Callaway hosts soccer camp
Published 9:30 pm Friday, June 28, 2019
By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY
Daily News
Some possible Callaway High soccer stars of tomorrow got their kicks in last week.
Callaway’s soccer program hosted a youth camp that was held from Monday through Thursday at the school’s soccer complex.
Dozens of boys and girls participated in the camp, with Callaway’s coaches and players serving as instructors.
Callaway girls’ coach Shonna Yawn enjoyed watching the way her players interacted with the youngest campers.
There weren’t many camp in the youngest age group, meaning each of the girls got plenty of individual attention.
“On the lower end we didn’t have as many numbers as we did with the older kids,” Yawn said. “We only had four 5 and 6-year-olds. We’d kind of planned for more, but they got sick and weren’t able to make it.”
Yawn added that “my girls always look forward to coming out and having this camp. They love working with the little kids. I think it shows their leadership. Just having girls with girls, you have that bond. Each day, each girl decided they wanted to pair off with someone different, and they just latched on to their legs.”
While Yawn and her players were working with the younger girls, boys’ coach Mike Petite and some of his players were offering instruction to the older campers for three hours.
During the final hour, the members of Callaway’s girls’ team were able to get some work in with the older campers.
The youngest campers were only on the field for two hours from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.
“The older girls, that hour at the end they could go join in with the older kids to get some scrimmage time and get them involved,” Yawn said. “Working with the little kids, they can’t go full-steam, they can’t do some of the stuff. They had to really slow it down. Having that extra hour at the end of the camp gave them that opportunity to go back to kids more their age.”
The camp was part of a busy summer for Yawn’s players, who finished third in Region 5-AA last season and lost in the opening round of the state playoffs.
In addition to workouts at the school four days a week, Callaway’s players are also participating in a seven-on-seven soccer league on Tuesday nights. Callaway is the only girls’ team in the league which includes boys’ teams from Callaway, Lafayette Christian, Central-Carroll and Heritage.
“They enjoy being able to play up and play with the boys,” Yawn said. “They feel like it’s going to make them that much better when we get into the season. It’s bringing out some skills they need to work on for the next season. They’ve really enjoyed it.”