Day 4
On the fourth day of the Dynamo Residential Elite Camp, the campers woke up to another great breakfast and replays of FIFA U-17 World Cup matches from the previous day. The players then split into their groups and worked on counter attacking during their morning session. The lecture covered individual goal setting, which included both short and long term goals.
After lunch the futsal tournament continued with the top teams playing each other for spots in the semifinals. After another entertaining afternoon of futsal action, the campers had the opportunity to watch the U.S. U-17s take on Uzbekistan in the U-17 World Cup.
In the afternoon, all of the groups worked on finishing, which gaves the goalkeepers plenty of opportunities to show their skills to the coaches.
After finishing drills, the campers came inside to watch the USA vs. Panama Gold Cup match. Between the U-17s World Cup games and the afternoon session, the room was buzzing with excitement from young soccer fans. After the match, the campers took a short break for dinner then went back to the dorms where they gathered around the TV for the Mexico vs. Honduras Gold Cup match. With the game going into overtime, the were exhausted and fell asleep quickly in preparation for the following day’s all-star games.
Day 5
On the fifth day of the Residential Elite Camp, campers ate breakfast one hour earlier, at 7 a.m., to allow time for completion of the futsal tournament and the camps all-star games.
The futsal action was intense with Denmark taking first place in the tournament. The campers then watched the all-star games on the OLLU match field with parents arriving and observing the development of their sons over the course of the week.
The camp concluded with the closing ceremonies and the announcement of group and camp Most Valuable Players. Gabriel Camera (1996), took home the Adidas Golden Boot as the 2011 Houston Dynamo Residential Camp Most Valuable Player.
The campers then packed their bags and checked out of the dorm after the five-day camp. It was an exciting week for the campers, who returned home having made new friends, and eagerly awaiting next year's camp.
