We
breathe
soccer
breathe
soccer
It all started in 2015 with 5 cities (Raleigh, Charlotte, Richmond, Cincinnati and Louisville).
Alex Isern and Marc Segarra – ISL’s CEO and ISL’s Managing Partner – closed a deal with FC Barcelona to manage official Barça Soccer Academies and Camps in the United States.
The main goal was to expand the FC Barcelona brand, values and methodology in the US, while captivating and developing young talent.
Eight years later, we may say this goal was not only achieved but very much exceeded by ISL.
The Barça Academies receive thousands of players for a year round program, and the Barça Camps create a true lifetime experience where young players train like FC Barcelona stars for a week.
The numbers speak for themselves: more than 35.000 American players have participated in ISL’s Barça Academy Soccer Camp program over the last 7 years.
“We are opening Barça Camps registrations for the 8th time and we are as excited as we were 8 year ago. We have learned a lot along the way and we want to keep giving an amazing and truly unique experience to all the players and families.”- says Albert Balsells, ISL’s Director of Barça Academy Soccer Camps.
This year, ISL is also improving the experience with even more official Barça coaches, the latest training routines from FC Barcelona and new host cities – Los Angeles and Peachtree City are now part of the Barça Camps roster!
In 2022, a total of 37 cities in more than 20 different states will welcome young players aged 6 to 17 for an unforgettable Summer camp experience!
Players will not only train and play under the Barça methodology, they will also have the chance to be selected for a Soccer Experience in Barcelona to train at Barça facilities, go to FC Barcelona matches, visit Camp Nou, explore Barcelona, and play against other Spanish teams.
Barça Academy Soccer Camps kick off on June 13th and end on July 29th, 2022.
Find more information and register here!
Pepe Nogues is the Director of the Barça Academies managed by ISL across the USA.
Every year, Pepe organizes and coordinates a team of 6 people, responsible for 2,000 aspiring your soccer players in 6 different states of the United States.
The Barça Academy US includes boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 18, and offers all year long soccer programs and events and tournaments, with the goal of developing new soccer talent and spreading the FC Barcelona sports’ values.
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, the Barça Academy’s dynamic has been affected, as have most sports activities.
The esports popularity keeps growing and it is expected to reach over half a million viewers in 2023.
We have designed a pretty solid BA calendar that we use as guidance to plan and organize in advance for the following year/s. It is true that, since we operate in different states, different regulations apply, therefore adaptations also need to be made accordingly.
Well, when the pandemic hit and new safety measures were dictated by health departments and soccer federations, the whole operational model had to be quickly re-edited. Changes such as: carefully managing cash flows, adapting from tryouts to renewal strategies, expanding our customer base experience, rewriting policies… to make it short, almost everything changed in a way.
We received great support from FCB on the new coaching models that were applied through virtual training and online learning experiences.
There have been 3 major challenges I should point out:
1) Adapting our teaching & learning model to virtual trainings.
2) Creating a Covid Committee and adding experts on the matter.
3) Applying strict safety measures to get back on the field.
Timing was one of the biggest issues I faced. The quick decision making was critical because at the very beginning no one had the absolute truth on how things should be run. I had to quickly provide new guidance for my team, for them to provide guidelines to their staff, players and families.
Very strict safety measures were applied on the “get back to the field phase”. We literally looked like a moving hospital giving soccer lessons. We purchased so much sanitary equipment and materials that our coaches looked like doctors. Gloves, masks, sanitary stations, temperature check points, covid control cases, etc… It was a challenge but I can gladly say that we did an amazing job in this matter.
I have to give full credit to the local staff because they reinvented themselves. It was not only the leadership team providing new guidance, but technical directors and coaches reaching out sharing great thoughts and ideas to engage with players and families in this new and challenging adventure. It was definitely difficult at the beginning to get high rates of players’ attendance, but as we shared on social media how we were safely operating, players and families started to trust the method and found the strength to get back on the field despite the pandemic.
The pandemic and new operational model obviously raised a lot of questions and concerns to parents & families. They were mostly concerned about financial support and about the safety for their kids which we took very seriously and responded to the best of our capabilities. We have to THANK them all because a great deal of understanding and comprehension was shared by the majority of the families.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic is far more severe than many people want to recognize. We do still face challenges that the pandemic continues to present such as cancelling very important regional and national tournaments that are critical for completing the competitive cycles, or directly affecting international travel which blocks players and families from discovering and experiencing different soccer cultures.
