A School for Seagulls

Bray Wanderers' summer soccer camps took place during the month of July, and were highly successful, according to the young player who took responsibility for them this year.

Pat Devlin started the idea, drawing on similar activities he had seen in America, and they were later run by Bobby Smith. But this year, there was some doubt over whether anyone would be available to take charge.

Kevin Grogan

Step forward Kevin Grogan, who has had time on his hands since he has been unavailable for selection for most of the season. "I've been doing coaching courses, and I'm keen to get involved in a broader range of football activities," he says, "and it seemed important not to let the camps fall by the wayside just because others were too busy."

Nevertheless, coming in at the last minute meant a lot of things were done in a rush. "We did a lot of publicity for the camps," says Kevin, "especially in the schools, and got a very good response."

"We decided to keep the numbers to a maximun of about 60 each week, not just for safety reasons, although that's important, but also because with bigger numbers, you can't really give each child proper attention."

The four separate weeks were almost fully subscribed – a total of 240 children, about 30 or 40 of them girls, getting top class tuition and a real group experience of what football is all about. Of course, they also got a season ticket each and, says Kevin, "I've already seen some of them down at matches in the Carlisle. If the camps do nothing else but give them a feeling for the club, that in itself makes them worthwhile."

Not that these are exercises in crowd-building: they are serious attempts to engage a broader group of young people with a game that relies on the next generation coming along, all the time, for its health, both on and off the pitch.

And yet Kevin is keen to emphasise that they are not talent-spotting exercises, either. Not having a schoolboy/girl or under-age structure, Bray is not in a position to capitalise on prodigies that might turn up at a camp.

A majority of the children were not involved in proper clubs, so this was their introduction to organised football, and their memories of it may colour their perception of the game as a whole for years to come.

"Parents often ask where they should bring their children next," says Kevin, "and we always emphasise the local clubs: Wolfe Tone, Ardmore and the rest. We have growing links with those clubs, and it helps to cement those if they get more members from our camps."

Those links were invaluable for one minor but crucial bit of advance planning. "We had great weather for the whole month," smiles Kevin, "except for the last two days. That could have been a disaster, but we had already arranged indoor facilities at Wolfe Tone, and we had football DVDs and other extras to compensate!"

Kevin is full of praise for the other Bray players who got involved, especially goalies Chris 'Skippy' O'Connor and Pat Hannigan. And Catherine Murray, a qualified coach, he describes as "really good with the children."

Innovative ideas this year included "Wacky Wednesday", when children were encouraged to take home totally plain white balls and make their own designs on them, with prizes for the best. A far cry from dribbling up and down a row of cones, but still football-related!

Grogan in action against Cobh last season

Grogan is an exceptionally talented young player, and frustrated at not being in a position to play. He also turns out to be thoughtful, and committed to football in a broader sense that escapes many of his peers.

If turning his hand to coaching, and encouraging a new generation of both players and fans, becomes the direction his career takes for the future, he will be in a position to make a significant mark on the game.

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