More than 70 kids brave heat at Kelly Miller soccer camp

Written by Colin Patch
Digital Media Intern

If you had to guess, what would you expect a bunch of third- to eighth-graders to be doing on one of the hottest and steamiest afternoons of the summer?

a) Enjoying a cold lemonade in the shade
b) Bathing in a local pool or friend’s sprinkler
c) Playing video games in front of a fan or air conditioner
d) Outside playing 5 hours of soccer with friends

Believe it or not, more than 70 young students from the DC area beat the odds and made their way to DC SCORES’ Summer SCORES soccer camp at Kelly Miller Middle School this past week.

Sweat-drenched T-shirts and frequent water breaks were the theme for the first part of the week as temperatures reached the mid 90’s, but the heat wave proved no match for the little warriors who continued to come out and even completed the more technical aspect of camp – drills which included dribbling, passing and heading exercises – during the hottest stretch.

Mid-week cooler temperatures weren’t the only reward for campers’ hard work. Wednesday brought a large donation of soccer cleats provided by local partner Leveling the Playing Field, which allowed each camper to find their own new pair to keep.

Each camper received a pair of cleats thanks
to a donation from Leveling the Playing Field

Smiles were ignited as kids dug through the containers looking for their right size – or the most trendy and stylish pair.

After everyone was satisfied with their pick, the teams got back on the field to show off both their skills and their new studs in the game-oriented second half of camp. Some exhilarating matches took place between the boys and girls in the older groups, while the youngest group enjoyed some hotly contested games of every kid’s favorite shooting game: Power Finesse.

Another highlight was when campers formed their own teams and had the opportunity to face the staff in the annual Staff vs. Campers game. Despite a slew of good matches – and laughs – the campers were unable to defeat their older rivals. The challenge remains for next year.

To culminate such a successful first week of Summer SCORES, the a large group from Mintz Levin – a charitable partner and friend of DC SCORES – came out to play and help out with the camp-culminating barbecue Friday. Some Mintz Levin employees not only joined the kids, but surprised them with their talents in scrimmages and kickball games, while others took a more stationary – but very important -- role behind the grill and serving food.

A large group of energized employees from DC SCORES partner Mintz Levin came to the camp-culminating BBQ!

Now, with the first week wrapped up at Kelly Miller, the five-week Arts & Soccer Camp at Marie Reed is already under way, keeping kids engaged both physically and mentally during the critical summer months.

Thanks again to our incredibly dedicated and always-handy volunteers, especially the huge and engaged group from Mintz Levin. Special thanks are also owed to Kelly Miller Middle School for hosting us – the impact we strive to make wouldn’t be possible without your help!