By Brock Burgess and photo by LMFA
For more than 50 years, the London Minor Football Association has introduced young people to the sport of football. For the last three years, that introduction has included indoor skills camps in the winter months. These camps were new to London at the time, and they have grown more popular every year.
The weekly Friday night camps at Centrefield Sports in south London are open to anyone aged 7 to 13, regardless of experience. They are designed to be a fun, relaxed, and upbeat introduction to football without the expense of personal trainers or camps. Each week includes a warm up, agility training, ball handling and footwork, and one or two position-specific sessions. Players attending all 10 weeks will learn every position, but each week features new skills so that new players are always welcome every week.
The coaches are a mix of experienced LMFA and high school coaches, as well as high school students giving back to the sport. Laurier high school student Matt Forbes, for instance, volunteers with LMFA in the fall and at the camp.
“It’s really rewarding watching the kids be active and improve their skills while getting to know their teammates and building long lasting friendships,” said Forbes.
Veteran coach (and LFOA official) Don Nicholson also volunteers at the camp every week. He enjoys the chance to work with young players, as well as new coaches, so that football in London can continue to get bigger and better. It all starts with the young players in the LMFA.
Other offseason events coming up this year will include the second annual LMFA Women’s Clinic — a football introduction for moms. For more information on this and the 2014 LMFA season, please visit www.lmfafootball.ca or call 519-852-4465.
www.lmfafootball.ca
