Unlike most high school students who either attend a sum- mer camp or work as camp counselor, juniors Micah Alon, Malia Jefferson and Valerie Ruelas started their own. Kids Soccer Summer Camp (KSSC) ran last summer from June 19 to 23 at Greer Park and accepted all genders from ages 7 to 10 regardless of skill level.

The three girls all share a common passion for soccer, having played on Gunn’s teams, and decided to spread their knowledge of the game by coaching local kids. “We started KSSC because we all love soccer in general and [running this camp] would be something new and exciting we could take on,” Jefferson said.

The mission of the camp was to provide an exciting opportunity for younger players to improve a variety of soccer skills, including passing, dribbling and shooting.

The idea came to them in late March of their sophomore year when they were looking for a way to make money and keep busy over the summer. “I thought of starting this camp because I love being around kids and I’ve been a camp counselor before for the past few summers, but I wanted to come up with my own camp and see if I could be successful,” Ruelas said. “I have two younger siblings so [they] made it easier to find kids who wanted to join.”

They attribute the success of the camp to its price and atmosphere. “ This camp is a lot more affordable and [has] a lot less intense environment because it is run by high schoolers,” Alon said.

While teaching the campers various technical and game skills, Alon and Ruelas gained some knowledge as well. Ruelas feels that the camp introduced her to skills important in a working environment, while still allowing her to have an enjoyable summer. “It ended up being super fun, it helped me become a lot more patient and learn about what it’s like running your own camp or business,” Ruelas said.

Alon also believes the camp exposed her to the responsibilities of the real world. “[Running this camp] was a serious learning opportunity because I was in charge of what I wanted to happen, so I couldn’t rely on a boss to do it if I got lazy,” she said. “It was a good experience to learn how to reach a target audience with different marketing strategies, make a financial plan, make a schedule and just normal counselor skills like handling the kids and their parents all week.”

Although they are unsure if the camp will take place this year, they had positive feedback from former campers. “Past campers have communicated that they would participate again if we decided on a date,” Jefferson said.