WAILUA — Seven soccer instructors created a full day of soccer fun for the more than 50 youngsters, Friday when the third Kyle Nakazawa Winter Soccer Camp opened at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Sports Park in Wailua.
Nakazawa, a member of the champion Los Angeles Galaxy, said he would like to do a summer edition of the camp where the participants would have more time with the instructors, but since most, if not all, of the instructors are players in the Major League Soccer program, they are at the mercy of the MLS season.
“This is a good crowd,” Nakazawa, a Kaua‘i native, said. “There will probably be a bigger crowd Saturday since Island School ends Friday for its winter break.”
The Nakazawa winter soccer camp runs through Sunday afternoon, offering either a half day or full day program through the three days for boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 17 years old.
Heading the team of instructors, Nakazawa, a former University of California Los Angeles All-American and a player with the champion LA Galaxy MLS team, said all seven instructors are former players with UCLA.
David Estrada, a UCLA Pac 10 and player with the Seattle Sounders, is joined by Lauren Barnes, a UCLA All-American and a player with the WPS Philadelphia Independence, Trevor Hunter, a UCLA player from 2006 to 2010, Ryan Futagaki, a UCLA All-American and the first Japanese-American player in the MLS, playing with the MLS Chicago Fire, and Mariko Strickland, a Kaua‘i product and standout with San Diego State and Long Beach State, make up the field of instructors.
“We’re going to try and see if we can get some of the UCLA coaches and staff to join us the next time,” Nakazawa said after receiving questions on how to play soccer in college.
In addition to receiving instruction on the field, players were also treated to fun, breaking into mini scrimmage games with the college and professional players.
Visit www.kylenakazawa.com for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
