The iconic Welsh soccer club Wrexham AFC (Association Football Club) touched down in Massapequa, bringing with it a wave of excitement, skill, and inspiration during a two-week youth soccer camp that captivated young players and families from across Long Island beginning Aug. 18 at John J. Burns Park.
The camp, hosted by the Massapequa Soccer Club, was made possible through the combined efforts of the Massapequa Soccer Club, the Long Island Junior Soccer League, the American Soccer Club, and the Town of Oyster Bay. According to Paul Bigilin, director of coaching for Massapequa Soccer Club, the collaboration with Wrexham was a dream come true for the local soccer community.
“We were able to connect with Wrexham and collaborate to hold a camp here for two weeks in August,” said Bigilin.
Wrexham AFC is co-owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The camp was a huge hit, drawing young soccer enthusiasts from Long Island and beyond. Kids not only had the chance to learn the game from top-level coaches but also to connect with fellow players in a positive, high-energy environment.
“It has been very well received by the parents,” Bigilin said. “We’ve had kids from all over Long Island coming to participate in this camp. As the director of coaching for a community-based club, just to provide this experience and opportunity for the kids is amazing. It’s life-changing for these kids to see professionals on TV and now being able to train with coaches from Wrexham is fantastic.”
One of those kids is Charlotte Rismiller, an 8-year-old Massapequa resident who enthusiastically shared her favorite parts of the camp: “My favorite part is how fun the drills are. They are teaching us cool moves and they’re really good coaches,” she added. “This camp is very fun and we will totally come back again next year.”
Her brother, Noah, 9, echoed the excitement: “My favorite part is making new friends and learning new moves. I saw my sister playing soccer and it looked fun so I wanted to play too.”
For the coaches from Wrexham AFC, the camp was just as rewarding. Josh Evans, one of the visiting coaches, emphasized the value of cultural exchange and building connections through sport.
“I think it’s experiencing different cultures that makes this cool,” Evans said. “I’ve done this for many years now and working with different children and different age groups never gets old. We’re trying to make it educational while also having fun at the same time. We are running and teaching drills for all different aspects of the game.”
Parents, too, have been impressed by the professionalism and passion brought by the Wrexham team. Roman Seltenreich, a father from Farmingdale, praised the camp’s atmosphere and impact on his children.
“It’s awesome! They really look like they live and breed soccer,” Seltenreich said. “Both my kids [Lillian, 9, and Charles, 6] have learned so much from the coaches while also having a great time. I’m definitely going to be talking this up to other parents. Every kid that plays soccer should be participating in this camp.”
Looking ahead, Bigilin hopes this inaugural partnership is just the beginning of a lasting relationship between Massapequa and Wrexham.
“We’d like to create a relationship, especially here for the community of Massapequa, where we would continue to host Wrexham AFC coaches for camps, and then have the opportunity to send Massapequa players, coaches and families over to Wales to experience the soccer culture they live over there,” Bigilin said.
