Academy Camp:

Quick links:  daily schedule  /  checklist  /  hydration  /  foot care

• Registration and fee:  If you've already registered your daughter for the NASA Academy program through the NASA web site, you are automatically registered for camp. Our Academy 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 and / or birth certificate, you should submit at the start of camp.)

Daily schedule:

• Check-in:  8:30 - 8:45 AM

  • Junior Academy Girls:  Check-in will include a quick inspection to check each player's water, ball, footwear and lunch.

    • MNP:  We'll meet Monday, July 6th at the picnic tables near the flagpole in front of the Metro North Park clubhouse.

    • UQP:  We'll meet Monday, July 13th at the picnic tables near the playground behind the United Quest Park clubhouse (between the parking lot and UQP field 8). We'll meet at UQP fields 4/5 the rest of the week.

  • U9 through U12 Academy Girls:  Check with your age group's coach for check-in location.

• Camp hours:

  • Junior Academy Girls:  9:00 AM - 1:30 PM; pickup 1:30 - 1:45 PM

  • U9 through U12 Academy Girls:  9:00 AM - 3:00 PM; pick-up 3:00 - 3:15 PM

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.

• 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:  See Foot care for notes about new 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

  • Sneakers too!  Girls should bring a pair of sneakers in case wet fields force us to shift off grass into the puddle-jumper courts or paved areas.

• Soccer ball:  We use a size 3 or 4 ball at these age levels: size 3 for the Junior Academy group, size 4 for the older Academy groups. 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.) Girls should bring an extra clean, dry pair of soccer socks for the afternoon session. Link: Foot care

• Shorts:  Girls should wear regular soccer shorts (no jean shorts or cheerleading 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.

• Sandals:  Bring a pair of sandals, flip-flops or crocs for lunch-time and after camp. Link: Foot care

• 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 (link: Fluids). 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 mid-morning snack: fruit, veggies, crackers or something low in fat. Link: snack ideas (long but thorough PDF file)

• Lunch:  Bring a cooler with lunch. Link: lunch 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 or after camp.

Drink plenty of fluids: There are two important benefits to proper fluid intake:

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

Hydration guidelines:

• 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 morning:  Drink a pint (16 ounces) each morning 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: A few 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 several hours a day, several 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.

• Sandals and extra socks:  Your daughter should bring a pair of sandals, flip-flops or Crocs and an extra pair or two of socks. The morning dew may cause her socks, shoes and feet to get wet. When it’s lunch-time, she can take her shoes and socks off and wear sandals so her feet can dry off and relax. She can put her wet shoes in a sunny spot so they can dry off and relax too. After lunch, she can put on her extra (dry!) socks for the afternoon session. When camp is done for the day, she can go back to sandals. Her feet will be thankful!