Academy Team Camp 2016

2016 Junior Academy Girls team camp group

2016 Junior Academy Girls

2016 Junior Academy Girls team camp goofy group

2016 Junior Academy Girls get goofy

We’ll kick off the 2016-2017 NASA Tophat (NTH) Academy Girls soccer year with our summer Academy Team Camps.

2017 Academy Team Camp dates have not yet been released; dates are typically posted in late January. Info below is for the 2016 camp sessions.

Metro North Park and United Quest Park team camp formats change this year, with each park’s Academy Girls and Junior Academy Girls groups having camp the same week, July 18-21 (Monday through Thursday), with evening hours (5:30-8:30 PM) instead of daytime hours.

Team camp make-up session:  Our last night of camp was canceled due to thunderstorms. Check with your age group’s coach for info about a make-up date. (Junior Academy Girls:  check this link for make-up info.)

Camp sessions will take place at Metro North Park and Tophat fields:

  • Metro North Park:  July 18-21, 5:30 – 8:30 PM. This session is for all Academy aged girls who will practice out of Metro North Park and United Quest Park. (There will be Girls Academy groups playing out of United Quest Park in the fall, but there won’t be a separate Girls Academy Team Camp session at UQP.)
    • Parking and field access:  Metro North Park is currently a construction site as field 3 is being converted from grass to artificial turf, and the turf field itself is also being renovated. A section of the main parking lot is fenced off for equipment, and the main walkway to the clubhouse is closed. Link:  parking and field access information
  • Tophat fields:  August 8-11, 4:00 – 5:30 (U10 and younger) or 5:30 – 7:00 PM (U11 and U12 groups). These sessions are for all Academy aged girls who will practice out of Tophat.

Quick links

Registration and fee

  • If you’ve already registered your daughter for the NTH Academy program through the NTH web site, you are automatically registered for camp.
  • Our Academy Team Camp is part of the Academy program, and it doesn’t require a separate registration, payment or paperwork.
  • If you have not yet submitted a notarized medical consent form and / or a copy of your daughter’s birth certificate, you should submit at the start of camp.

Daily schedule (MNP location)

  • Check-in:  5:00 – 5:15 PM. Check with your age group’s coach for check-in location.
    • Junior Academy Girls will check-in at the flag pole at the clubhouse on Monday, and behind the clubhouse near field 6 on Tuesday through Thursday.
  • Camp hours:  5:30 – 8:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, July 18-21, 2016.

Weather info

Academy Team Camp is normally a “rain or shine” event (once it gets started!). If we get lightning or driving rain during the session, we’ll take shelter until the storm passes. If we have one of those days where it’s storming in the afternoon and the forecast calls for more of the same throughout the evening, check your age group’s weather communication channel for any updates.

Camp checklist

Healthy kids are happy kids, and happy kids will enjoy camp! Please be sure to take advantage of the following tips and advice to help ensure that your daughter stays in peak condition and has a great camp experience. Link:  quickie checklist (lists items only, without descriptions)

Clothes:

  • We recommend light-colored loose clothing. Tight fitting shirts are OK if they are made of moisture-wicking technical fabrics, but tight cotton shirts aren’t a good choice.

Practice jerseys:

  • New players may not have received their practice jerseys yet. If you have a NASA practice jersey, you’re welcome to wear it, but it isn’t required during camp.

Soccer shoes:

  • Turf shoes:  We recommend “turf” shoes for camp. The girls will be on their feet several hours a day. Turf shoes tend to be gentler on the feet than regular soccer cleats, so we recommend them for the camp environment. Links:  basic info about soccer shoes  /  detailed info about soccer shoes
  • See the Foot care section below for notes about new shoes.

Sneakers too!

  • Girls should bring a pair of sneakers in case wet fields force us to shift off grass onto paved areas or other hard surfaces.

Soccer ball:

  • We use a size 3 ball for the Junior Academy ages, and a size 4 ball for the U9 through U12 Academy ages. Your daughter is welcome to bring a smaller ball, but we don’t recommend size 5 balls for our age levels. Link:  more about soccer balls

Shin guards:

  • Shin guards are required for all practices and games. See Foot care for notes about stirrup-style shin guards.

