Naples soccer camp beats the heat with safety-first approach

NAPLES, Fla. (WINK)—As temperatures soar this week, young athletes at the Kick-Off Soccer Camp at Paradise Sports Complex are battling the heat while honing their skills on the field.

WINK News spoke with coaches and players about how they stay safe during scorching summer days. The camp prioritizes safety with plenty of ice, water and frequent breaks.

Eleven-year-old Tanner Hennessey has played soccer practically his whole life.

"I was pretty much born into it. My dad gave me a soccer ball when I was young, and just went up from there, and I just started playing, and then I liked the game, and I stayed with it," Hennessey said.

As he prepares for sixth grade this fall, Tanner spends his afternoons at Kick-Off Soccer Camp building on the already strong foundation of his love for the game. He says the camp helps players improve their fundamentals.

"It's a game where the ball gets to everybody, and it's not just like you have to wait for the ball to get to you," Hennessey said. "They really just get the fundamentals of the game out to people that want to try the game and play better, so that's why I think this is a good camp."

Tanner says it's part of the game to play in heat that can feel like triple digits on a summer day, but he knows when to lean on coaches for support.

"You know, you'll tell your coach, hey, I need a sub. You're, you're hot, you know?" Hennessey said.

Coach Gavin Spooner says communication and safety come first through the 90-degree days.

"It's the most important thing, you know, they got to tell us when they're not feeling good, you know, we'll sit them out, we have extra people that go get in the shade, you know, we need to, they can go inside to AC," Spooner said.

Despite the heat, Tanner says he dreams of playing the sport in the big arena one day—one goal at a time. For now, he and other kids will tough it out in the Florida summer heat while learning new skills and improving others.