Soccer camps serve as a showcase for players to showcase and develop their skills, with a view to either staying on as an academy player or signing with a professional soccer club that guarantees their best training for years to come.
That said, one of the factors that has evolved the most over the years in the world of soccer is scouting, those parameters that scouts follow to detect future great talents at an early age.
The scouting spectrum varies depending on age, the level of the academy or club, its philosophy and many other factors that affect the selection of players for its youth or basic forces.
It is at this point that soccer camps have become a great help for players, allowing them to develop different facets of their game and guiding them to become attractive bets for scouts, with all the necessary elements to reach a professional team and remain in the elite.
Therefore, in this post we will talk about the conceptions of modern scouting and how soccer camps or tryouts help players to have a better chance of being seen by these scouts.
Developing players’ potential and genuine talent
Training soccer has many differences from the football we see at the elite level. Because of this, professional scouts focus on uncovering the future potential of players and not just focusing on the current performance of a boy and girl.
Scouts have to look at the individual player without taking into account his environment, the team he currently plays for and the conditions that may be directly affecting his game.
For example, a scout should not be attracted only by a player who, at 7 years of age, scored 5 goals in the game he was scouting. The 5 goals, while they may be impressive, may be a product of the boy’s premature maturity that makes him physically superior to his opponents.
In such a case, the player’s current performance has more to do with a biological condition than with his true potential as a professional player in the future. Because of this type of cases, scouts must make a deep analysis of the players’ abilities before betting on them, signing them or recommending them to any club or soccer academy.
For all these reasons, it is important for a growing player to be part of a soccer academy or participate periodically in soccer camps, as this allows him to develop in all facets of the game.
Having this type of experience at a young age allows the player to have a more solid disciplinary approach and to take his sports development seriously, especially if he sees that his efforts translate into better performance on the field and earns the recognition of his coaches, tutors and even rivals.
In addition, the experience and the competitive experience make him forge a competitive mentality that is also fundamental for the scouts when choosing one player over another.
Technical, tactical and cognitive player growth in soccer camps and tryouts
Today, scouts structure their selection processes around four pillars or facets of each player.
Technical and tactical ability
The technical fundamentals that the player possesses according to his age and the ease and naturalness with which he performs on the field. This includes his ability to pass the ball, controls, dribbling and finishing in front of goal. From a tactical point of view, the analysis focuses on the player’s decision making, positioning and understanding of the different phases of the game, among other variables.
Physical
The scout must analyze the physical aspect of the player to highlight the importance of his physique for his influence on the game, as well as his room for growth and physical development. Scouts observe the players’ speed, strength, agility, balance and endurance.
Psychological aspect
The mentality of the players is extremely important in high performance sport. The child must show interest, maturity and motivation to reach the professional level, as well as a disciplined behavior that will help him or her continue to grow over the years without deviating from the path. The scouts analyze ‘micro-behaviors’ such as the boy’s reaction to refereeing decisions in matches, the way he acts in the event of a possible conflict on the field or the way he deals with his own mistakes.
Social component
In addition to analyzing the child, the scout must also analyze his environment, his social conditions, the relationship he has with his parents and all the extra-sporting aspects that could benefit or harm his career in the world of soccer. A boy who lives in a dysfunctional or deprived home, unfortunately, may not be able to develop to his full potential in that environment, so scouts evaluate all these future situations and the investments that their institution would have to make to ‘produce’ the player.
Soccer camps develop players along these parameters
Soccer camp training plans also take these four pillars as the definitive foundations for a player’s development.
Each training session features exercises aimed at developing your technique and adding new resources to your on-field repertoire, cultivating self-confidence and giving you more tools to shine in different game situations.
In addition, they also place special emphasis on the tactical aspect and the roles that each player must fulfill depending on the position he is occupying in the coach’s training. The boys grow a lot by playing matches in these conditions, improving their cognition on the field and increasing their understanding of the game, improving their decision making.
And the growth is not only soccer or physical, these soccer camps also include talks aimed at strengthening the mentality of the players and making them understand the importance of discipline and perseverance in high performance sport.
