G.O.A.L.S. Camp - Global Outlook and Local Soccer
After a highly successful 2011 edition, G.O.A.L.S. Camp returns in 2012 for another exciting journey around the world!
Dates: July 16-20
Location: Southeast Missouri State University
More details will be posted soon. Registration will open in March.
If you'd like to be on our mailing list to receive updates about camp or our other local programs, please email Leslie Gordon Corn or call 573.335.7111.
Recap of 2011 G.O.A.L.S. Camp
A school bus pulls into Dempster Hall full of children with smiling faces. After a field trip to St. Louis to explore the 1904 World’s Fair exhibit at the Missouri History Museum, view an IMAX movie at the Science Center, and enjoy a picnic in Forest Park, the campers make their way to the awaiting parents. They depart one by one, and with the final car exiting the lot, so concludes the grand finale of G.O.A.L.S. Camp, the local youth camp started by CENET: Cultural Exchange Network in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Although its inaugural year, G.O.A.L.S. Camp proved to be a hugely successful initiative for CENET. The July 11-15th camp provided soccer training and international education to 34 area campers. The camp was open to kids entering grades 2-8 in the fall with mornings dedicated to soccer training and afternoons focused on educational elements. G.O.A.L.S. Camp took place at Southeast Missouri State University. Soccer training was held at the Intramural fields, and the afternoon sessions took place in Dempster Hall. Soccer training was led by a few of the area’s top coaches, including Matt Gordon, Matt Vollink, and Lindsay Pickering.
In order to be so successful, CENET had to make G.O.A.L.S. Camp different from any other area camp. G.O.A.L.S. has elite local coaches and experienced educators, as well as a field trip to St. Louis; however, its main attraction is the emphasis on global education. The morning soccer training and the afternoon education were in large part conducted by a diverse, international staff. Campers made pizza with an Italian, juggled soccer balls with an African, created lanyards with a Bulgarian, learned rugby from an Australian, salsa danced with a Panamanian and Ecuadorian, rolled sushi with South Koreans, and overall heard from 14 coaches and speakers representing various foreign countries. Through global activities, local kids were taken out of Cape Girardeau and given a journey around the world. Whether kids came for the half day option to learn soccer from local and international trainers or for the entire day to also take part in activities led by global instructors, each facet of camp included an emphasis on cultural understanding.
Based on feedback from campers and parents, G.O.A.L.S. was a success and offered area kids a fresh take on summer camp. Even area businesses showed overwhelming support of G.O.A.L.S. The following local businesses contributed to bags made for the campers: Ty’s Summer Sno, West Park Lanes, Le Bounce, The Branding Iron, Burger King, Main Street Lanes, Dairy Queen, My Daddy’s Cheesecake, Wehrenberg Cape West 14 Cine, Family Video, McDonald’s, Howard’s Athletic Goods, Papa John’s, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Culver’s and Hibbett Sports. Qdoba and Harrison College of Business, International Business Programs also contributed to the camp.
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