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The D2 soccer camp made its return to Thompson for the fourth consecutive year June 20-24, while the camp is in its ninth year since being started by Dan DeMasters. (Reporter photo/Keith McCoy)

By EMILY REED | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – Almost 200 kids participated in one of the state’s most popular soccer camps held at Thompson High School June 20-24.

Dynamic Development (D2) Soccer Camp allows kids the opportunity to learn the various aspects of the sport, while also enjoying time spent with staff and coaches who pour into each camper the fundamentals of soccer.

“I would say this year’s camp was humbling,” said camp director and THS girls soccer coach Dan DeMasters. “I used to go to camps like this, and the fact that I am now able to do this is really amazing. It is very humbling that parents trust you with their kids and the kids come and they have a great time. You also have collegiate players who come and help coach during the camp and it is all just a really humbling experience.”

This year marked the ninth consecutive year for the camp and the fourth year of having it at THS since DeMasters’s move from Oak Mountain.

Some of the highlights of this year’s week-long camp included record-high temperatures, which forced the outdoor camp to make some minor changes to the daily routines.

“We only had one day where it was around 103 degrees so we just had to shorten some of the session times, and every 15 minutes, we had to take a water break,” DeMasters said. “Usually every year we have to worry about rain, but this year we had incredibly hot temperatures that made things a bit different than previous years.”

Additionally, DeMasters said when planning for this year’s camp, they took extra security precautions so that campers were able to come to camp each day and have a memorable and fun experience.

“We got great support from the school in the area of safety, and we had safety measures in place the whole week,” DeMasters said.

On a personal note, DeMasters said another camp highlight for him was having his younger brother travel to Alabama and help coach the camp.

“It was just really cool having my brother come down,” he said.

Campers each year look forward to a popular event on Thursday nights, which is when campers play against their parents.

“This is always a really big highlight for the kids each year,” DeMasters said.

The camp is open for boys and girls ages 5-12 and meets Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. until noon.

DeMasters previously coached at Oak Mountain for five years, but has also coached players in the greater Birmingham area as well.

In 2018, DeMasters accepted a new position with Alabaster City Schools to serve as the director of soccer and oversee Alabaster soccer programs for grades 7-12. He also is the head coach of the girls soccer team and teaches math at THS.

While no official plans have been set for next year’s camp, DeMasters is already anticipating a great year for the 10th year of camp.

For more information about registering for next year’s camp or the dates of when the camp will be held, visit Dynamicdevelopmentcamps.com.

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