Camp Testimonials   The young men and women representing MLS Camps are always of the highest caliber and are wonderful role models to teach our children about soccer. In addition, our children are exposed to cultural diversity, which allows them to broaden their own knowledge and understanding of others. The MLS experience is truly a valuable learning experience for our youth, in more ways than one! Deborah Sutherlin Arab, Alabama

Once again, our experience with MLS Camps was outstanding. This was our fifth year to participate and just when we think we've had our best year, the current year tops it and we sign again. The coaches are professional, friendly and caring. Their number one concern is the well being of the campers and the satisfaction that our club enjoys. Each year the kids who attend the camp talk about their experience throughout the season.

MLS camps are truly worth the money because learning soccer, having fun, and being cared for are extremely important. Treating parents and players with respect is essential in keeping repeat signers.

Every morning my kids could not wait to go to camp. Every night they practiced what they learned that day, even the jokes. My kids learned more from this camp than any camp they have ever been to. The way the program is set up, my kids just had fun and never realized how much they had learned till they went to play after camp.

Susan Leining
Santa Fe Youth Soccer Club
Former registrar
Santa Fe, Texas

Brian watched the coaches enjoy soccer skills in silly and fun ways. Perhaps carrying the ball in your shirt isn't really legal, but it sure stresses not using your hands, and watching my son try to get the ball juggled so that he can catch it in his shirt has been great fun!

Leslie Weaver
PTCYSA
Peachtree City, Georgia

The whole staff was very patient and understanding of our son's abilities and did not embarrass him on anything he was not good at doing. In fact, because of their encouragement he told me it was the best sports camp experience he ever had in his life.

Joseph Laub
Cary Youth Soccer
Cary, Illinois

My daughter, Amanda, participated in your camp that was offered in Loomis, CA last week. I just wanted to tell you how much she enjoyed the camp, and how wonderful the coaches were! These young gentlemen entertained the children while instructing them and made it such a fun experience! All the parents I spoke with were equally as impressed! My younger daughter already says she wants to participate next year. Please convey my gratitude and appreciation to these young men! They are what made the camp!!

Keri Burri – Loomis, California

This is the second year that my son has gone to an MLS camp and he really enjoys it. The coaches are great and really enjoy what they are doing. The different activities they do with the kids really keeps them focused on soccer but at the same time they are having fun. My son was sad to see the last day of camp come to an end but he can't wait for next year.

Heather Penfield
Middletown Youth Soccer
Middletown, Connecticut

Thanks for a job well done. Many people walked away satisfied that they got more than their money’s worth. It was truly the best of the three my kids have attended. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Mickey Foltiny
Burlington Twp, 05s10
New Jersey

We felt the camp was very beneficial to the children. They taught them lots of steps and moves that parent coaches don't always know to teach. They knew each child's first name after the first couple of hours and commended them on things they were doing well and stopped and showed them how to do things they still needed one on one with. I think Dave and James did an excellent job for the MLS camp program.

Cathy Crowder
Rogersville, Tennessee

The MLS Soccer Camp has been a fantastic experience for my two kids. The coaches are knowledgeable, personable and excited, and go to extremes to make sure the kids are having a great time. The best testimonial I received was when my daughter asked, "When can we do this again, and next time I want to do it for TWO weeks!"

Suzanne Scelza
Mansfield Soccer
Columbus, New Jersey

As a second year MLS Camps Coordinator (Program Manager), I am especially thrilled at the 50% increase in participation this year over last. I believe it is due to the consistent "quality" of the program and the coaches who deliver it. The program is delivered with such ease, the children don't even recognize how hard they are working or how many skills they are mastering over the one week of camp. One parent, who because of their schedule was able to attend camp everyday, stated, "This is the best sports camp I have ever seen, and I've seen hundreds of them after 20+ years in education." Comments like that make me proud to be among the people who bring this program into the community. I will be coordinating camp again next year and believe we will have another 50% increase next year. The word is out, "MLS Camps is the best soccer camp around."

Linda Jean Briggs
NSYSA
North Smithfield, Rhode Island

Housing Testimonials I just wanted to write you and tell you what a wonderful week we had at our camp last week. Out of the last four years that we have done an MLS camp, this has been the best by far. Ian Dickson and James Buckley stayed at our home and have been the most professional coaches we have had yet. They were great with our kids at home and were very considerate to our family. On the field, they worked very well together. I really appreciated their genuine love of the game, the way they used encouragement to motivate the kids and their gentle, but firm nature. They took their job seriously and took the time to evaluate each child they taught.

 They made learning fun, and because of that the kids mastered many new skills and ways to prepare for their games. It would be great if they were able to work together in the future. Our family hated to see them go. It's funny how we felt like they were part of our family after only one week. Thank you for the work that you have done to prepare for the camps this summer. We appreciate MLS for being able to offer us quality programs. If at all possible we would love to see both of them come back to Illinois next year.

Julie Pinter
Princeton, IL

The Camp was excellent. What made it so was the experience the coaches had and their care with the children they worked with. Our family adopted a new family member in that week when we had Jim stay with us. He made a huge impact on both of our children, taking extra time to teach our older son new soccer skills. We did not realize the difference in our younger son until Jim had to leave, and it was very touching to see his obvious sadness at Jim's departure. He is usually detached from anyone but family, so we knew Jim was family that day—not to mention all the other coaches. We absolutely loved them all. Thank you so much and we look forward to next year!!!!

