I’ve got an 11yo son who’s good at soccer. Really good. He also loves it. He’s on a competitive team and he is consistently one of the best 08s in the regional tourneys we attend. It’s starting to dawn on me that if he continues on this trajectory, a scholarship could be possible. But he’s also 11 and I’m not one of those parents making highlight reels and twitter accounts - I figure things will sort themselves out as he gets into high school. So anyway, with that background in mind, I was hoping to get some thoughts on Barca Academy’s summer soccer camps and the invitation to Spain. Barca is bringing a camp to our market this summer, and there is no question we’ll be doing that. $500 with zero lodging expense isn’t bad for a weeklong camp, and it’s not every year they’ll be coming here. Most of his team will likely be doing it and he’s never forgive me if I held him out of that. But then some of the participants get invited to go to a different camp in Spain. It’s something like $2,500, not including airfare. Anybody done it? I have zero belief that my 11yo is going to get “noticed” by some European club and become the next Messi by going to the Spain camp. But is it any more beneficial than attending one of the US camps, or should it just be viewed as a fun, expensive vacation for those who can afford it? I’m pretty sure he’ll be invited and I’m worried this may pose a dilemma. I don’t want my son to miss out on opportunities he has “earned,” but $10,000+ is a lot of money! Anyway, thought and experiences appreciated.
I know you are looking for specifics however I will start with some general thoughts: If your son is 11 years old he will get a big kick out of wearing a Barcelona uniform to train at the camp (you will need to buy this separately before hand). There is nothing wrong with that and increasing his excitement is a positive. That is what this camp is about. It is not about getting "seen" by coaches that have some (distant) affiliation with Barcelona. Getting "selected" for trips to Europe that you pay for yourself is pretty much an expensive vacation with some fun and interesting soccer. I'll repeat: Even being selected to go to Europe is not about getting "seen" by coaches. It is fun and exciting for the kids. (And also, the parents love to post on social media that their child was "selected" to play soccer in Europe.) As long as you keep the reality in mind that the true opportunity with this is increasing your child's excitement level it is a good thing.
We did it (camp AND playing in Spain). This might end up long, but here's our story... DS went to his first Barca camp in 2014. First, the camp was/is put on by ISL. They have some kind of ties to FCB. The camp coaches were assistants or some kind of youth coaches for FCB. Again, I'm not totally sure of the exact tie to FCB. Our first year was 2014 (I think he was ~U12 at the time) The camp was 4 1/2 (?) days, from 8 (or maybe 9a) to 3:30p. Bring a lunch. Housing on your own (the camp was 90 minutes from our house). DS enjoyed the camp and enjoyed meeting other area players. He did not get an invitation that year. He went back to the camp in 2015 and DID get an invitation as well as a couple of his club team mates. The cost (going off memory) for the trip was ~$3500 per player, NOT including airfare. It did include lodging, some transportation, and some food. DW and I got to go also, at a cost of ~$2k or $2500 each (again, not including airfare). So we all (along with two teammates & families) fly to Barcelona. We get to the hotel and that evening they have a welcome program and split all the players into their appropriate teams. We were part of the oldest team and would actually play in the MIC tournament. His two teammates were put on a different team and they played in some kind of smaller tournament. Kids roomed with their parents (if they had parents with them). Training started the next day. Parents could attend the training if they wanted to. They had I think three training sessions then we went to the Costa Brava (where the MIC tournament was held). DS's team was made up of players from different areas, most of whom didn't even know each other. There was also some "group" sightseeing. The MIC tournament had a round robin with four teams in each group. The top two teams from each group went to the "winners bracket" and the bottom two went to the "losers bracket". We had lost all of our group games, so went to the losers bracket. We won the first two games in the knockout stage, so made the quarter finals before losing. The competition was from around the world, even though I think every team we played was from Spain. There were some US Club teams there. The games were only 25 minute halves, but they did have live scoring. Our team would show up in their road gear, go to the locker room and change, and they'd do a "walk out" like the professional teams do. After we lost, we went back to Barcelona and attended an FCB game. We also attended a Real Solicedad game before heading to Costa Brava. One of the group games we played in the MIC was against FCB's A team in that age group. Yes, we got destroyed. BUT, we were the first team from the US to actually score against them. Final Score was 11-1. DS was captain for that game which was pretty cool. Overall it was a great trip. I think his club teammates who didn't make the MIC team weren't very happy to not play in the MIC, but I'm not sure. Our trip was in 2016, during Easter. So my memory is probably at least somewhat clouded. If you have any specific questions, I'll be more than happy to try to answer them. ETA: PP is correct. The selection to the Europe trip is a bonus, it was NOT why we signed up DS for the camp. We wanted him exposed to different coaches and to keep training/touches on the ball. We do joke around with family that he's "played internationally" (he took a trip last year to Germany with the state ODP team), but it's not something that we think would impress future coaches.
