Connecticut College Soccer Camps

What makes a good soccer camp? The coaches? The facilities? The camp philosophy? If you ask Kenny Murphy and Winnie Bing Edmed, former players and now both coaches at Connecticut College Soccer Camps, they'll tell you it's a combination of all three factors.

With both day and residential camp options, soccer players from kindergarten to high school can improve their technical skills in one of the best facilities in the area, staffed by experienced soccer coaches who know the game inside and out.

Winnie Edmed says that the day camps, designed for boys and girls aged 6-14 strengthen tactical skills with an emphasis on both safety and fun.

“We want to make sure these kids have a fun experience," she says. "They are going to have an overall positive experience by learning new skills and tactics but they are also going to play a variety of games." Edmed says that have received great feedback from both campers and parents.

“We have six grass fields and one turf field and we split them into smaller fields," Edmed says. "We also have indoor facilities, an athletic facility, indoor rink and swimming pool."

Men's coach Kenny Murphy says that the quality and dedication of their coaching staff, together with their camp philosophy, is what separates and elevates their soccer camps from the competition.

“We are selective and have coaches who have been working in camps and are able to balance teaching and making the soccer experience fun," he explains. "We work with individual technical skills and apply them in small sided games, and we've found that this is the most successful way to teach these skills.”

The Camel Elite SA residential camp, designed for male high school players interested in improving their game, also focuses on learning more about the college recruiting experience. For sophomores, juniors and senior players, the Camel Elite SA camp is a challenging program with comprehensive training sessions led by a top coaching staff. These competitive players will also learn about the complex recruiting process and how to best distinguish themselves from other players from college coaches.

The Camel Elite SA offers players a platform to show their skills to college coaches who will either be coaching them or attending their matches.

Murphy, who brings his experience to Camel Elite SA. “I have a good handle on what needs to be done and it comes down to preparation, organization and staff. The players will have an array of exposure to play in front of D1,D2, and D3 coaches.

Murphy played collegiate soccer at UConn and played professionally for two years in the North American Soccer League until a knee injury forced his retirement. He became assistant men's coach at Brown where he worked at Brown's Soccer Camps and gained extensive recruiting experience. He currently holds a USSF B License and an NSCAA Premier Diploma.

The CC Residential Camp offers female athletes who are eyeing a collegiate career the chance to train with college coaches with the goal of improving their game and familiarizing themselves with the recruitment process. Like the Camel Elite SA, players will be able to show their skills to college coaches while honing their technical skills. They play alongside current Connecticut College players.

Edmed was a standout player at Connecticut College and has been the head soccer coach there for the past four years. She led the Camels to the 2007 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament. Prior to her stint with the Camels, she coached at Babson College and Mitchell.

She has a national diploma in coaching from the National Soccer Coaches Athletic Association and is currently pursuing her master's degree in Sports Science and Coaching from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama.