By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — August 21, 2007 — Practices for boys’ and girls’ junior varsity and varsity soccer teams began yesterday at Sullivan County high schools.
But a group of young soccer players got a head start on practice for the upcoming scholastic soccer season last week at the Walnut Mountain Soccer Field in Liberty.
The Liberty United Soccer Club hosted last week’s soccer camp at Walnut Mountain. Coaches Carpio Ramos and Debbie Simpson guided the boys and girls through a series of sessions designed to help the players improve their conditioning, coordination, foot skills and speed.
Sean Dinnerstein and Jeff Simpson, who played on the Liberty boys’ varsity soccer team last autumn and graduated from Liberty Central School in June, helped Coaches Ramos and Simpson instruct the young players.
A total of 26 boys and girls who will be entering the fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth grade in September attended the morning camp session. Forty boys and girls attended the camp’s evening session, which was geared to those entering the ninth, 10th, 11th or 12 grade this fall.
While many of the camp participants are students in the Liberty Central School District, some of the youngsters attend other districts here in Sullivan County, including Eldred, Fallsburg, Monticello, Sullivan West and Tri-Valley.
In addition, two youngsters who are home-schooled and live in the Hancock area attended the camp.
During the sessions, the youngsters participated in the aforementioned drills and also played competitive matches. In the evening session, the players divided into three teams – Antarctica, Brazil and Jamaica – and played in a round-robin tournament.
“There has been a big improvement in the players’ skills since Monday,” Ramos said on Friday evening between training sessions.
For more information about the Liberty United Soccer Club, which will soon begin its fall 2007 season, please call Ramos at 292-0810.