Awareness of the game of soccer is what Alan Fowler and assistant Paul Infield are trying to convey to area youngsters attending this week’s Challenger British Soccer Camp at Parque de Vida.

The camp got under way Monday, June 26, and continues through Friday, June 30.

The Challenger British Soccer Camp is once again returning to Montezuma County. It was here a year ago and was a great success.

The week-long camp is sponsored by the Tri-City Soccer Association. The camp is offering three-hour morning sessions for the novice player and a three-hour afternoon session for the older, more experienced players. Debra Ramsey, a coordinator of the camp, said 46 campers are participating.

"We are trying to bring more awareness of the game of football (soccer) to American kids," Fowler, who is a Class B instructor in the United European Football Association, said. "The kids are very, very good in America and are rapidly catching up with the rest of the world. They have a lot of enthusiasm for the sport, more than what I see at home (in England). The kids here are starting a lot younger than they are starting at home, about five years younger. Some day, that will payoff big time for soccer in the United States.

"By awareness we want them to know their space and how to get set up. We want them to find their space and learn communication between their teammates. We want them to know where the ball is at all times and learn to anticipate where it will be next. Technically, kids here are getting better and better. We can teach them some new skills such as the Maradona turn. We are seeing various techniques being executed more and more by young Americans."

Fowler, camp director, said he and Infield are showing the kids some new tricks.

"As I said, technically they are very good. We can’t show them too many fundamentals because they know them. But we can show them how to do something and refine their skills," he remarked.

"What is really gratifying to me is to watch the kids who quickly pick up things from the first day of camp compared to the last day. They improve their skills so quickly and can play a good game of soccer. That, to me, is what it is all about," Fowler commented.

During the week of the camp, the staff held a free coaching clinic for parents and coaches at Parque de Vida. Topics covered included such areas as organization of practices, technical drills, and systems of play.

Fowler said thanks to the American Women winning the World Cup for the past two times, and more recently last summer, soccer has increased in popularity. But the United States Soccer Federation needs to promote the sport better and get it on television more.

"Having those American women win the World Cup has really made it popular here. They are very, very good. The American men are not as good but they are improving all the time. It won’t be long before American men are competing for the World Cup title. When the money gets to pro soccer, like in the NBA (National Basketball Association), then soccer will improve here. But soccer is really coming along at the university level," Fowler noted.

Fowler, 35, predicted Nigeria will win the men’s bracket and either USA , China or Norway will likely win the gold medal for the women at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney later this summer.

Fowler and Infield spent a couple weeks in New Mexico teaching camps at Questa and Albuquerque. They will finish teaching soccer in America on Aug. 25. He has taught soccer in America every other year for the past 11 years or so. He also has coached the game in nearly every part of the world.

Fowler and his family have been here many times before. He said they like it so much over here they plan on living on the East Coast, probably in Florida. He said he likes the heat and doesn’t mind the humidity.