Albert Balsells is the Barça Academy Soccer Camps director for the USA.
Every summer, he organizes and coordinates 25 Soccer Camps that gather over 4.500 young players to learn the methods and values of the famous La Masia, where FC Barcelona legends like Messi and Xavi grew up.
This year, he had an impossible task: to organize the soccer camps events in the middle of a global pandemic.
Against all odds, Albert managed to minimize the impact of Covid-19 and adapt fast to ensure maximum safety for the players and their families, thus guaranteeing the kids would still be able to enjoy the best soccer summer experience in the country.
In 2020, Barça Academy USA held 14 Soccer Summer Camps for children between the ages of 6 and 16, registering a total of 1.500 participants and zero Coronavirus infections.
How did Mr. Balsells pull this off? That’s what we are going to find out:
At the start of each season we implement a timeline in which my team and I assign ourselves tasks to do throughout the year in order to have everything ready prior to camp commencing, although this year everything changed at the beginning of March due to COVID-19.
From March until the end of the camps we changed a lot of things and designed a contingency plan to know how to act considering different scenarios. The work done by the ISL staff was outstanding, considering the difficult situation we had to endure. Supporting each other was one of the most important things to keep working as a team.
The biggest challenge for me and my team was that the situation was changing every day. Originally we had planned 25 camps, but ultimately ended up doing only 14 due to state restrictions & regulations. In addition, we had to monitor daily how the covid situation was evolving in each state and what were the updates from the government.
We focused on safety measures on the field but also off the field, as in some camps we could have 300 people at one facility. We were very explicit in our communication with families and players to ensure that they maintain social distancing, wear masks, adhere to different drop off and pick up times and wash their hands periodically. We also cleaned the soccer material daily, distributed cleansing gel, etc.
A positive thing that we take from the camps is how people cooperate all the time, not just the players that were fantastic, but also our staff that was incredible at understanding the situation at all times and always being there to help each other. We couldn’t have done camps this summer without them and we are very grateful to all of them.
As you can expect in this situation, families were worried about the safety of their children, that’s why one of the keys to success was communication with all of them. We designed safety protocols which we shared with all the families weeks before the events started.
In a situation where every phone call can carry bad news because something happened, my advice would be to stay calm and act accordingly. At the end of the day as a person you can’t stop a pandemic by yourself, you can only imagine and plan different scenarios and be ready to act whenever you have to. Another very important thing is to support your team, at the end 5 brains think more than 1 and it’s important to trust them.
We are very excited for 2021 and we hope we can run the camps without any restrictions. Besides the soccer experience, we want the players and families to have fun on and off the field. We are already thinking of big surprises for the players, if we can do the camps normally.
Spreading the “blau grana” brand on a new continent takes time, skill and dedication, but it is very rewarding when thousands of players are able to train like a real FC Barcelona player, while enjoying the best soccer experience in the country. Thousands of players learning from the FC Barcelona methodology over the years has helped raise the level of soccer across the country.
Through Barça Camps, ISL is helping FC Barcelona to increase their brand awareness around the globe, and to reach thousands of American families. A key factor in the success of the global partnership between ISL and FC Barcelona is the growth of the historic clubs fan base. Not only does ISL help develop the game across the United States, but it creates brand ambassadors who create a unity with the club that would otherwise be impossible.
Over the years, ISL ran camps have seen over 25,000 young players and families representing the FC Barcelona colors during the nationwide tour. We’re pleased to continue the partnership, and plant the FC Barcelona roots deeper into the fabric of the United States soccer market.
What makes heading into 2021 such a unique year, is the signing of young American soccer talent, Serginho Dest, to FC Barcelona. Dest is fast becoming a global star, and is a beacon of the ever growing level of soccer in the United States, which has benefited from partnerships like the one between FC Barcelona and ISL.
During June and July of 2021, from Monday to Friday, Barça Camps will be hosted at 25 different cities across the United States for boys and girls, separately, with ages between 6-17 years old.