Socks:

  • Girls should wear regular soccer socks over their shin guards. (Depending on shin guard style, players may also want to wear a thin pair of socks under their shin guards.) Check the Foot care section below for more info.

Shorts:

  • Girls should wear regular soccer shorts (no jean shorts or cheerleader shorts).

Sunscreen:

  • Store this in a zip-lock bag to avoid leaking onto other stuff.
  • Spray-on sunscreen etiquette:  Please check the direction of any breeze or wind, and apply spray-on sunscreen down-wind from your group.

Hair:

  • Girls with longer hair should wear a headband or “scrunchy” or something to keep hair out of their faces. Pre-wrap works well for this.

Slides / sandals:

  • Bring a pair of slides, sandals or flip-flops for after camp. See more in the Foot care section below.

Water jug:

  • Bring a large insulated water jug (minimum half-gallon, labeled with your daughter’s name or initials and uniform number), filled with ice and water or sports drink. We’ll have water refills available at the fields.
  • Bottled water not recommended:  This may be convenient, but it’s not practical for the camp environment. The water won’t stay cold, so girls won’t want to drink it.

Snack:

  • Bring a light snack: fruit, veggies, crackers or something low in fat. Link:  snack ideas (long but thorough PDF file)

No-nos:

  • Leave jewelry at home.
  • Gum and electronic devices should stay in players’ bags except for lunch time (for day camps) or after camp.

Hydration guidelines

There are two important benefits to proper fluid intake:

  1. You minimize the risk of heat-related injury or illness.
  2. You enable your body and mind to perform at a higher level for a longer period of time.

Fluid choices:

Good fluid choices include water or “sports drinks” that contain sodium and carbohydrates such as Gatorade and PowerAde. Fruit juice and milk aren’t good morning choices, but are fine for the evening hours. (Recent studies rate chocolate milk as an excellent post-workout recovery drink.) Avoid carbonated drinks such as sodas.

A few days before camp:

Start increasing fluid intake 2-3 days before camp begins; if you wait until Monday, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle.

Each afternoon:

  • Drink a pint (16 ounces) before coming to camp.

Bring to camp:

  • Bring a large insulated water jug (minimum half-gallon, labeled with your daughter’s name or initials and uniform number), filled with ice and water or sports drink. We’ll have water refills available at the fields.
  • Bottled water not recommended:  This may be convenient, but it’s not practical for the camp environment. The water won’t stay cold, so girls won’t want to drink it.

During camp:

  • Drink 4-8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during camp (two gulps is about an ounce). We’ll provide frequent water breaks to give the girls a chance to keep up their fluid intake throughout the day.

After camp:

  • Drink 24 ounces in the first 1-2 hours after camp ends each day. (Recent studies rate chocolate milk as an excellent post-workout recovery drink.)

Using weight loss as a guide:

  • If you have a scale at home, weigh your daughter before and after camp each day. If your daughter loses weight, have her drink 16 ounces of fluid for each pound of weight loss.

Foot care

Some recommendations to avoid blisters and other foot problems:

“Turf” shoes recommended:

We recommend turf shoes for camp. They are gentler on the feet than cleats. The girls will be on their feet three hours a day, four days in a row, so turfs will help their feet survive the week. Many young players are able to wear turfs full-time (camp, plus fall practices and games). If your daughter needs new shoes, start with turfs and hold off on buying cleats until she gets a chance to experience turf shoes. Links:  basic info about soccer shoes  /  detailed info about soccer shoes

New shoes:

If your daughter has new shoes, she should break them in before wearing them to camp. She can accomplish this by wearing them around the house for a few days, and also wearing them for a few 15-30 minute soccer sessions in the yard or park.

Stirrup style shin guards:

If your daughter has “stirrup” style shin guards, she should wear a thin pair of socks underneath them to prevent the stirrup straps from directly rubbing her feet or ankles. Moisture-wicking sock liners (like those worn by hikers and skiers) work well for this purpose.

Slides / sandals:

Your daughter should bring a pair of slides, sandals or flip-flops. When camp is done for the day, she can take off her shoes, socks and shin guards, and switch to slides. Her feet will be thankful!