Here's the link to the list of camps they're running in 2020... https://camps.fcbarcelona.us/dates-locations/ The years DS went, I think they only had 5 camps, maybe 7. Now they have 41(!).
I've known several families whose kids were invited to training in Spain after the FCB camps. One of the kids barely made the B team at my son's club and even he was invited and went. Their standards aren't too high obviously. It's just a money grab. If you go, do it for the learning experience and not dreams of your son playing European football.
Thanks for the input. Please keep them coming. I know two boys that attended the camp last year. Both were invited to Spain. One of them is quite good. The other isn’t - he’s at the bottom of the roster on my son’s academy team. So I don’t think they’re being super-selective with the Spain invite, which is a little concerning. So is the fact that Barca Academy is expanding into 40+ markets (including mine, which is not a major city by any means). Hence my worry that this trip is more a cash grab than a genuine development opportunity. However, that’s good to know that they group the Spain participants by ability and that there’s an opportunity to play in a good tournament against top-tier competition. That would be an eye-opening experience for my son! I saw that they offer parents the opportunity to participate in the camp for $3k. Truthfully, I’d rather just sightsee around Barcelona but I wonder if it would be risky/dangerous for a parent to not accompany an 11yo at the camp?
They were very strict about when kids could be on their own (usually with parents) vs having to stay with the chaperones. There was one family with a player in our age group that had rented their own car and would just meet us at games. Keep in mind if you go to the camp in Summer '20, the Spain trip wouldn't be until 2021. So he'd be a couple years older. BTW, there is no doubt in my mind that this is a cash grab. I have no idea how many invitations they sent out the year we got invited. But my DD's school trip to Washington, DC is also a cash grab by the tour company. Does that mean the trip isn't "worth it"? No. Send him to the camp. If he gets invited and you can afford the trip (whether for just him or him and you), go and enjoy it.
I think there is a small chance this post is a troll post since bmirak spammed the board just to earn the credentials to post this question. But, assuming for a moment it is a good-faith question, here is a good faith answer since this is the season of giving (good advice). I'm sure your son is a fine player, and may grow to have a wonderful D1 career, but spending $10,000 to send him to a camp overseas as a 12 or 13 year-old seems awfully wasteful. You are showing symptoms of late-stage parental FOMO. It may actually be too late to save you. If your son is talented and you want him to develop, figure out a way for him to play up at a competitive club, take 1/10th of what you are about to budget for this silly overseas camp and lock down a local trainer for technical training on the side. Take the other $9,000 and take your wife, son, and other family members on a trip anywhere in the world and leave the soccer ball at home.
