International Soccer Academy Provides Summer Opportunity

Throughout the summer, Jordina Rovira, a member of the Shorter women’s soccer team, volunteered her time with Barça Academy Camps, teaching soccer in six major United States cities over the course of six weeks. Rovira is a senior psychology major from Catalonia, Spain. She has played soccer her whole life and has been on a team since she was seven years old. Because of this, she has developed a deep love and appreciation for the sport. Over the course of many years, Rovira has practically applied what she had learned when two athletes playing on opposing teams became incredibly competitive amongst themselves. During this time, they were pushing each other and saying things that they were not supposed to be saying. As an assistant coach, Rovira was limited in the actions she could take as the head coaches were supposed to be the ones to handle conflict and various other complex situations. However, the head coaches were busy and unable to diffuse the situation at the are rooted in Christian beliefs and ethics. Through such, they could share the love of Christ with the athletes alongside their athletic teachings. Rovira loved this aspect, especially as she noted the region in which Barça is located is not strongly religious. In addition to the values, teachings, and methods the camp strived to instill in the next generation of soccer players, Rovira was able to utilize the skills she has acquired through her major. As a psychology student, Rovira noted a time when she honed her athletic abilities to a point that has allowed her the opportunity to volunteer with Barça, a major European soccer club. She said that the primary goal of the camps is to “guide the learning of players through F.C. Barcelona methodology [which is a] proactive, collective and creative style rooted in the context of the game.” It also includes “values such as humility, effort, ambition, respect, and teamwork.” While not explicitly Christian due to the club’s nature, such values time, so Rovira used her knowledge to help solve the conflict. She initially told the boys to take a break and then placed them on the same team, forcing them to work together. Rovira wanted to show them that it would be more beneficial to fight for each other than to fight against each other, an important trait when playing soccer. She taught them the importance of taking a minute to collect yourself, coming back with a better mindset, and being willing to help each other. Generally, most athletic clinics and camps coach technique and strive for perfection. However, one of the main ideals they wanted to instill in the next generation is creativity and a willingness to make and learn from mistakes. Therefore, an aspect of the camps that Rovira treasured was seeing the sheer joy and love for the game that the young people had. Rovira said that older athletes tend to get so caught up in the game and the pressures of perfection that they sometimes forget to live in the moment and enjoy the game. The younger athletes had yet to see and feel that sort of pressure, which made their excitement much more refreshing.

In addition to the skills Rovira and the other instructors hoped to teach, one of her favorite moments was when the campers would score goals. In the United States, she said there is a lot more individual focus on those who score the goal, but seeing everyone celebrate all of the goals together was a wonderful sight to behold. “For me, here in the United States, everything is very individual and very competitive between each other,” said Rovira. She feels there is more emphasis on the person who scored the goal. “In the game, we are eleven players. So, everyone plays a role. If we score, it’s not just the one who finishes it in the net. It is for the whole team,” she said.

The Barça Academy Camps are places to teach a new generation of athletes the love for soccer. For Rovira, she was able to use her experiences to create a more personal connection with the campers. She was able to teach and guide them not only on their journey in the sport of soccer but also in life. She could show a love for the game, Barça values, and conflict management practices to a new generation that could one day contain the next great college or professional athletes.

By: Maggie Parker