Valley Stream summer soccer camp sees growth

The Valley Stream Soccer Club wrapped up its week-long summer camp at Barrett Park on Aug. 22 with significantly higher enrollment than the spring session, with nearly 50 kids learning the sport’s fundamentals.

“We had spring camp, and the number doubled for this camp,” said trainer Binni Keleta. “Hopefully it’ll double next spring. I know there’s a lot more kids who aren’t here.”

Keleta said he teaches techniques to the young players through games designed to give kids experience with basic moves without thinking about what they’re doing. He watched as his players played “Ghostbusters,” passing the ball from one to the other and shooting it at imaginary ghosts.

“I learned to drag with this foot and then stop it,” said Jubal Albano, 9. “I made a lot of friends.”

Mikey Illiano, 5, said he learned several new tricks. “I learned how to do a rainbow with the ball, and a fire hydrant,” he said. His trainer, David Van Heeswijk, demonstrated the “fire hydrant” by kicking the ball up and catching it between his knees, then spinning.

Adrian Dominguez, 5, said he learned a lot, too. “I made a lot of friends,” he added.

Allie Kim, 9, plays for the Valley Stream Divas. She said she had fun all week. “I learned receiving, passing and dribbling.”

The camp was run in partnership with the N.Y. Red Bulls professional soccer team. Trainer Hervé Corda has played and coached in Europe and Latin America for more than 25 years. He said the camps, which teach a different skill each day, allow the Red Bulls to look for “diamonds in the rough” in local communities to potentially introduce to the advanced camp, Red Bull Academy. He said the value of camp is to keep players practicing while their clubs are not active.

Kayla Valdez, 11, a student at Wheeler Avenue Elementary School, plays for Valley Stream United. She learned passing, receiving, striking, juggling and “almost did around the world,” she said. She has long-term aspirations for her game. “I want to make it to the Olympics,” she said.