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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!
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.
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.