In today’s soccer it is not only important to train to the maximum, but also to take good care of nutrition, sleep hygiene and the mental health of the players. All this is explained in a didactic way so that the children become familiar with a healthy routine in the most natural way possible.
Technology at the service of player development
Soccer development and scouting has also evolved a great deal thanks to new technologies that allow for more exhaustive analyses of players, focused on their age and possibilities.
Contrary to the mistaken belief of some, technology will never replace coaches or customizable methods. On the contrary, they are tools that coaches use today to deepen their concepts and have a more noticeable influence on their players, with hard evidence and data to back up their knowledge.
Top soccer camps have tools that provide coaches with real-time video recording to evaluate player performance in each training session.
- Video recording: Camps and academies use video recording to analyze players’ technique and detect any minute errors in execution that are causing any problems in their game. In addition, video technology is very accurate for tactical analysis, being a clear demonstration of the player’s behavior in the different phases of the game and an unbeatable corrective tool to reinforce automatisms and prepared plays.
- Exhaustive and personalized evaluation: At the end of each camp, parents receive a detailed report with the virtues, strengths and weaknesses of the player; with the intention that each section is worked to the maximum in the academy so that the player continues to rise in quality and level of play.
Every player who aspires to reach the highest level should participate in an academy or camps that help him to correct his mistakes and small slips that he may have in the matches. Technology helps kids to see their own mistakes, correct them and even improve in the physical aspect with the analysis of their own performance data.
Best soccer camps in England with professional scouts
We will leave you with a selection of high quality camps that focus on player development and also have high visibility with scouts from different academies and clubs.
High Performance Soccer School in England
Key aspects of the High Performance Soccer School in England
- For boys from 8 to 21 years old.
- UEFA PRO, A or B licensed coaches.
- Top level sporting facilities.
- High visibility of scouts.
- Complementary activities.
- Food and lodging included.
- 24/7 supervision.
This high performance soccer camp in England is an excellent window for top level players to develop their skills while competing against other kids who have the highest ambition and intentions to reach the elite level.
Their training plan is focused on improving the technical repertoire of the players, with very precise and specific exercises that help the kids to fine-tune their movements and to couple new resources to their game.
Their coaches have experience in professional teams that have reached the Premier League and the Championship, so the quality on this side is more than guaranteed.
Transforming dreams into goals
West Ham United Soccer Camp
Key aspects of the West Ham United soccer camp
- For boys and girls aged 10 to 17.
- High-performance or lower-level modalities for all players.
- UEFA-trained and UEFA-endorsed coaches.
- Multicultural experience with players from all over the world.
- Complementary activities.
- Training plan influenced by first team tactics.
- Accommodation at the University East of London with high performance diet.
West Ham United has one of the highest rated and most modern camps in the country, with A-1 level facilities that make the players feel like First Division players.
The training sessions at the West Ham Campus are held in the official West Ham first team facilities, with the gym, training pitches and many more tools at the service of the boys’ development.
Transforming dreams into goals
Chelsea F.C. Soccer Camp
Key aspects of the West Ham United Soccer Camp
- For boys and girls ages 10-17.
- Club-trained and certified coaches.
- Three different venues for boys.
- Accommodation and meals included.
- First class facilities.
We close this short list of recommendations with the Chelsea Campus, linked to the foundation of the London club that became the first FIFA Club World Cup Champion in 2025.
This camp has a high physical intensity and a very strong technical focus, following the guidelines of its academy.
The club has invested heavily in the development of players in recent years and the export of its players to other clubs in the league or other countries. It is an excellent option for the boys to develop in the best environment and in one of the most prestigious clubs in the country.
Transforming dreams into goals
Prepare your child to become a star with Ertheo’s soccer camps
If you want your child to develop to their full potential and also be within reach of professional club scouts, contact Ertheo’ s consultants to help you reserve their spot for upcoming camps.
From quality and price, Ertheo’s camps ensure the safety of the kids on and off the field, with specialized staff to live an unforgettable experience of soccer and fun away from home.
The greatest trophies are exhibited in the most important showcases in the world; make your child reach the best scenarios to be a great star and a sporting reference in the future.
