Samba Soccer

[Bluesky]

Any views on the merits of the samba soccer camps as opposed to the FAI version or any other camps for kids.

[Macy]

One's for teaching kids nice tricks, the other's properly structured training, based on the experience of a cousin of mine's nipper....

[Ruairi]

My five year old brother absolutely loved samba soccer if that's any help

[the 12 th man]

i happened to be off work last year when it was on so i went each day to have a look.

have to say it wasnt great.loads of kids and not that many instructors.
the guy looking after :rolleyes: my youngest lad spent most of the time texting on his phone.
at the end of each day they wheel in someone who looks brazilian (prob a spanish student) to do a few tricks and thats about the strenght of it on what ive seen.
others might have hAd a different experience

[Macy]

Pretty similar to my cousins view, the lads going to the FAI course this year.

[Breifne]

Two (Female) Friends of mine have worked for Samba Soccer a couple of times over the last few years, neither have any coaching qualifications or experience, and Samba were short handed, and were asking if they knew of anyone who would work, didn't even need any coaching interest. The FAI ones are seemingly much more structured.

Also Samba is a profit making company, really concentrating on bottom lines, where the FAI / Pepsi ones are based on developing skills, not a themed Child care facilty.

[Templehall]

I think that the Samba camps are geared up for fun. The kids like to get decent gear and samba won't let them down on that front. But coaches need to be given new job titles, such as "child minders" - most are students grateful for summer jobs.
Just getting the kids to kick a ball around and learn some tricks is still great. For the kid who is seroius about soccer, then Samba is not for him or her.
FAI are more structured and are preferred by club coaches over the samba but are lacking in variety if that's the right word - they offer the same drills and games every year.

[gspain]

Old 7 Up one used to hav edecent gear for kids etc - - friedn sent his kids on both and thought the Samba was a bit of a shambles but kids enjoyed both. F.A.I. one was miles ahead in terms of coaching etc also gave free child season ticket to Belfield I believe.

[annacotty]

This year I sent my kids to the 'Celtic in the Community in Ireland' camp in the Crescent Comp school in Limerick. According to them it was way better than the FAI camps they had attended over the past 2 summers. Based on bad reports received from friends re Samba Soccer camps, I never sent my kids so really can't comment first hand.
The coaches, all employed by Glasgow Celtic, were extremely enthusiastic. They were ready and waiting for the kids 15 minutes prior to the start time (10am) every day and kids were EXPECTED to arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time. Changeovers from exercise to drill to game went extremely smoothly. Realistic skills targets were set and largely met by the participants. Come 4pm and the coaches were still full of enthusiasm. The kids gathered up the gear after finishing with smiles on their faces. Numbers were small enough - approx 16 at each age group - so the coaches could give lots of individual attention where needed. Expensive enough at 120 euros but my 2 thought that the sun shone out of their coaches *ss.

[manutdfan]

Hello Im 15 and was wondering if the FAI camp allows 15 year olds in or is it just for younger kids? Any has anybody got a site for information on some camps? What is the best place to go to get noticed...

[adamcarr]

Hello Im 15 and was wondering if the FAI camp allows 15 year olds in or is it just for younger kids? Any has anybody got a site for information on some camps? What is the best place to go to get noticed...
Hi man utd 'fan'. Pepsi Soccer camps are probably the best if you want to get noticed as they are run by people with experience in soccer eg. The camp in Cork is run by part time players and coaches of Cork City FC!

[Edgey]

Went to one FAI camp about 10 years ago and really loved it. Had the great Joey Malone as our coach....."I Used to know Paul McGrath you know" ;)

[Lionel Ritchie]

Have heard some horror stories about samba -mostly staff related -though they imply the kids are being ripped off. 12 months ago joe duffys programme was swamped with it for a while. "Instructors" and "coaches" who couldn't hit a barn from inside it with a ball ...many of them trainee teachers offered summer jobs who -aside from their obligatory PE module -had no football background or experience whatsoever. To top it off not only were the kids being ripped off by the absense of skilled coaches but the students/coaches/childminders were experiencing considerable recalcitrance from their employers when it came to pay day.

Like someone said -a themed daycare enterprise ...and a dodgy enough one at that.

[manutdfan]

Have heard some horror stories about samba -mostly staff related -though they imply the kids are being ripped off. 12 months ago joe duffys programme was swamped with it for a while. "Instructors" and "coaches" who couldn't hit a barn from inside it with a ball ...many of them trainee teachers offered summer jobs who -aside from their obligatory PE module -had no football background or experience whatsoever. To top it off not only were the kids being ripped off by the absense of skilled coaches but the students/coaches/childminders were experiencing considerable recalcitrance from their employers when it came to pay day.

Like someone said -a themed daycare enterprise ...and a dodgy enough one at that.

I went with some friends a few years ago, and everyone got a t-shirt, video and guess what... Nutella Chocolate thing with breadsticks for us to eat! And a certificate saying we passed.... everyone got the same one so how can everyone pass? And what is up with the Chocolate spread thing.. I didnt go there to have a picnic ya know? It just shows what kinda of camp Samba is. It wouldnt be too bad for say.. 6-12 year olds but i think for 13-16 or older people then it should be a little more serious, and the bad thing is that they were trying to make a little too fun but it was alright anyway, wouldnt go again though. I heard David Beckham won some Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills competition, thats what really got him noticed, it would be cool to enter it, you never know, I think it was stuff like shooting and kick-ups he had to do, and he did the final in front of Spurs fans and was announced the winner.

[onceahoop]

Personally speaking, the majority of these camps are just babysitting facilities for parents and are making a nice few bob for the organisers. The kids get coached for maybe four hours a day, if they're lucky, which might equate to ten weeks with their clubs How many coaches are there between the kids, How much individual coaching are they getting. How much of what they are shown has already been shown to them by there own club coach.

[A face]

Kerr to present lucky winner

Mon 26 Jul 2004


Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr will attend the FAI Pepsi Summer Soccer Camp in Palmerstown on Tuesday to present one lucky youngster with the prize of a lifetime.

In association with Pepsi, the FAI are giving one youngster, along with one of their parents, the chance to travel to Madrid to participate in a specially organised training session with Real Madrid stars David Beckham, Roberto Carlos and Raul.

Read more at www.a2zsoccer.com (http://www.a2zsoccer.com/news/content_generic.cfm?file=1396399)