What do you like about the format of Minnesota United FC camps?

So our camps are formatted to do 3 things. First would be to have fun. We want every kid going home at the end of the day with a smile on their face. We want them to learn something that maybe they didn't know before or just to make them a better soccer player. And then third is they make new friends, whether that's kids that they've never met before, maybe they know this kid on another team, they spend a whole week together. And an environment that we create, which is fun, engaging, and really just makes them a better person as well as a better soccer player. We use soccer as a tool to bring that out in our players, whether that's with the activities we do, which are all soccer-based, but they're all fun. Whether that's with our coaches who are very knowledgeable, but they're also even better human beings who are very good at encouraging your kid to step out of their shell and really just learn and try, and more importantly, fail, but it's an environment where that's allowed to happen.

Is there a favorite moment or experience that really stands out?

I think a favorite moment that stands out for me actually didn't even take place at a camp or a clinic or anything like that. I would say it started there, but I remember speaking to one of the players I had at camp and really just asking about if he'd ever watched a Loons game before or been to one, and he said no. He sometimes watched a game on TV with his dad, but never Minnesota United. And we kind of just talked more about the club and some of the players and I was really just telling him about it. I wasn't thinking too much about it at the time. But then I remember being at a game one time and he called my name and I saw him there and I was just really happy to see that. I feel like my words kind of got through to him and made him want to go to a game, and it was nice to hear him just talk about like how he'd been watching the game on TV or all the games on TV and it just made him want to be there in person, and so it was just really great seeing him actually at the game, had a great time, and just stuff like that is really what it's about. We want all kids that come to the camp, we want them to fall in love with the club. We want them to want to keep coming back because we think that's just a great experience for them and it's super important for kids to want to just have something to support and have something else in their life that's more than just maybe school or whatever that they do. If we can have something that really gives them a purpose then that's awesome.

What stands out about the camp's facilities, scheduling, or communication?

So something that stands out to me about the camps, facilities, and just overall scheduling would probably be that each day of the week has a different topic or theme that we will learn on the field. So for example, that might be an attacking day, a defending day, moments in possession day. But then there's also a theme of the day especially this year it's the World Cup, so we have an International Jersey Day where one day kids can come wearing a Spain jersey or Italy or whatever, some country that maybe it's a well-known one, we know all the players on the team, or sometimes I'll see a country that maybe some people haven't even heard of before, and it's just really fun to see the kids and let them show off the jerseys that they have. And we have a competition, everyone votes for their favorite one, which is always a good time. We also have a Loons Day where kids can come and they wear every single piece of Loon's gear that they have and then again, we all vote on who had the best or who's best dressed in that and it's just a way to make the camp a little more fun and enjoyable and again, we always tie it back to soccer and, or at least our club.

Speaking directly to an athlete watching this video, why should they choose a Minnesota United FC camp for their future development?

I believe an athlete should choose our camp for their future and their current development, honestly, no matter what level they're at. We have a wide range of level players that come sometimes they don't even play for a team, and sometimes they're on their top team at their club. And it really doesn't matter because the way we run it, it's fun for everybody. Everybody can get something out of it. I also think it's important for our players because they get taught game principles that are very important to our coaches and our club, whether that's in attacking moments, defending moments, possession, we bring out what we look for in our players and those principles are very important because when you go home and you train with your own team, it's good for them to keep that in mind if they want to develop. They learn stuff that maybe their club won't teach them, but it will help them stand out at their own club. I also think it's important because of our connection to our pre-academy.

A lot of players that I coached there, we've seen from our camps and we've just gotten in touch and said, hey, you should come train with us in these moments and it's really good if you want to play at a higher level, compete with players that are on other teams, but they're looking for that next step, that next jump, and when they hit that age that they can try out for the U-15's team. Then they've already been seen by all of our academy coaches as well. So if you're looking to play at that next level, I think our camps is a great start to just have people see you. And if you're not even trying to do that, well, you're making new friends and it's a great time. It's a good week. I promise you'll want to come back.