Perry Hall High School soccer coach Danny Skelton held his third annual “Total Futbol Premier Soccer Camp.”

When you’ve coached a soccer team to the state finals in two of the past three years, you know a little something about soccer and Perry Hall High School coach Danny Skelton wanted to share his knowledge with young players at his soccer camp. Camp was held for boys and girls ages 11-16 at Perry Hall High School. He calls the camp “Total Futbol Premier Soccer Camp.”
Skelton wanted a catchy name that sounded European to attract players, but he also emphasizes that American players start playing more like Europeans.
“We need to improve our technical skills in the U.S.,” Skelton explained. “Once a player develops bad habits, it’s hard to break those habits as they get older. That’s why we try to develop good habits at a young age.”
At the camp, players work on ball skills such as passing, ball control and moving without the ball. Skelton trains players in both total offense and defense. The camp helds two different sessions from July 26 - 29 and Aug. 2 - 6, and the cost is $115.
Skelton’s success at the school is no secret. He took the ‘07 and ‘08 teams to the 4A State Title Game and Skelton spends the day as an English teacher at Perry Hall.
This is the third year of the camp and with Skelton as the school’s soccer coach, many of his players and potential players come out to prepare for the upcoming season. Around 80-85 boys try out for the soccer team and only 25 for Varsity and 25 for JV make the team. Many freshmen use the camp to get an early advantage.
“A lot of the participants are incoming freshmen, but I’ve seen an increase in older players that are taking the initiative to come out and get better,” Skelton added.
One of those players is junior Ethan Muller who has played on the Perry Hall High team and has been in Skelton’s camp for the past three years.
“It helps me get in shape for the season and this camp has helped me mature as a player,” Muller said.
According to Muller, the camp is beneficial to veteran players and for those athletes that have little soccer experience.
“I was an inexperienced soccer player when I started and it has helped me over the years,” he added. “You have fun, but you get better at the game of soccer.”