Camps with football in Italy

Studying and training in Italy promises a number of advantages:

• Accessibility

By the standards of the USA, Great Britain or Germany, the price offer in Southern Europe is quite democratic, with comparable costs and quality, parents can afford to choose longer and richer programs.

• Foreign Languages

Usually, classes and training are held in English, but some camps are faithful to Italian, and 10-15% of camps offer their students to learn two languages at once. By the way, it turns out great: communicating with each other in an informal setting, children learn foreign languages quite easily.

• Good infrastructure

6 out of 10 football camps in Italy are partners of the largest national clubs. Others are sponsored or directly established by famous players, so that children can enjoy the best available training infrastructure, the opportunity to enter the field where their idols have played or continue to play.

• International relations

Studying abroad is always an opportunity not only to look at yourself from a different angle, to evaluate it from the outside, but also to make friends from dozens of countries around the world who share a passion for football.

The teaching and coaching method in Italy is markedly different from the practices of other recognized football powers and resembles the policy that is pursued in Finland in relation to hockey. The secret is that football training is built into the model of improving the nation's health, and at the same time, in primary and secondary school education.

From the age of 4-5, children spend quite a lot of time playing with a ball: this allows them to become more dexterous, to develop coordination of movement. As they grow older, the program becomes more complex, and the intensity of classes increases. Already at the age of seven, in the section, children are taught the basics of football tactics and strategy, such things as the correct positioning of the body, throwing techniques, feints and decoys and much more.

Enrollment in football schools and camps begins at the age of 6-8, and even in amateur schools, sometimes professionals of the highest level work, who are able to give the child a lot in terms of sports training and personal contribution.

The key task that is set for the coaches of academies and summer football camps is to teach the child in the shortest possible time, to help them master the practical material, to become fast and agile, to learn to choose which technique and when to use. Due to this, by the age of 12-13, children who have gone through such a school play well in 2-3 touches, know how to pass, see the field as a whole and master the same signature attacking style with quickly changing attacks and defenses. Summer football camps in Italy employ recruiting agents for major Italian and European clubs - for talented young people, this is a chance to be noticed and receive an invitation at the initial stage of their football career.

Summer football camps in Italy recruit pupils aged 6 to 21, although usually the range is narrower - from 8 to 18 years old. As a rule, camps are located in the coastal zone or in the foothills, in climatically favorable and ecologically clean regions of the country.

The duration of shifts varies from 7-10 days to an entire season. Enrollment in most camps is non-selective: both boys and girls are taken, regardless of the level of physical fitness and the presence of special skills - after the initial distribution, the student will be selected the optimal group, taking into account age, athletic form, height and weight. Along with training, many camps offer a diverse extracurricular program, which can have both entertainment and general developmental value, and team building.

In other educational institutions, the program is initially mixed, combining sports and music classes, language training or intensive classes in the subjects of the school curriculum (most often we are talking about mathematics, but there are also other options).

Usually, the schedule includes at least two workouts lasting at least an hour per day each; If necessary (usually for a fee, but there are exceptions), additional training and master classes are held (both in person and in small groups). The program is adapted individually, which allows young athletes to reveal their talents, improve technique, develop both physical and intellectual abilities, become stronger and more enduring.

Along with training, students participate in matches against other training teams - both from football camps and from sports schools.

As for teaching English and/or Italian, depending on the program, the intensity of classes varies from 12-15 to 26-30 academic hours per week. For an additional fee, some camps offer special courses (for example, highly specialized vocabulary, etc.).

Simple but accurate tests are used to determine the level of the CEFR to select the right group for the student. The program is based on advanced teaching methods that integrate learning into everyday activities - training, communication, walks. All this will allow you to quickly expand your vocabulary, improve pronunciation and phrase construction skills.

The most common format of accommodation in children's sports camps in Italy is student residences, where pupils live in rooms of various capacities (from 2 to 8 people, there are also single rooms) under the supervision of a certified educator. Shower and toilet can be individual, in the room, or shared, on the floor or block of rooms. For children, there are playrooms and recreation rooms with a variety of leisure options, from computer games to board games. The campus is under security and round-the-clock video surveillance. Usually, a sports camp has a medical center with a doctor or nurse on constant duty. Pupils can count on support from the coach, educators and teachers, many camps have their own psychological support service.

Meals are usually organized on the basis of the canteen, where young football players are offered healthy and varied food with a wide range of dishes. If necessary and in agreement with the parents, an individual menu can be prepared for the child, taking into account personal preferences and possible food prohibitions/restrictions related to health characteristics.

Admission of students to the camps is non-selective, but there are still some minimum requirements. Since the football camp program involves numerous and diverse sports activities, parents will be required to provide an official certificate that confirms that the child is healthy and can take part in activities and training without harm to health.

Camps usually require that the child has at least a B2 level of English/Italian: otherwise, it will not be possible to train effectively and interact with the coach and other team members, the language barrier will interfere.

Finally, a valid visa and passport, an internal passport, or (if the potential student is under 14 years old) a birth certificate are required.