The participants will be able to fully indulge in the Barça Philosophy with 6 hour practices where they will learn the same tactics taught at LaMasia, that have helped shape players such as Messi, Xavi, Ansu Fati, Serginho Dest and many others.
Barça Camps not only forms skilled players, but also and most importantly, Barça Camps is an essential learning experience for kids to grow and mature as individuals.
Don’t miss this opportunity and register now, before it is too late!
Long before ISL formed into a global marketing and management firm, co-founders Alex Isern and Marc Segarra grew up in the futbol rich city of Barcelona. They were both gifted in being selfless in looking out for others and helping each person they came into contact with reach their fullest potential. This passion transferred into their vision and goals for providing opportunities to players through ISL.
After successfully completing a senior year on the field playing for the Winthrop University in South Carolina by winning the Big South Conference Championship (2012) and graduating with honors, the two childhood friends decided to take their passion for the game and (ultimately) for people and put it to work by staying in the United States and forming ISL. Initially the focus was being a soccer company, but ISL has since matured and grown over the course of 7 years into a battle tested and seasoned company with an array of offerings outside of the beautiful game, but still with a people first emphasis and ideology.
The U.S. has become one of the most competitive markets in the world for youth soccer, so it only made sense for the co-founders to bring the same values and methodologies that they both grew up playing under in Spain and infuse them into a budding system. Through summer camps, and eventually starting their first academy in Charlotte, NC their new dream of helping players achieve their goals started taking shape and began to thrive.
After inking a deal to represent FC Barcelona throughout the United States with their academies and nationwide camps ISL were now able to identify kids from around the country who were believed to be next level talent by trained FCB coaches and staff, and get them over to Europe to play against top academies and club teams in Spain.
Talented players have continually emerged from ISL events. Many players have impressed with their field IQ, skill and level of play over the years, but some more so than others have stood out head and shoulders above the rest. We have been fortunate to be able to work with them and to help mold their style and technique, but more importantly their attitude and philosophy toward the game.
The list of players continues to grow as each year passes, but some have made that jump from the academy system and international tournaments to signing contracts with MLS and USL teams, notably Tucker Lepley (USMNT (U17)/Sporting KC); Brennan Conger (DC United) and Chris Thaggard (Charlotte FC). Other up and coming names to keep an eye on that have come through ISL include, William Cardona (New York Red Bulls), Ryan Fessler (Sporting KC), Donovan Roux (Rapids), Edric Zhang (Charlotte FC) and Julian Ramirez (Charlotte FC). For each the future is bright.
ISL stays committed to these players in order to keep helping them achieve their goals, as well as future players seeking to achieve the same thing. Alex Isern and Marc Segarra promise to keep providing these opportunities to players, and
“Each trip is a different and unique experience, in the sense that each player is handed an opportunity to prove his or herself and their abilities on an international stage of top level competition, all the while refining their skills and getting better each day.” – Alex Isern (CEO and Co-Founder)
The chance of building a company that has helped future stars reach their potential in taking the next step and to chase down their dreams is the greatest reward and ultimately life changing. We look forward to seeing each of these stars rise, as we continue in our commitment to helping others achieve their goals and life pursuits too.
“We love people and we love the game of futbol. So, for us we get to marry those two passions and see dreams become a living and breathing reality. It’s exciting and humbling to be able to do what we do.” – Marc Segarra (Managing Partner and Co-Founder)
Another summer camp tour across the nation has come and gone. Once again, in partnership with FC Barcelona our team traveled multiple routes with staff members to cities all around the country to instruct boys and girls in Barca values, techniques, style and tradition. From San Diego to Philadelphia, Austin to Boston, and Denver to Portland we hosted camps in over 16 different cities.
Unlike most summers past, this year was quite different for a number of reasons, but mainly due to the global Covid pandemic which forced us to scale back on the size of campers we are typically used to hosting, as well as the number of camps we plan to put on around the country.
Pre-Covid, our efforts to have another sellout summer of training and fun began it’s planning stages in Q4 of 2019, with routes being established, facilities being booked, coaches and staff committing to 7 weeks on the road, as well as the logistics of ordering uniforms for campers and the housing in each city. It’s a big deal to coordinate, but one our team thoroughly enjoys seeing come to life.