The Herbenson Clan
Chippewa Falls Striker, Wisconsin

Tony Mullen is one of the best coaches my team has had at any soccer camp. He has been a perfect guest in my home and is welcome back anytime. We would like to host him again if he comes back to this area, even if he is just in this area and we are not attending that certain camp, we still want to host him. What he has shown my girls team this week will be with them all season. He has a way to get through to younger players and bring out the love of the game. My U-14 girls are playing with their hearts now. Thank you again.

Joseph Gendrean
Head Coach of the Sunrise Stars

This was my second year as coordinator and I love doing it! It can be a lot of work depending on how big your camp is and what you choose to do as coordinator, but it’s very rewarding. The players, the parents and the MLS coaches are all very appreciative of all I do. As an organization, MLS takes pride in helping you through the process of coordinating a camp. My regional manager/contact has always let me know he's just a phone call away for any questions, concerns, or problems I may have. The players absolutely love their coaches. By the end of the week, these young men and women coaches are admired and respected by their camp attendees. If your organization is lucky enough to house any of the coaches you have for your camp, it is a fun experience. I have housed a coach each year for the past seven years with the last two times housing two, as my sons love the guys. Neither of my sons is involved in soccer any longer (both in high school), but I will continue to coordinate the camp as long as Colchester Youth Soccer, my sponsoring organization, allows me the opportunity. It's a lot of work, but a lot of fun!

Jan Shorts
Colchester Youth Soccer
Colchester, Connecticut

Training Testimonials Thanks again for a great clinic last week. Our coaches really enjoyed it and are well prepared for the season. Your knowledge and enthusiasm towards not only teaching the class, but leading it the “AYSO way” was great and I personally learned a lot. I am now really looking forward to our PDO and a positive relationship with MLS Camps for years to come.. Adam Hicklin Regional Coach Administrator AYSO 88 Glendale Glendale, California

Your words of encouragement meant the world to him (son Vincent). I believe you have a special gift that caught all of the boys on team 105. Every parent that I spoke with had nothing but wonderful things to say about you and about how much the boys loved going to the sessions. I also want to thank you for taking the time to talk to my husband and me. You unselfishly gave up your time to give us some guidance relative to our son. I had the opportunity to see your team review, it was awesome. Thanks again. I would like you to know that team 105 played three games tonight at our shout tournament. Successfully, they won all of their games. I believe that you played a big role in their success. The skills you have taught them made it possible. The one that Vincent loves the most is the "rainbow kick" (I think that is what he call it.) He is always working on that skill both indoors and outside. Not to happy about the indoors but I will get over it. Perhaps we will see you at the summer camp here in Wallingford.

Julie Esposito, Wallingford, CT

Thank you for the clinic this past week. Celena and Barry were great! I honestly want to say that they were the best coaches we've had since I started to coordinate the camp for the Aiea Region in 2001. They were both knowledgeable, worked great with the kids, and were approachable to the parents/coaches. Most of all, they were humble enough to allow me to plan the agenda of the clinic, even though their knowledge of the game is far superior than mine. I was extremely satisfied in the way they combined the MLS way of doing things with my agenda. In previous camps, it seemed that either my points didn't get through to the coaches or they had their own plans and didn't really take my suggestions seriously. Maybe I did a better job of expressing myself, not sure. Is it possible to get them back next year?

Clyde Asato
Regional Coach Administrator
AYSO 118 Aiea
Aiea, Hawaii

The coaches were so wonderful!. Not only were they very professional, but they really gave a great training for the coaches and everyone loved them. The people playing at the complex would stop and ask what was going on and who were those super stars? It was great to have them and their help was so appreciated by me. I was a bit nervous about doing a class I have never done before but it made it so special and I got great complements on the course. I hope they enjoyed doing something like that. They seemed to have fun teaching. I enjoyed watching coaches learn about the game at a higher level. This class sometimes is the last class an AYSO coach may ever take so it needs to be a good one. With the help of Paul, Tim and Jim it was a great success. Please let them know I got great feedback from all. Hope to see you soon.

Lori Nolan
Area Coach Administrator
AYSO Area 10-D Coach Trainer
Quartz Hill, California

All of the boys very much enjoyed having Richard be assigned as their trainer. They liked him and, more importantly, respected him. Several of the existing Wildcats who attended the MLS camp last summer knew the "quality" and "skills emphasis" of the curriculum and the difference between attending a summer camp as opposed to attending a soccer "training" camp. As parents, we have been able to witness their skills improve substantially.

For several of the new boys joining our team from recreational level teams, it was quite an adjustment. Within the week, even the new players seemed to have strengthened their skills, and by the end of the week were beginning to look closer to being travel team players. With that said, Richard did an outstanding job as their trainer.

Other comments I heard from parents and the boys were that Richard was very nice to all of the boys and a phenomenal soccer player. All of the boys truly had fun, learned and gelled as a new team. Several have already asked the coaches if Richard can be assigned as their trainer next year. I believe that speaks for itself.

Thanks,
Jane Serreino
Team Administrator
Jackson Soccer Club, New Jersey