Ram soccer teams host youth for summer camp

The Rio Rancho High School soccer teams hosted a youth summer camp June 26-28.

“Our goal was to give the kids a nice, friendly environment where they could have fun and really expand upon their skills,” junior Dax Martin said. “There were a lot of high-skilled youngsters.”

There were a total of 86 campers in attendance, and 20 players from both teams who helped coach. This was the largest youth soccer camp that RRHS has seen.

Also in attendance were the head coaches of both programs: John Shepard and Jenna Sievers.

“I learned how to, of course, keep working on the basic skill sets: shooting, passing, everything soccer. But to also make friends with my teammates, and it was also cool to meet new coaches that help us evolve our game of soccer. I learned a lot these past three days, especially social skills with people,” camper Edward Tennent said.

Tennet is a huge fan of soccer and is always wearing a soccer jersey. He currently plays striker for his club team, the Corrales Centaurs.

The camp was available to boys and girls aged 7-12, and campers met on the RRHS soccer fields for a day of training.

PHOTOS: 2024 Ram youth soccer camp

“I learned how to keep the ball close while I am dribbling. Believe me, it makes all the difference,” camper Kaylee Kershaw said.

Kershaw attended the camp with a lot of her club teammates, including Sadie Yates, who made some nice saves during her scrimmage game.

“I got much better at being a keeper, and I learned how to pass and got some tips about how to dribble better. I also learned that Godzilla is not the king of the monsters,” Yates jokingly said.

At the end of the camp, the high school players split into two teams and played a scrimmage game. The players ended up naming their teams “Orange Juice” and “The Yellow Bellies.” The player given the nickname “Godzilla” was on the losing team. which is why Yates jokingly said, “Godzilla is no longer king of the monsters.”

Godzilla’s actual name is Isabela Ferdinaland, the varsity goalkeeper for the girls team who has done the youth summer camp for two years now.

“It’s honestly refreshing to see these kids with so much life, such enjoyment and such love for the sport. I really hope they continue to strive to be better, and that the coaches, next year on, pave the way for them,” Ferdinand said.

A lot of the players let the kids call them a fun nickname; another popular nickname said many times was a coach named “Pickles.”

Besides fun nicknames, the campers worked on passing drills, shooting drills, did dribbling stations and played 11-on-11 matches.

“In soccer, you really have to be proficient in every area. You got to get some time on passing, on your touch. I’d say the biggest thing for improvement is just to find yourself a wall and kick a ball on it. Practice your passing, your touching, receiving,” Martin said.