It was by mid-march when we first started to see what might lay ahead for the summer plans and all the hard work that had been put into place. Up until that point we were quickly on track to selling out camp at a record pace, but then the country started to shut everything down, namely ALL sports for the foreseeable future. As you can imagine, registrations nosedived almost immediately and facilities that had been locked down for months began to cancel agreements left and right.
One moment everything is moving along smoothly and then the next thing you know everything is out of your control, but not to ever back down from a challenge, we decided to take a step back to reassess the situation and to plan accordingly and in line with what government officials and the CDC recommended to make sure in keeping with utmost safety.
We scaled back our itinerary from the original plan of 40 cities nationwide to under half that to 16 camps, coast to coast. Our logistics team contacted and confirmed bookings with parks and recreation facilities. All of our coaches and staff were trained immediately in the correct procedures of keeping all of the campers safe, as well as each other. Commitments were made to wearing gloves and masks at all times at camp. Additionally, one way in and out check in stations were set up where campers were allowed to enter and leave facilities. With all of the logistics sorted out, we still wanted to emphasize an atmosphere of fun and growth for the campers. As one of the few companies hosting nationwide camps and expecting over 2000 registrants to participate we made this our ultimate goal, given the current global climate.
As we wrapped up week 7 in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, we reflected on the summer to date and how our commitment to keeping everyone safe was validated in the precaution and safety measures we took. 2 weeks after the fact we have still had zero Covid incidents for either campers, coaches or staff.
Thank you for trusting us this Summer and we look forward to making it back to your city in 2021. Be on the lookout for cam announcements in the fall.
We are thrilled to announce that we have officially kicked off the start of the 2020/21 season signifying our continued partnership with FC Barcelona. From coast to coast boys and girls ranging in array of age categories return back out on to the fields to continue their education in FC Barcelona values, style and techniques.
For some this will be their first season with us, having gone through summer tryouts at our different locations and finding that the philosophy of the Barca way being in line with helping them advance in their skills, field IQ and overall love for the beautiful game. In Charlotte, NC we were especially proud to announce that our Academy there has expanded regionally and around the city, as well as with 2 new locations across the border into South Carolina.
With all of the excitement of getting going again and watching our players grow, we are earnestly keeping in mind that we are still in the midst of a global pandemic. For the past 7 weeks we have been actively putting into practice safety procedures that are in line with CDC and government regulations at our camps from around the nation and truly believe that we will continue to refine these practices in order to keep all of our players safe. This is non-negotiable for us and will always be our number one priority in each city that we have an Academy.
Many protocols have been put into place to ensure utmost safety, including mandatory temperature checks and hand sanitization. Redesigning drills at a safe distance, as well as disinfecting all training materials. Players will only interact with their own ball for individual games. For cooperation games players will share a ball, through which they must achieve a common goal. For opposition in a non-shared space, players will cooperate with a shared ball to achieve a common goal, sharing only their space and without defensive contact.
These are just some of the procedures we are putting into practice and will continue to communicate with you through email and social media as these protocols are added and refined.
Over the past year ISL have worked with BK2 in order to aid young soccer players in their journey to play at the next level. While some players have the rare gift of beginning a professional career at a young age, many others find the option to play collegiately as the best fit for them. Playing collegiate not only allows a young player to keep chasing their dream of playing professionally, but provides a valuable education if a professional playing career doesn’t materialize. Not to mention, the academic and athletic scholarship options that come with playing college soccer go a long way.
BK2 are a college counseling organization who work to support young students in the process of American University recruitment, offering services that will position its students in the best possible scenario. The education of applicants and their professional development are the basis of all their efforts. BK2 helps athletes find the best athletic and academic scholarships available to them, and make the process understandable for families who may not be familiar with the American recruitment system.
We look forward to many more years working with BK2 in achieving academic and athletic success for young players around the world!
During a 5 day camp experience, players will be taken through an immersive training regiment that mimics that of a season long Barca Academy style program, all of which is rooted in the same values and methodologies that are in line with FCB standards.
So, be the hero your kids want you to be this Christmas and give the gift that allows them to train and play like a real Barcelona player for a week! Get in early, these camps will sell out quickly and there are limited spots per city.
