do a TEAM PHOTO with all the families. Then you'll get 1 minute each to demo your FAVORITE skill to your family. THEN — your special GROWFIT GOAL CELEBRATION!"

• Practice walk + bow (3 min): counselor calls 3–4 kids to do a practice walk + bow. Group claps.
• Set up the awards spot: small table, binder ring stacks in alphabetical order, GrowFit banner.
• Quick photo warm-up: practice the "CHAMPIONS SQUAD" pose — group huddle, big smiles, "GROWFIT!" yell. 2 practice shots.
• At 11:43: counselor walks to the gate to greet arriving parents. Direct them to a "viewing area" 10 feet from the awards spot.

11:45 – 11:55 | Parent Arrival + Settle-In (10 min)

• Parents arrive (sign asked them for 11:55, so some will be early).
• Counselor: warm greetings, "thanks for coming!", direct them to the viewing area.
• Quick chat: "We're going to do an AWARDS CEREMONY, then a team photo, then each kid will DEMO their favorite skill to you."
• At 11:53, counselor calls all kids to sit in front of the awards-ceremony spot. "Kids — eyes up here. Parents — please hold your applause until we're done so we can hear each kid's name."

11:55 – 12:00 | THE AWARDS CEREMONY + Group Photo + Goodbye (final 5 min)

This is the MOMENT. It needs to be tight and big.

Awards Ceremony (~3 min):

• Counselor calls each kid by name + reads the award:

  "First up — JAMIE SMITH. This week, Jamie was our HUSTLE HERO — for nonstop effort all week, especially on Defense Day when she did 5 recovery runs in a row. Jamie, come on up!"

• Kid walks up, receives binder ring + handshake, takes a bow, group claps.
• Counselor: "And before you go, Jamie — show your parents your goal celebration!" Kid does their celebration. Group + parents cheer.
• Kid returns to sit.
• Repeat for all 16 kids — 10–12 sec per kid = ~3 min total. Keep it MOVING.

Group Photo (~1 min):

• "All kids — to the middle! Parents, please grab a spot behind your kid. CHAMPIONS SQUAD!"
• Counselor takes 3 shots: 1 silly (everyone yells), 1 cheesy (peace signs), 1 classic (smile).

Goodbye Cheer (~30 sec):

• All together: "Kick it! Pass it! GROWFIT!" — three times, loud.

Final goodbye (~30 sec):

• "Thanks for an AMAZING week. Each kid takes their binder ring home — that's their week. See you next session!"
• Counselor releases each kid to confirmed parent. Confirms pickup adult for each.

📦 Post-camp counselor wrap-up (12:00–12:30, after kids leave)

• Equipment pack-out: balls, cones, pinnies, goals all back in bags.
• Pinnies → mesh bag for washing.
• Storage bin: empty (all cards went home).
• Quick photo upload: all individual + group + ceremony photos uploaded to the parent socials folder by 12:30 PM.
• Russ debrief note (5 min): counselor jots a quick note — what worked, what didn't, any kid/parent flags, any equipment damage, any restock needed.

💬 Counselor tips

• Friday morning prep IS THE DAY. If you don't have the binder ring stacks ready before 9:00 AM, you'll spend the camp scrambling. Print Thursday, prep Friday before kids arrive.
• Don't let the awards ceremony go long. 16 kids × 12 sec each = 3 min. If you blather past 30 sec per kid, you're at 8+ minutes and parents (and kids) lose attention. PRACTICE the script Sunday.
• Every kid gets an award. No exceptions. The shy kid gets "Confidence Captain." The wild kid gets "Hustle Hero." Spread the categories.
• The bow is critical. Practice it. Kids love taking bows. It elevates the moment from "pickup" to "performance."
• Parents are watching the ceremony, NOT the cards. Don't show the cards in the ceremony. Hand the binder ring to each kid AS the award is given. Parents will look at the cards together with the kid in the car on the way home — that's the right moment for the cards to land.
• The goal celebration in front of parents is the EMOTIONAL HIGHLIGHT for many kids. Don't skip it. Don't rush it. Let each kid have their 5 seconds.
• Photo discipline: snap the ceremony shots while the kid is BOWING — those are the best parent-share photos. Get the kid mid-bow with their binder ring.
• Hot weather Friday is the BIGGEST risk — kids are running hardest, parents are in direct sun for the ceremony. Have water available at the viewing spot for parents.

🛟 Safety call-out

• Water + sunscreen — Friday is the highest-effort day.
• Championship scrimmages = bigger collisions. NO head-to-head, NO slide tackles. Counselor refs HARD today.
• Parents arrive at 11:55 — make sure the field is CLEAR of stray equipment before they walk in.
• Confirm pickup adult for each kid at the gate. No kid leaves with an unconfirmed adult.

