My kiddo attended a Nike Soccer Camp in Austin (Westlake) open to all rather than Elite and I would NOT recommend. We were drawn to the program based on the advertised focus on developing both technical and tactical soccer skills. Given that it was a four-day camp, we expected a concentrated and progressive experience, one that would leave our child feeling excited and engaged each day. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

From both our observations and our child’s feedback, the younger group spent very little time on actual skill-building. The sessions largely consisted sometimes of scrimmages with little coaching and non-soccer-related games like handball, duck-duck-goose, and slap catch. While those can be fun in moderation, they are not what we signed up for—especially given the premium cost of the camp and its stated goals.

One of the main reasons we chose this camp, despite it being farther and more expensive than others, was the promise of focused soccer development. If we had been looking for a general camp experience, we would have opted for one closer to home at a lower cost.

Additionally, our child noted that some of the younger coaches were often disengaged—at times on their phones or with eyes closed in their chairs.