Skidmore soccer camp benefits Soccer Without Borders
An enthusiastic thanks from afar.
At a spring-break soccer camp several years ago, former women’s captain Kelsey Yam ’13 explained to a five-year-old that the camp’s proceeds go to Soccer Without Borders, helping nearly 400 needy children in Uganda. Right then and there, the camper donated his brand-new soccer ball to the cause.
In that spirit, approximately $30,000 has been raised since the camp’s inception in 2008, an amount that promises to grow even more, thanks to the involvement of Positive Tracks, a New Hampshire-based nonprofit focused on empowering college athletes, which will match locally raised funds.
Skidmore’s seventh annual Soccer Without Borders spring-break camp will be held this year from April 14 to 18, coinciding with spring break in area school districts. Organized and run by Skidmore’s soccer teams and Student Athletic Advisory Committee with help from women’s head coach Lacey Largeteau, the camp is for boys and girls, ages 6 to 14. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Wachenheim Field, Skidmore’s long-turf soccer pitch. The camp’s focus is on skills development and fun. A donation of $75 to $100 is suggested—details and registration here.
In addition to the good cause and the skill-building, the camp is an opportunity for area kids to spend time with more than 50 bright and motivated college students. Says Andrew Blake ’14, an environmental studies major and 2013 men’s soccer captain, “I think our favorite part about the camp is working with the kids and playing classic games like Sharks and Minnows that we don't play anymore. Plus, the kids all really look up to us, which is a pretty good feeling.”
Blake says it’s also satisfying to connect with the local community: “I find that it is, at times, difficult for Skidmore students to integrate fully into the Saratoga community. There’s always somewhat of a barrier there, at least in my experience. But this is such a natural way to connect and give back in a positive way—both here and in Uganda.”
Soccer Without Borders is a not-for-profit that uses soccer to bring positive change to youths’ lives in underprivileged communities worldwide. Skidmore’s camp donations are crucial to the SWB program in Uganda.
