Spring Break
Club soccer hosts clinic
After two-year hiatus, women's club soccer invites students to participate in youth clinic
Noah Tinker
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: Sports
A group of aspiring soccer players invaded Oregon State's campus Saturday, courtesy of the soccer club program at OSU.
In 2004, the OSU women's soccer club first hosted the Women's Soccer Youth Clinic, a day designed to give local elementary school kids the chance to learn basic soccer skills and get a tour of the campus. The club didn't host the clinic the past two years, but was back in full force this past weekend at McAlexander Fieldhouse.
For the members of the soccer club, the clinic provided a good opportunity to interact with local kids from the community.
"The clinic is good for us in order to know our area around us," said team member Brenna Culbertson, a junior in exercise and sports science. "I think it helps realize how we teach and how we learn versus how the kids learn."
The club focused on teaching the 14 kids ages seven to 11 basic skills such as dribbling, using both feet and passing. After this, they toured the Dixon Recreational Center before returning to McAlexander to put the skills they'd learned to the test by running through scrimmages.
Ryan Peterson, a dad who has played soccer for 16 years, encouraged his child to attend the camp after seeing a flyer. Peterson said they've done things before with the women's program, and also stressed the importance of the clinic taking place at OSU.
"The college atmosphere is good for kids, it kind of impresses on them that college is cool," he said. "It's really cool in Corvallis how the community is centered around the university."
"Soccer is neat because it's not an individual sport - it's much more of a team sport which reflects life. You know, you've got to work as one piece of the puzzle to accomplish a certain goal."
"It's easy for kids to do," Culbertson said. "They get to run around, they get to play, the ball is something to kick, and there's movement all the time."
"There isn't so much focus at this level for kids to accomplish their goal. In baseball you have to be able to hit the ball. With soccer it's just kind of like [the ball's] there - if you kick it, good; if you don't, it's not a big deal."
In 2004, the OSU women's soccer club first hosted the Women's Soccer Youth Clinic, a day designed to give local elementary school kids the chance to learn basic soccer skills and get a tour of the campus. The club didn't host the clinic the past two years, but was back in full force this past weekend at McAlexander Fieldhouse.
For the members of the soccer club, the clinic provided a good opportunity to interact with local kids from the community.
"The clinic is good for us in order to know our area around us," said team member Brenna Culbertson, a junior in exercise and sports science. "I think it helps realize how we teach and how we learn versus how the kids learn."
The club focused on teaching the 14 kids ages seven to 11 basic skills such as dribbling, using both feet and passing. After this, they toured the Dixon Recreational Center before returning to McAlexander to put the skills they'd learned to the test by running through scrimmages.
Ryan Peterson, a dad who has played soccer for 16 years, encouraged his child to attend the camp after seeing a flyer. Peterson said they've done things before with the women's program, and also stressed the importance of the clinic taking place at OSU.
"The college atmosphere is good for kids, it kind of impresses on them that college is cool," he said. "It's really cool in Corvallis how the community is centered around the university."
"Soccer is neat because it's not an individual sport - it's much more of a team sport which reflects life. You know, you've got to work as one piece of the puzzle to accomplish a certain goal."
"It's easy for kids to do," Culbertson said. "They get to run around, they get to play, the ball is something to kick, and there's movement all the time."
"There isn't so much focus at this level for kids to accomplish their goal. In baseball you have to be able to hit the ball. With soccer it's just kind of like [the ball's] there - if you kick it, good; if you don't, it's not a big deal."
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