Perhaps it is the influence of the Euros, or maybe it’s the lovely weather recently, but girls’ soccer has exploded in popularity this year, with Drogheda about to host its first girls only summer soccer camp.
Of course girls have always played soccer, and often they have proved themselves more adept at the beautiful game than their male counterparts, but mostly they have to train with boys and this can lead to them leaving the sport at an early age.
Drogheda’s Megan Campbell is of course the local ladies soccer hero and she and Shane Long, John O’Shea, and Katie McCabe all attended their local Summer Soccer School as children and look at how much they’ve achieved!
The INTERSPORT Elvery’s FAI Summer Soccer Schools have been held for the past 25 years and in that time they have become the largest programme in the Grassroots Department of the Football Association of Ireland.
The Louth Girls Soccer League was only established in 2019 and at that time it attracted 160 players – now it has 600 girls making up 40 teams, with more being added every week.
Responding to this surge in interest, the FAI has organised, for the first time ever, GIRLS-ONLY summer Schools around the country and one of them is being held in the Albion Rovers grounds in Monasterboice next week.
Starting on Monday next, August 2nd and running until Friday the 6th the camp is for girls aged from six to fourteen. It is a great experience and an opportunity for them to make friends with other girls of a similar age who share their interest in soccer.
The sessions run each day from 10.00am to 1.00 pm under the supervision of female coaches.
A full kit, haversack, bag and ball is provided to event participant. The cost is €70 and you can register your daughter(s) by clicking the ad at the top of this page.
Be quick though, because registration is closing at the end of the week. For anyone who has taken part in a Soccer Summer School before a reduced fee of €50 will apply. For more information call Liam Callan on 087 637 6639.
President of the FAI, Gerry McAnaney, chats with some of the girls at a recent (boys and girls) Albion Rovers FAI Summer Camp. Photo: Jenny Callanan.
