St. Al hosting weeklong soccer camp in Bovina

Published 10:15 pm Friday, July 8, 2016

Scott Mathis is calling in some soccer heavy hitters to whip his St. Aloysius soccer teams into shape.

The Flashes will host the Leon Powell High School Soccer Technical Camp at Strickland Field in Bovina beginning on Monday. The weeklong, co-ed camp continues through Thursday, and runs from 9 a.m. until noon each day. Mathis said Powell — the coach at Lamar School — and former University of Cincinnati player Andre Sharpe will serve as the camp coaches and he expects nearly 50 players from Warren County and the surrounding areas to participate.

“All I’m caring about is bringing soccer to Vicksburg,” Mathis said, repeating Powell’s goal of the camp. “That’s what he did with Meridian and he’s done wonders there.”

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Mathis said the camp would focus on “pretty much everything.”

“Finishing, passing,” he said. “We’re going to have a keepers coach working with keepers doing different things. Leon is very technical.”

On Wednesday evening, the camp will engage in 7-on-7 drills for the participants following the day’s activities.

By hosting a local camp, Mathis saw an opportunity to cut costs and give local players an opportunity to sleep in the comfort of their own home while improving their skills.

“It’s a start,” Mathis said. “I’m thinking it’s going to be a good thing. … (The coaches) love the game and they’re really prideful of what they do and how they coach.”

Vicksburg’s boys’ soccer team will join the Flashes in an effort from coach Kristen Williams to sharpen her team’s knowledge of the game and fundamental development. The Gators also scrimmaged against crosstown rival Warren Central in June as part of Williams’ commitment to putting a refurbished product on the field.

Mathis said conversations between he and Williams were hesitant because of a financial strain, but assured her it wouldn’t be a problem. His goal was to have all of Warren County’s soccer programs participate.

Collectively, the coaching experience at the camp will range from high school up through the national level.

Powell coaches the Lamar School soccer team in Meridian and led its girls’ team to a district championship in 2015. Sharpe played collegiate soccer at the University of Cincinnati. Bradley Stewart and Xavier Gilbert served as the Jamaican national team’s senior technical director and U15 women’s coach, respectively. Mathis led St. Al’s girls to the MAIS Division III title last season.

“I’m glad that I can get involved,” Mathis said, adding that he believes the camp will do wonders for his players. “Being the coach at the (MAIS) all-star game last year I was able to meet all these other coaches who have the same feeling about soccer but can do a lot more. I like getting other people involved to help coach.”

Powell Soccer camp

St. Aloysius will host the Leon Powell High School Soccer Technical Camp July 11-14 at Strickland Field in Bovina. The camp will run from 9 a.m. to noon each day, and the registration fee is $180 per person, and $150 for additional siblings.

The co-ed camp will feature instruction from Bradley Stewart, the former senior technical director for the Jamaican national team., as well as Lamar High School coach Leon Powell, former University of Cincinnati player Andre Sharpe and Jamaican nation U15 women’s coach Xavier Gilbert.

For more information or to register, contact St. Aloysius soccer coach Scott Mathis at 662-816-1125 or via email at scmathis@bellsouth.net.