We’ll kick off the 2019-2020 NASA Tophat (NTH) Academy Girls soccer year with our summer Academy Team Camps.
The 2019 team camps run August 5 – August 8 during evening hours. Players attend all four sessions.
Quick links:
Daily schedule:
Junior Academy Girls 2019 team camp schedule:
| Day | Location | Field | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, August 5 | United Quest Park | UQP field 7 | 5:15 - 7:00 PM |
| Tuesday, August 6 | Metro North Park | MNP "TOPS" field | 5:00 - 7:00 PM |
| Wednesday, August 7 | United Quest Park | UQP field 7 | 5:15 - 7:00 PM |
| Thursday, August 8 | Metro North Park | MNP "TOPS" field | 5:00 - 7:00 PM |
Camp sessions swap between United Quest Park and Metro North Park. All players should attend all four sessions. We’ll combine girls from both parks during our fall season game days, so team camp gives us a jump on helping players get to know all of their future teammates.
Older age groups’ (U9 – U12) schedules:
Check with your daughter’s coach for schedules and field assignments.
Registration and fee:
- If you’ve already registered your daughter for the NTH Academy program through the NTH web site (the Blue Sombrero system), you are automatically registered for camp.
- Our 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, please submit by the start of camp. You can scan the documents into PDF files and e-mail them to your age group’s coach or team manager, or you can hand deliver the documents on the first day of camp.
Weather info:
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. (Link: Junior Academy Girls bad weather procedures).
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)
Practice jerseys:
- Players should wear standard practice attire, including their NTH practice jersey. If your daughter is new and has not yet received her practice jersey, she should wear a light-colored shirt. Tight fitting shirts are OK if they are made of moisture-wicking technical fabrics, but tight cotton shirts aren’t a good choice.
Shorts:
- Girls should wear regular soccer shorts (no jean shorts or cheerleader shorts).
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.
Soccer shoes:
- Turf shoes: We recommend “turf” shoes for camp. The girls will be on their feet 2 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.
Slides / sandals:
- Bring a pair of slides, sandals or flip-flops for after camp. See more in the Foot care section below.
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
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.
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.
- 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
No-nos:
- No hanging or climbing on goals or nets.
- Leave jewelry at home.
- No gum.
- 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:
- 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.
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 pre-camp choices, but are fine for the after-camp hours. Recent studies rate chocolate milk as an excellent post-workout recovery drink.
- Avoid caffeine-laden “energy drinks” such as Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar. (Nutritionists raise red flags about young kids drinking these types of beverages.)
- 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.- 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.
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 two 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!