The CLASS A (Character, Leadership and Sports Skills Academy) Soccer Camp was created to provide players exceptional soccer instruction and development, conditioning, tactical and positional training and team competitiveness. It was also created to help high school and pre-college athletes in their leadership and character development. We believe that it is paramount that the whole person be developed and trained in order to maximize the player’s soccer and leadership skills. To accomplish our goals, we have partnered with other well established organizations in order to fully equip these players to become better and stronger athletes on and off the field. We have had players attend CLASS A from all over our region, but also from Florida to North Carolina and Texas to Minnesota.

Unlike virtually any other soccer camps, CLASS A provides all players with the opportunity to work directly with professional soccer players and college coaches during their camp training. Some of our camp staff has MLS, National Team and international experience. What’s more, the camp coaching staff serves as our chaperones in the dorms in order to maximize their influence with players. The camp staff is primarily made up of players from the Charlotte Eagles (a USL professional club) and Asbury College. We are fortunate to have keeper trainers who are of the leaders in the region. It is vital to the objectives of the camp that we retain the finest and most talented staff available and staff with high moral character.

As mentioned previously, CLASS A has partnered with the Charlotte Eagles Professional Soccer Franchise to provide first class instruction and leadership training. The Eagles Men’s Team plays in the United Soccer League (USL), and the Lady Eagles play in the USL “W” League. What is unique about the Charlotte Eagles is that they are a ministry based organization with vast experience running Team camps for colleges and high schools around the world. We are fortunate to have several of their professional players leading instruction at Camp, many of which have MLS, international and National Team experience. Please visit their website for more information on the Charlotte Eagles (www.charlotteeagles.com).

CLASS A is proud to partner with Asbury College, which is a Christian Liberal Arts college in Wilmore, Kentucky (www.asbury.edu). Asbury has a long standing commitment to the development of Christian men and women and has a strong interest in developing athletes with the utmost character and leadership skills. Their facilities are state of the art and their new soccer field is one of the finest playing surfaces around. We are fortunate to have their award winning Men’s soccer coaches, Josh Oakley and Paul Nesselroade, together with Ben Andrews, as members of the CLASS A Soccer. These coaches along with the Charlotte Eagles are instrumental in helping players connect with colleges around the Country.

Ichthus Ministries has partnered with CLASS A Soccer and has been instrumental is the retention of partners and development of worship opportunities and concerts. They have been kind to provide all participants with a complimentary weekend pass to the Ichthus Music Festival that will has included many of the most recognized Christian Artists, such as Toby Mac, Switchfoot, Reliant K, Kutless, Anberlin, Red, Skillet, Grits, Newsboys, Hawk Nelson, Barlow Girl, The Devil Wears Prada, Super Chick, Stellar Kart, Remedy Drive, Family Force Five and Fireflight – just to name a few. There will also be nationally renowned speakers such as Justin Lookadoo and Efrem Smith. The Festival runs June 16-19, 2010 and you can visit their website for more information(www.ichthus.org).

Finally, we are fortunate to have Tim Rucker from Carmichael Training Systems to provide Individual agility and physiological assessments and training for players. Carmichael Training Systems is one of the leading training systems in the Country. They have trained athletes such as Lance Armstrong and many others. Tim Rucker is an Expert Coach with Carmichael. He has earned a Bachelor of Sport Science in Exercise Physiology from Ohio University (2003) and a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology from Ohio University. He is currently the Assistant Strength Coach at Dennison University. Tim is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and an American College of Sports Medicine: Health Fitness Instructor. The assessments to be performed by Tim can be use to compare the individual athlete with others at the camp, as well as similar athletes across the country. Please visit their website at www.trainright.com.