Camps with football in Canada

In addition to the expected words about the high quality of education and safety, there are other reasons to send a child to a Canadian sports camp. Summer football camps in Canada are not only sports and recreation, but also an opportunity to meet new people, make friends, and immerse yourself in English or French.

• Interesting training programs

Moving away from dogmatism and the pursuit of results, officials from the national Ministry of Education are seriously concerned about making Canadian curricula at all levels not only rich, but also interesting. And they succeeded: according to a survey conducted in 2017 among 2.4 thousand schoolchildren who rested in summer sports camps, 62% of them considered the proposed programs interesting and useful.

• Full immersion in the language environment

Many people go to British and American camps to learn English. Canada is even more interesting in this regard, because, depending on the province, here you can learn not only English, but also French, or even both languages at once. And the high qualification of teachers, coupled with programs brought to perfection, will guarantee that the material will be mastered easily and in the shortest possible time!

• Broadening your horizons and unforgettable experiences

A trip to another country always opens up new horizons, especially when you are young, open to new emotions and sensations. A multilingual crowd on the streets of Canadian cities, an original and unique lifestyle and new acquaintances will not leave anyone indifferent.

• Living in a multicultural environment

Like any country created by migrants, Canada is a melting pot where people who speak dozens of different languages and think very differently meet. The benefits of such meetings, intercultural and international interaction for children and adolescents can hardly be overestimated: having gone through a football sports camp in Canada, they take a step towards becoming real citizens of the world.

• Excellent value for money

Sports camps, including football camps in Canada, have the necessary state accreditations and meet the highest international standards. Sending a child to Canada on vacation to play football will cost 20-30% cheaper than to the same camp, say, in the United States or Spain.

Studying in Canada is profitable and interesting, there are all the conditions for a full-fledged summer vacation - climatic, cultural, social. All this makes a trip to a summer camp with a football program an excellent solution that allows you not only to learn new tricks and meet other young athletes from dozens of different countries, but also to visit the most interesting places, to see miracles made and not made by hands. There's actually a lot to see in Canada!

Many Canadian sports camps are located near major cities, or even in their very center. Where else will a child have the opportunity to relax in nature without leaving a modern metropolis?

Usually, a football sports camp works in close conjunction with universities, colleges and schools, and in 80% of cases it is located here, on campus. Therefore, classrooms, training halls and fields are equipped with the latest technology, and the infrastructure and range of available opportunities in terms of extracurricular activities and leisure are second to none.

Usually the program includes 20-30 hours of training per week + 15 to 30 hours of English or French lessons. On the first day, students are divided into groups: the selection criteria are the age, physical condition of the student, and the presence of special skills. At the same time, the child is selected a group for language classes - one where he will feel as comfortable as possible and at the same time regularly face challenges that encourage him to develop. At the same time, it is important to understand that training in a sports camp implies that the child's English or French is good enough to interact with partners and understand the coach's commands (sports are still primary here), so a sufficient level of language proficiency (usually at least B1) will be a prerequisite for registration.

In addition to sports and English/French, there is an extensive programme of extracurricular activities – the more varied the older, larger and more respected the school or university serves as the base for the football camp. These are additional classes, master classes, and entertainment trips, not to mention excursions and outdoor games.

The LTPD model (and it is used not only in sports schools and associations, but also in football camps) is based on seven stages of development, at each of which coaches, parents and athletes will have to solve certain problems.

Up to the age of 12, children almost do not participate in competitions, they only learn: the first two stages help to identify strengths and weaknesses, gain general sports skills and develop a sense of teamwork. At the third stage, there is a selection in sports skills centers, for special programs for players: you can get here at the invitation of the club or through the free registration procedure. This opportunity should not be underestimated: children almost free of charge get the opportunity not only to have fun with their peers, but also to learn new skills, to catch the eye of the club coach.

Competitive programs begin at the 4th stage - at about 12 years old. By the sixth stage, having passed through the selection system and moving on to year-round training, teenagers come prepared and enduring, with experience of participating in youth national, professional and student teams. Finally, the seventh stage of the model is already an amateur sport of high achievements.

The special training of coaches deserves special mention: in order to get permission to work with children and teenagers and the right to teach, you must first obtain a type C license, which gives the right to work in grassroots football. To get it, you need to additionally listen to lectures as part of the national training program, including ethics and psychology of sports, the basics of physiology and medicine, and much more. Only then can the coach apply for a children's (5-12 years old), youth (13-18) or adult coach license.

Most often, football camps are organized on the basis of existing private and public schools, universities and colleges. The usual in Russia camp of special construction somewhere in the forest or on the shore of a lake is much rarer: for playing football, you need a good field, ideally a full-fledged stadium.

Expat students can have access to different accommodation options: the most popular are residence, school boarding or host family. The first two options are convenient because there is no need to waste time on the road: everything is within walking distance, you can walk to the training base. This option allows you to spend more time with teammates and use the school or university infrastructure to the fullest (some take advantage of the summer camp opportunities to get to know the school or university in depth before applying to the admissions committee). On the other hand, adoptive families not only give the child a table and shelter, but also take care of him as if he were their child: the guardian monitors behavior, provides full leisure time and regularly reports to parents, so this option is suitable for younger schoolchildren and teenagers.

The accommodation conditions are excellent:

• On campus, these are rooms designed for 2-6 people, with the necessary equipment for recreation, storage and classes, Internet access, often with a TV and a computer. As for the shower and toilet, there are both options with separate amenities and shared bathrooms on the floor.
• In guest families, the student is accommodated in a separate room (less often together with his own child or another expat), provided with a place for classes, two or three meals a day.

Camps are non-selective, although there are still minimum requirements:

• you can't do without a passport or visa, and for younger children - birth certificates,
• it is required to provide a health certificate that confirms that the student has no medical contraindications and is able to take part in sports and training,
• It is necessary to speak the language at a level sufficient to understand the commands of the coach, captain and interact with other team members. Requirements may vary, it is better to find them out in advance; as a rule, a basic level of English (or French) is required - at least B2.

In Canada, everything is significantly cheaper than in the USA, Great Britain and most EU countries. Depending on the camp, the age of the child, the additional support of the program and its duration, a week of stay in the camp will cost 1200-3800 $CAD. It seems significant, but this amount usually already includes accommodation and meals, the main training cycle, some excursions and activities outside the camp. Many camps include a set of souvenirs for students: a T-shirt or windbreaker, a cap or a baseball cap, a bag or shopper, a soccer ball with symbols.

But air tickets and transfers from the airport and back, guardian services, off-campus meals or outside the home will have to be paid separately. In addition, it is necessary to allocate a certain amount of pocket money to the child.