Thaier Mukhtar’s Eastside Soccer Camp continues to grow By Jon Malavolti FRASER — The ball was lofted into the air, and eight seventh- and eighth- graders scrambled for possession. Eventually, it fell to the feet of Samantha LaRocca, and the 12-year-old Clinton Township resident quickly turned and struck an off-balance shot into the net. Thaier Mukhtar stepped in and stopped the drill to speak to the group of kids, who were taking part in the second of three sessions of his Eastside Soccer Camp at Fraser High School. “It wasn’t pretty, but she scored,” Mukhtar explained to the campers. “You don’t score if you don’t shoot. To me, there’s no such thing as a bad shot.” This is the 13th year Mukhtar, the Warren De La Salle boys and Fraser High girls soccer coach, has put on the popular camp. “It’s fun, and you learn a lot of new stuff and meet a lot of new people,” said LaRocca, who has attended the camp for three years. “You just don’t want the week to end. They teach you a lot of basics, and they teach them in fun ways.” This particular camp ran from July 21-25 and was designed for students entering fifth- through eighth-grade this fall. Separate camps were held the week prior, one for high school girls and another for girls and boys entering first- through fourth-grades. The camp for the younger players was a new addition to the Eastside curriculum. “It worked out awesome,” Mukhtar said. “And the thing that we tried to imply (with the younger campers) was that the kids have fun, no real competitiveness. It’s just more loving the game.” The “fun” camp for the younger players ran from 9 a.m. until noon. The other three sessions ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a midday break for lunch, and included training, demonstrations and competitions. A final camp for high school boys was scheduled to take place July 27-31, after press time. Mukhtar said he expected the grand total of campers over the three weeks to be about 600 — a far cry from his first camp with 47 participants. Mukhtar said the camp’s quality reputation, rather than a major advertising campaign, has been a key behind its growth. “I do very little advertising, if any,” he said. “It’s mostly word of mouth — repeat customers telling others and stuff like that. I get a lot of calls and e-mails from people saying, ‘I heard about your camp from so and so, and they highly recommend it. Do you have room for our kid?’” And while there have been major changes, like the number of participants, and minor ones, such as members of the coaching staff and which specific drills they’re running, one factor has remained steadfast: the cost. The fee has remained at $150 for seven straight years, and each camper goes home with a $25 Nike ball and a T-shirt. “It’s an affordable camp where parents want to send their kids,” said Billy McClellan, one of the coaches at the camp. “And the kids have so much fun. They respect the game and respect coach. “It’s just a good time; you always see the same people coming back. … They get six hours of playing for $150. You really can’t beat that.” McClellan helped the Pilots win a share of the 2000 Division 1 boys soccer title as a player under Mukhtar before moving on to play at Western Michigan University. He is now the junior varsity coach at De La Salle. Mukhtar credits the instructors — made up of mostly of his former players who went to play Division 1 soccer like McClellan — and other local high school coaches for helping to develop the camp’s positive reputation. “I’m very blessed,” Mukhtar said. “I have great coaches that enjoy being out here with them. And they don’t take it as a job. They take it like, ‘Hey, this is cool. I love being out here with the kids.’” You can reach Sports Writer Jon Malavolti at jmalavolti@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1040. |
