Tuesday's Column: Galaxy's Five-Day Camp a Fantasy Come True
Photos by Steve McCrank
Coach Ralph Perez leads the Galaxy fantasy Camp
I've always been curious about the annual Galaxy Fantasy Camp held at Home Depot Center.
Does former Galaxy defender Abel Xavier guest lecture and demonstrate "The Art of Playing Effective Central Defense"? Does former Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas stop by to speak on "How to Build A Winning Team"?
O.K., maybe not.
So I accepted the invitation Saturday to get a little taste of why about 40 wanna be pros a year fork over $1,000 (not including airfare and hotel) to spend five days training like real soccer players.
Read about it here.
Thanks to coach Ralph Perez, camp director Blane Shepard and, especially, the 40 campers who allowed me to gate crash their fantasy camp experience.
And in case anyone was wondering, yes, my muscles are still sore.
Poetry in motion (that's Rafa Melgoza on the ball, BTW).
Photo Courtesy of the Galaxy
Barely five minutes into warm-up drills and your trusty soccer columnist wonders if he'll get through the day.
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
Nick,
That is awesome, that you participated in this camp. Good sport! Yeah, you will be sore for a couple of days. But, I hope you got an appreciation for how much dedication a soccer player who wants to improve and progress have to put in week-in and week-out. Bravo!
Nick replies: Oh yeah, and I was there for a little over half a day. Frankly, I got an appreciation for the work put in by campers who were there the entire five days. Pass the Aleve, please.
Nick...
It was a pleasure playing with you (go team 4!)at camp. Keep up the great work on this blog, you speak for all soccer players in sharing your love for the game to the greater populous.
Thanks Nick Green for some lively snapshots...
ahhha yes, goood times, I loved this camp finally I found some of our photos.....
It's so nice of you to share your camp pics and experience, Nick..hope I was there also, I am huge fan of soccer and I really wonder how is it to be a team.