$10K is no where near accurate. I found the brochure for the year we went, here's the prices: Airfare was ~$1300, but because I was stalking air, we got RT for ~$650. Here's the link to the entire brochure: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/aef6c209aa829f20f0a108b3e/files/MIC_2017.compressed.pdf
Wow Upper Left, thanks for the personal attack. And a Merry Christmas to you, too. First, what on earth have I said here that even remotely resembles a “troll” thread? Second, I “spammed” this board in the Introductions section only to get past the rather absurd 10-post threshold so I could start a thread and ask my question. I should have thought that was obvious. Sorry if those posts caused you consternation. But you didn’t have to read them. Third, you don’t need to tell me that $10,000 could be better spent. And you most certainly don’t need to accuse me of being a psycho parent or whatever phrase you used. As I took great pains to try to explain, that’s the opposite of what I am, and I do NOT seriously believe this trip to Spain would be a recruiting opportunity for my son. I simply wanted thoughts on whether there was any benefit to it at all, or if it should be just be viewed as an extravagant vacation. And I appreciate the thoughtful, helpful responses I’ve received, yours excluded. Finally, to the other poster, this trip would absolutely cost at least $10,000 by the time you add in two parents, the camp, airfare, and all the tourism, lodging, and meals on the side. I’m not just talking about the cost of the camp itself.
$10K for three of you, yes. I was referring to just one. Just so you know, much of the tourism, lodging, and meals were covered in the program fees. Of course, you can do more than what's in the program. Or, parents can be fully on their own.
I think if you go in with the right attitude, "We're taking a vacation, and by the way bring your cleats and shin pads", everything will be fine. We went this past February with our 06 son and had a fabulous time. It was extremely well organized and well-run in our opinion. The kids stayed in a hostel type hotel (6 to a room, all the same age group) with their chaperone/coach. There was also a chaperon/guide to attend to the needs and questions of the parents. We got to see a Barcelona-Valencia match and an Espanyol-Rayo Vallecano match on the weekends, and as luck would have it a Classico, because Barcelona and Real Madrid were drawn together in the mid-week Copa del Rey match. (That of course was extra and unexpected, having been drawn the day we left for Spain.) The kids trained every day with Barcelona coaches at the Camp Nou, and then every afternoon/evening, they would travel and play against other local clubs youth teams such as La Roca del Valles, Palleja, Mercantil (and see their wall of fame of all the players who had come through the club to play in La Liga) and Canyelles. (Format was 7v7 on what was basically a 9v9 size field). Obviously we made all the matches, but we as parents would skip training and sightsee except for the first and last day. I can't really speak as to the selection process, but my son's "Team Jordi Alba" was a really talented group that won 3 of their 4 matches against the Spanish clubs. There was my son (naturally ), a kid from California that is a phenomenal striker, a talented kid from Chicago (No I don't know which club) and we had a real goalie in our group as opposed to some others who had to have goalie by committee. I did hear some other parents talking about how they were routed, so not every group was as talented. It was worth it in my opinion, and in fact because they also have a Chelsea/Man City England tour that coincided exactly with our spring break this March, we are going again and taking our two daughters also.
Oh and far as the camps, absolutely, we've done it twice hosting coaches from Spain both times. That's something I would highly recommend if you're able (be there a little early and stay a little later etc.)
The previous camp attendees are right on point; maybe instead of a 'money grab' I'd call it a 'branding opportunity' that has expanded dramatically throughout the U.S. over the past few years. My two boys ('07 and '10) play in the Barca Academy in Charlotte; they were selected for the academy out of the camps when the academy was just getting started in the area. From what I have observed over four years in the program, the Barca system is unlike most other academies -- it's just a different methodology that develops the whole player over the long term and places more of a contextual emphasis on the game. The camps are great, and the players should come away with a different understanding of the game than they would during the typical camps run by the top local academy. The trip to Barcelona is a great opportunity for everyone -- we brought both boys and grandpa a few years ago. Since the boys were already in the academy we didn't feel the need to attend the training sessions, so we visited the sites and got to know Barcelona which is an absolutely fantastic city. I can say that the training sessions provide a glimpse into the Barca system for anyone curious about the technical side of the game. Also, results aside, there is no way a bunch of random players selected from various camps and thrown together for a week will fully comprehend this system; in fact, they may regress a little. (For example, they may 'win' their games, but it is more important that they understand and play the 'Barca way,' which is why you are there, correct?) And no one is getting 'noticed,' so you are right to keep that in perspective. So, definitely sign him up for the camps, and if you get invited to Barcelona and can make it work then by all means take the opportunity -- it really is a quality product.
