Thanksgiving Camp + Guest Speakers
This Thanksgiving break, we were proud to host our Second Annual Thanksgiving Soccer Camp in partnership with the La Puente Community Foundation and the City of La Puente. Through this partnership, we were able to provide a fully sponsored, free two-day soccer camp for 70 local kids ages 5–8, ensuring young players had access to a fun, positive introduction to the game regardless of financial barriers.
Our younger group focused on building a love for soccer through engaging activities, skill-based games, and plenty of opportunities to play. The emphasis was on confidence, movement, and enjoyment, creating a strong foundation for their future in the sport.
In addition to the younger age group, we welcomed 30 players ages 9–15 for our older camp sessions. This group brought a high level of energy and talent, and we were intentional about creating a competitive environment that challenged players while giving each athlete meaningful game experience. Sessions focused on technical ability, speed and agility, and competitive play, with both days ending in small-sided games to replicate real match situations. It was exciting to watch each player’s growth over the course of the camp and see how engaged and motivated they were throughout every session.
A key part of the camp experience was exposing players to positive role models who have successfully navigated the student-athlete pathway. We were honored to feature two guest speakers who shared their journeys and valuable insight.
Ryan Meinardus, one of our coaches, spoke to the group about believing in your ability to achieve great things. A native of Placentia, Ryan began his collegiate career at Fullerton College, where he earned All-State honors as a freshman. He later transferred to Cal State San Marcos, where he served as team captain and was named a First Team All-Conference player. Ryan graduated with a degree in Communications and is now pursuing a career in coaching. During his talk, he shared practical advice on the college recruitment process and emphasized the importance of confidence, consistency, and hard work.
Our second guest speaker, Kelsey Burrus, recently completed her collegiate soccer career at San Francisco State University. Originally from Irvine, California, Kelsey captained the women’s soccer team during her senior year. Her message focused on the academic and leadership responsibilities of being a student-athlete. She shared her experience serving as President of SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) and spoke about balancing school, soccer, and extracurricular involvement. Kelsey recently graduated from SF State and is now preparing to attend nursing school, with the goal of becoming a nurse.
We are incredibly grateful to Ryan and Kelsey for taking the time to pour into our players and serve as examples of what’s possible through dedication, balance, and belief in oneself. Camps like this allow us to go beyond the field, developing not only better players, but more confident and well rounded young people.
We’re thankful for the continued support of the City of La Puente and the La Puente Community Foundation, and we look forward to creating more opportunities like this for our community in the future.