Desert United Soccer Club
Summer Training Camp
Desert United has concluded negotiations with the managers of the Big Bear Sports Ranch to have exclusive use of the Sports Ranch for a 4 day period in August, during which we will kick off the first annual Desert United Summer Training Camp.
Download / Print the DUSC SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION FORM
Download / Print the DUSC SUMMER CAMP INFORMATION HERE
Our DUSC teams often struggle in the early part of the season, as fitness work must be tempered due to the summer heat. Most teams will start training after July 4th, and will do an average of 3 tournament weekends before starting the season. Those weekends usually include 3 to 4 games, and most families probably spend $300 or more attending each tournament, including hotel costs, meals in restaurants, gas and time lost from work. We propose that Desert United teams instead attend an exclusive summer training camp that will offer our players a chance to bond and have a great deal of fun together in the cooler weather of the mountains, while working on the fitness and skills that they'll need for the season. This Desert United training camp sets Desert United apart from other clubs – it is a unique and highly memorable episode in each player's year. In addition, it allows the coaching staff to set up practice areas focusing on specific skills or tactics, which all the teams will rotate through to get the benefit of that particular coach's knowledge and coaching philosophy. The ability for each team to work with each one of the coaches makes this a particularly rewarding training camp. If money is tight for your team, perhaps you could plan to attend one fewer summer tournament and instead direct the money into this training camp.
We are currently in discussions to try to invite some college coaches in to do "guest coach" sessions. If we are able to negotiate this, we'll let you all know.
Big Bear Sports Ranch (BBSR) is the only sports camp in southern California built specifically to be a summer sports camp. It has 4 large dormitory buildings, a main building with kitchen, dining and stage areas, 3 regulation sized soccer fields, 12 tennis courts, a pool, basketball courts, outdoor volleyball courts, horseshoe pitches, game room, etc. All meals are provided by the staff and prepared at the camp. For more information or to see pictures, please refer to the website www.bigbearsportsranch.com.
The camp will be available to Desert United from Wednesday afternoon, August 10 through Saturday morning, August 13. The cost to each Desert United player is $295, which will include housing, eight meals over the course of the four days, use of the facilities and all activities at the camp. This is an extremely reasonable price – one that we can't get anywhere else. The cost of this camp per player is very similar to the cost of a family attending a tournament weekend, but will actually benefit the player, the team, and the club more than going to a tournament.
We will need on average 1-2 parents from each team to go along as "counselor/chaperones," to provide supervision of the kids and stay in the cabins with them at night. Only women can stay in the girls' dorms, and men in the boys'. The opposite sex is not even allowed to enter each of the camper cabins. Parents who volunteer will have accommodations and meals free of charge, but will be working with the kids throughout the days. The kids will be housed with their teammates, usually one team per floor of the cabins, so they'll have plenty of time to bond and have fun. The facility can hold a maximum of approximately 120 campers.
Parents will need to provide a $100 deposit for each child that will attend the camp to the team administrator. Administrators will then write a single check to cover the deposit to the Big Bear Sports Ranch. The $195 balance per child will be due upon arrival at the camp.
The schedule is very fluid right now, and could change to some extent, but here's what it might look like:
Wednesday, Aug 10 (eat lunch before you arrive)
12:00 – 1:00 Arrival at the camp, get organized into groups
1:30 – 4:00 Soccer training session
4:00 – 5:30 Afternoon free time – arts & crafts to create team shirts
5:30 – 6:30 Dinner
6:30 – 8:00 All Camp sport (dodge ball, knockout, capture the flag, soccer tennis, etc.)
8:00 – 9:30 Evening Activity - Casino Night or Movie Night
9:30 – 10:00 Back to the cabins and get ready for bed
10:00 Lights out
Thursday, Aug 11
7:30 – 8:00 Wake up and get ready
8:00 – 8:30 Breakfast
8:30 – 9:00 All Camp meeting
9:00 – 11:00 Soccer training session
11:00 – 12:30 Morning free time – swim to cool down, or other activities
12:30 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 Rest hour
2:00 – 4:00 Soccer training session
4:00 – 5:30 Afternoon free time
5:30 – 6:30 Dinner
6:30 – 9:15 Evening Activity - Alpine Slide (Rent out entire Alpine Slide facility for DUSC. Kids get unlimited rides on the slide.)
9:15 – 10:00 Back to the cabins and get ready for bed
10:00 Lights out
Friday, Aug 12
7:30 – 8:00 Wake up and get ready
8:00 – 8:30 Breakfast
8:30 – 9:00 All Camp meeting
9:00 – 11:00 Soccer training session
11:00 – 12:30 Morning free time – swim to cool down, or other activities
12:30 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 Rest hour
2:00 – 4:00 Soccer training session
4:00 – 5:30 Afternoon free time
5:30 – 6:30 Dinner
6:30 – 8:00 All Camp sport (dodge ball, knockout, capture the flag, soccer tennis, etc.)
8:00 – 9:30 Evening Activity - Talent Show
9:30 – 10:00 Back to the cabins and get ready for bed
10:00 Lights out
Saturday, Aug 13
7:30 – 8:00 Wake up and get ready, pack up belongings
8:00 – 8:30 Breakfast
8:30 – 9:00 All Camp meeting
9:00 – 11:00 Final Soccer Session – World Cup competition, small-sided games, or other final activities (parents invited to attend)
11:00 Parents pick up campers to return home