This is all great input. So of those who went, what's the advantage of parents "participating" in the program? $3,000pp seems like a LOT of money just for food and lodging and we're not huge soccer fans so I would really much prefer just to do some sightseeing and lodging on our own rather than staying at the camp. Does that price also include tickets to the games and various sightseeing and ground transportation? I don't think my 11yo (13 by the trip would roll around!) would get homesick as long as we checked in once or twice a day, and it sounds like they're pretty well supervised without parents?
For our trip, the ,money we paid included all hotel rooms (DS stayed with us, but I understand that's not always the case), some meals, tickets to two pro matches, tickets to the sightseeing events (Camp Nou and Park Guell), and all ground transportation (except from the airport to hotel and when we did some sightseeing on our own). The ground transportation got us to every match the boys played in.
upper left calls anyone is a troll if he doesn't like what they post. he's got some issues he needs to work though. ignore
Perhaps @upper left has older players that play at a high level and he knows the costs over the years and what it takes to get there - weekly private lessons, regular physio, $300 cleats 3-4x a year, gym membership, massage after games, travel costs, id camps, college tuition, overseas trials, relocation costs. I don't think that he's judging. Spend your money how you want and enjoy! Just know there are a lot of additional costs between 15-18 if they are on the path to go Div 1 or pro/semi-pro. It does seem like a lot of kids do these trips and they LOVE it. I hear more about the trips to England. So don't feel guilty about doing it if you have the money. Our family spends a lot of money on soccer and other sports year after year and have no regrets and don't care what others say. But make sure you also spend money on private lessons.You absolutely cannot depend on your club for development. DA kids do privates. Even pros do privates.
My son did the Barca camp a couple years back, and it was a waste of money for us. We spent $500 for an overcrowded 3/4 day camp run by ISL (an American company that is licensing the Barca trademarks and concept). The drills weren't bad (especially if you love to Rondo all day long), but it was nothing special for my son. Many 8-5 soccer camps are available in the $200-$350 range in our area, and the actual soccer content is superior. Heck, you can attend a residential camp with FC Dallas for $650, and that includes better instruction, almost twice as many hours, room, board, a t-shirt, and an adidas ball. Barca camp makes you buy a full kit! Cha-Ching! Our camp had 400 campers paying $500. That's $200K revenue, most of it profit. Then, you get the honor of being selected to the Spain trip, which is another profit engine for ISL. Many will spend thousands for this vacation with cleats and gleefully post on social media that their lil Messi is playing internationally in Spain. If you have a serious soccer player, then there are many better options for development.
Sounds like the epitome of "pay-to-play". Capitalizing on stupid Americans who will pay for anything. I'd also like to add that residential soccer camps are more for the fun and experience then getting better at soccer. Nobody drastically improves at soccer after 3 days. They may pick up a couple of pointers (tactical mainly) but in terms of technical ability, its not possible.
Even three years later, I don't regret forking over the money (for the camp or the trip). Do/did I think if he went on the trip he was going to be "discovered"? No. Do/did I think if he went on the trip it would be an automatic college soccer scholarship (at any level)? No. Do/did I think if he went on the trip he might learn something? Yes Do/did I think if he went on the trip he might get an experience he'd remember for the rest of his life? Yes. Do/did I think if he went on the trip he might make new friends? Yes If that makes me a "stupid American", so be it. ETA: Yes, all that stuff could have happened going to a closer residential camp. But playing against the actual FCB (age appropriate) team wouldn't.
I actually only meant "stupid American" if you believed your first 2 points were "yes". Otherwise for the experience, friends etc...if you've got the money go for it.