It was 2003 when Saibo Talic, head coach of the Vancouver-based European Football School, arrived in Williams Lake to coach his first soccer camp.
Now, nine years later, it’s one of his favourite destinations to visit during the summer when he travels throughout the province offering soccer camps. Talic said the players in Williams Lake truly make the camp, which started Monday and wraps up Friday, enjoyable.
“I’ve been with some of these kids for six years now,” Talic said. “It’s just great to watch how much they’ve improved.”
This year’s camp featured four groups, plus a goalie camp, totalling 75 players.
Steve September, a co-coach at the camp who’s been at the Williams Lake camp four times in the past, said he’s also enjoyed watching several of the players grow over the years.
“There’s lots of great improvement,” he said
“It’s [the players’ attitudes] the best I’ve seen anywhere in any of the cities we go to,” he said. “They’re hard working, they’re humble, they’re very adaptive to different conditions, they want to learn, they’re open to learn and that makes our job so much easier.”
He also said the Williams Lake Youth Soccer Organization does an amazing job helping facilitate the camp.
“The organization from top to bottom is incredible,” he said.
“They do a lot of the ground work, make sure the kids come out. The players want to be here, they want to be soccer players and that makes it so much easier.
“It’s just a fun week.”