MOUNT VERNON — When learning a new skill, at any age, you turn to the experts. And what better place to find soccer experts than Great Britain?
Tom Lowcock is one of three instructors who took the trip across the Atlantic to Mount Vernon to teach kids the ins and outs of football — or, as we call it, soccer — in a week-long camp.
“I love working with the kids,” Lowcock said. “You see them enjoying themselves. It makes you enjoy yourself as well. And to see the improvement they have over the week. It’s very rewarding for us.”
Lowcock and his partners, Scott O’Connor and Declan Flanagan, operate the Challenger Sports British Soccer camp, a program that teaches skills such as shooting, dribbling, passing, heading and at least 20 different moves to beat an opponent.
Kids of all ages are gathering all this week at the soccer fields at Mount Vernon High School to learn from these experts. Those as young as age 3 learn the basics of the game. Older kids are taught more advanced skills that help them develop as players.
The camp, which runs until Friday, focuses on more than just how to play the game. It also teaches teamwork as well as physical and social skills.
“It’s great to see the kids enjoying themselves, with smiles on their faces in the morning,” O’Connor said. “Then, having the parents come in and say ‘He’s told us how to do this drill, and he’s showing us all the skills he’s learned.’”
