SoccArt : The combination of soccer and art
Edmonton Fusion FC organized the first edition of the SoccArt Day Camp during the March Break 2023, from March 27 to 31. This unique soccer camp allowed thirteen children aged 8 to 13 from the club’s pre-academy to combine their passion for soccer with their artistic creativity.
Mornings dedicated to visual and musical art
The SoccArt program was designed to allow the players to participate in art activities in the morning at the Alberta Visual Arts Centre . The first three mornings focused on creating a jersey. The young players began by brainstorming about the soccer jersey as an object of history or personal interest to each of them, before letting their imagination and creativity run wild through various exercises. The pre-academy youth created their own logo and jersey design with a set of colors decided upon by the entire team. With the help of artist Mariam Qureshi, the participants then finalized the realization of their template which will be digitized, designed and presented at a later ceremony.
On Thursday and Friday, the Edmonton Fusion FC youth were accompanied by artist 2moods for a section focused on writing and elocution. The kids created a full verse mixing the themes of freedom and soccer. Each child contributed two to four rhymes. On Friday, they performed their lyrics for the creation of a unique song that became the camp’s anthem. The children were also interviewed about their experience of the week through videos for the creation of mini testimonials.
Afternoons dedicated to soccer
Each afternoon, Edmonton Fusion FC men’s team coaches and players, Lamine and Jonathan, introduced participants to concepts such as mental preparation and goal setting, while teaching advanced soccer techniques. The training sessions focused on endurance, as well as strengthening the basics such as passing, control, dribbling, heading and shooting.
Creativity, soccer training and cultural awareness
The SoccArt camp allowed the creativity of the young participants to be unleashed while strengthening the ties within a group and a team. This camp encouraged further soccer training and cultural openness, but also:
- increase opportunities for socializing and enrichment,
- to reinforce social and sports skills, to develop their cultural knowledge,
- to acquire new knowledge in various artistic fields,
- develop self-esteem.
The organizers were delighted to see the bonds that developed between the participants and their instructors throughout the week and noted the positive impact of this experience on their personal development.
This camp was made possible with the support of Centre d’Art visuel de l’Alberta, Francomusik, le Centre de développement musical et le club Marie-Anne Gaboury.
