Summer camps are stereotypically known to be a place where counselors babysit kids until their parents pick them up, but this isn’t the case for the Derek Marinatos Soccer Academy.

“We don’t just babysit here like some other camps, we actually teach topics every day. We have a curriculum that we go through in the summer and we change it week to week,” Marinatos said.

The kids learn different drills every day such as passing, goalkeeping and more. What makes the Academy different from other soccer camps is that UNF soccer players help teach the kids.

“[We have the] kids engage with our players and become fans of theirs,” Marinatos explained. “Then they come out to the games and it creates a little bit of a network of people who want to support our programs.”

This is the eighth year that Marinatos has conducted the Academy. The Academy averages between 100 to 120 campers a week.

More information for the Derek Marinatos Soccer Academy can be found here.

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