Warwick Valley kicks off its annual boys soccer camp

The Warwick Valley Wildcats boys soccer camp kicked off Monday morning on the pitch at Sanfordville Elementary School with two goooooals: Having fun and getting ready for the fall season!

The boys soccer camp welcomed an enthusiastic group of 40 participants this year. The camp's popularity stems not only from the valuable and practical skills that players develop, but also the camaraderie they enjoy. Players in fourth through tenth grades get five days of "feet-on" learning with Wildcats coaches, encouraging growth as players and as teammates. 

The camp is led by Wildcats varsity soccer coach Denis O’Connor and members of his coaching staff. Current and alumni Wildcat soccer players make up the rest of the camp counselors. Daily focus is on technical skills and moving the ball with confidence. The coaches encourage creativity on the field and stoke the players' passion for the game.

“We want to help these players improve and get ready for the season,” Mr. O’Connor said. “We want them to really compete, really get after it at the [skill] stations and then in the scrimmages.”

Each day, the campers break into squads for drills and scrimmages. Drills are taught through a series of dynamic stations, each one intended to level up a player's ball skills, fitness, speed, and strength. Stations included a dribbling obstacle course, soccer tennis, and hurdles. Players were also challenged to use knock down a series of cones as a way to fine tune the accuracy of their kicks. 

Day one finished with the first in a series of daily 11-on-11 and 10-on-10 friendlies, setting the tone for an epic week of skill building and competition ahead.

The Wildcats boys varsity soccer team wrapped their 2025 campaign with a 13-6-0 overall record and a trip to the Section 9, Class AA championship game. The team opened with a dominant stretch, notching four straight shutouts and winning eight out of nine matches during September and October. As the No. 3 seed in the sectional tournament, the Wildcats upset No. 2 Wallkill in a 1-0 shutout in the semifinals before battling top-seeded Cornwall in the finals at Goshen High School, where they fell just short in a 2-1 decision.

Wildcat athletics begins varsity and junior varsity practices on August 24 and modified sports (Warwick Valley Middle School) begin on September 4.