🎯 Parent take-home — Day 5

Your camper just became a real soccer player! Friday was GAME DAY. Your kid synthesized everything from the week — dribbling + passing + shooting + defending — in real 4v4 championship scrimmages. They were named at the awards ceremony, took a bow, performed their goal celebration for you, and walked away with a binder ring of FIVE SKILL CARDS and an MVP CERTIFICATE. What's in the binder ring:

1. Monday – DRIBBLE DAY card
2. Tuesday – PASS DAY card
3. Wednesday – SHOOT DAY card
4. Thursday – DEFEND DAY card
5. Friday – GAME DAY card
6. MVP Certificate (back of ring) Tonight, sit down with your kid and look through the ring together. Each card front has skills your kid worked on; each card back has a "PRACTICE AT HOME" drill diagram. Pick ONE drill to do together this weekend (10 min). That extends the camp into real life and sticks the learning. Thanks for an incredible week of GrowFit Soccer Camp. See you next session!

The Soccer camp is equipment-owned (no consumables go home with kids). This is the master reference for what to grab from the GrowFit storage closet Sunday night.

Annual reusable equipment inventory

Soccer balls

Inflation spec: firm but not rock-hard. Press your thumb in — should give ~¼" max. Flat balls kill drills. Over-pumped balls hurt feet.

Annual replace: balls last 1–2 seasons of hard use. If a ball is visibly worn (panels separating, valve leaking), replace before the season starts.

Cones + field markers

Annual replace: disc cones flatten. If they don't sit upright, replace. Pylons last many years.

Goals

Annual replace: pop-up goals typically last 1–2 seasons. Check for bent fiberglass rods, torn netting, broken springs.

Pinnies + team gear

Wash: Friday after camp. Cold wash, hang dry. Worst smell in the world if you skip.

Counselor tools

First-aid + sun + weather

First-aid kit check: weekly. Restock missing items every Friday.

Weather contingency

Weather call: lightning within 10 mi = pull kids off the field, into shelter, cancel rest of camp. Russ texts parents.

Banners + signage

Per-week consumables (the only restock that happens every camp)

Total weekly consumables cost: ~$12–15/week. Tiny.

What we DON'T buy (because the camp is equipment-owned)

• ❌ Camp T-shirts (kids wear their own athletic clothes)
• ❌ Branded balls (we use standard size-3 balls)
• ❌ Branded cones (color-coded only, no logos)
• ❌ Personal kid gear (cleats, shin guards) — kid brings their own
• ❌ Trophy / medal physical awards — replaced by the MVP certificate paper + binder ring system (~$0.20/kid)
• ❌ Game-day jerseys with numbers — pinnies serve this purpose

Storage location (for Russ)

• Equipment bag (large): lives in the GrowFit storage closet. Contains balls, cones, pylons, pinnies, whistles, clipboards.
• Goals (4 PUGG pop-ups): carry bags stacked in the storage closet next to the equipment bag.
• First-aid kit: lives in the equipment bag. Restocked weekly.
• Sunscreen + spare hats: small bin on top of the equipment bag.
• Skill Cards weekly prep bin: small plastic bin labeled "Soccer Skill Cards — WEEK OF ___." Lives in the storage closet, prepped Sunday, returned empty Friday.

Reorder calendar (Russ)

Vendor notes (for restock)

• Soccer balls (size 3): Amazon basics 6-pack ~$25; or Dick's Sporting Goods bulk. Avoid the cheapest "pool toy" balls — bounce weird, pop fast.
• Cones: Amazon multipacks — 50-cone disc-cone pack ~$20.
• PUGG goals: PUGG brand on Amazon ~$70 per pair. Real PUGG > knockoffs (knockoffs bend after 2 weeks).
• Pinnies: Athletico set of 12 on Amazon ~$15. Don't buy "team jerseys" — pinnies are easier to wash, easier to share between teams.
• Binder rings: generic 100-pack on Amazon ~$3. 1" diameter is right.
• Pop-up shade canopy: any 10×10 instant-canopy from Costco or Amazon ~$80.

Quick budget summary (for Russ's planning)

• One-time equipment investment (if starting fresh): ~$450 (balls $80 + cones $40 + 4 PUGG goals $140 + pinnies $30 + first-aid $50 + canopy $80 + misc $30). Lasts 1–2 seasons.
• Per-week consumables (recurring): ~$12–15.
• Per-camper take-home cost: ~$0.20 (printing + binder ring share). Vs. ~$35–50/camper for Art/Science. Soccer is the lowest-consumable specialty camp by far.