The Vancouver Whitecaps are coming to town.
With past player Carl Valentine and up and comer Ben Fisk, the Whitecaps will be at King’s Park for a week-long camp.
Valentine, who scored 44 goals in 165 appearances for the Whitecaps between 1979 and ’84, will be at the camp on Monday as an ambassador speaking to kids and signing autographs.
Valentine is excited attend the camp as it will give him a chance to meet fans they don’t normally meet.
“It’s just great to meet a lot of the parents then see how the kids interact with the coaches in the camp,” said Valentine, who joked that only the parents would know who he is.
The Whitecaps will be doing two-hour sessions with players from 9 to 11 a.m. at King’s Park. Each day, players will work with the Whitecaps coaches who will push them through drills such as dribbling the ball, passing and shooting. Sam Lenarduzzi, manager of camps and clinics for the Whitecaps, said each day will get more challenging.
“Most of it is to work on their basic skills to move on in soccer,” he said.
Response to the camps have been tremendous.
“We see the same kids coming back each year,” said Lenarduzzi. “They enjoy coming to it.”
During the opening day, kids will get an official Whitecaps t-shirt, which are what Valentine and the players sign.
Bringing Fisk, who has been part of the Whitecaps residency program, is designed to show kids they can reach higher levels in the sport.
Those interested in signing up for the camp can do so by going to the www.whitecapsfc.com, then click on the development tab link and choosing Okanagan. Click on the link to register, which can be done online or by calling the number shown. Parents can sign up their children the day of the camp.
