Rise & Shine Captain's Camp

This summer, Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC in partnership with Soccer Express, sponsored two campers, Eliano Almounayer and Karl Arcadi, to attend the Rise & Shine Captains Camp. We received a number of applicants and selected two players that exhibited the leadership and community-driven character we hope a CMFSC player has. Arcadi, is a current member of the U18 Boys Metro Internazionale and perfectly described, "being a leader in sport means helping the next generation of athletes in return for the support you received from the generation of athletes that came before you." Almounayer, a CMFSC U16 boys Div 1 Cobras member, provided a quote from John F. Kennedy - "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." 

The Rise and Shine Captains Camp is based on the platform that every kid should have dreams and aspirations they can believe in, whether they are sport-focused or related to other passions; for arts, music, academic studies, health & wellness... the sky is the limit.

Former professional athletes and founders of Rise & Shine Retreat, Ashleigh and Jay DeMerit, recognize the valuable life lessons and sense of empowerment that can come from sports and recreation. They appreciate the contribution sports make to overall emotional, mental, and physical health and the essential role sport plays in creating ambitious, high functioning members of society. Participation and engagement in sports can be very powerful in helping youth gear up for real life. Even beyond sports and recreation, this is about pursuing passions, and leading a well-rounded, healthy, fulfilling lifestyle.

The Rise & Shine Retreat provides youth with opportunities to improve their athletic skills through a variety of sports and activities, while also teaching them how to grow into successful adults. They focus on important life skills like cooking & nutrition, public speaking, social media best practices, and unique strategies for dealing with team dynamics and coaching staff. Participants will go on adventures in the wilderness and then sit down by a bonfire for discussions on leadership, or for other character-building exercises.

More than just a sports camp, this is an all-encompassing life-skills camp. Participants will leave with their eyes wide open to their true potential, and with a strong drive and ambition to be the best version of themselves that they could ever be. For more information regarding the Rise & Shine Captains Camp, please view their website - https://www.theriseandshinefoundation.com/sports-camps.

Karl Arcadi had this to say, "The camp was a great experience.  It was both inspirational and eye-opening to hear from the variety of mentors and from Jay Demerit himself.  The actual soccer portion of the camp was well coached.  We were given plenty of insight as to different ways we can train on our own time as well as important elements of our game to focus on.  The most impressionable part of the camp, however, was by far meeting people from around the world (London and Wisconsin) as well as from across the province, and getting to know them.  Hearing from ex-professional players on their pathway to making it pro and their life after retirement humanizes the soccer stars we watch on tv, and conveys the importance of chasing a life that you really want to live, no matter what that may be."