North Catholic student driving force behind soccer camp for Boys and Girls Club of Western Pa.

When it comes to soccer, teamwork is key.

And it’s no different when you’re a high school student organizing a camp for kids.

North Catholic soccer players ran a summer camp in June for kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, thanks to the inspiration of rising senior Austin English.

English of McCandless came up with the idea after having a rewarding experience while coaching a camp as a sophomore.

But this wasn’t a graduation requirement or something he did just to make his resume look good. It was all from the heart.

“I just had the inspiration and knew that what I was doing was good, so I didn’t quit,” said English, 17. “This was just something that I wanted to create because I saw the opportunity and wanted others to be able to experience the joy of playing soccer like I do.”

The camp was held June 23-25 at North Catholic High School in Cranberry for children ages 6 to 12 from three Clubhouses: Millvale, Duquesne and Aliquippa. More than 115 children attended.

English said he researched different organizations and felt the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania was the right fit.

BGCWPA is one of the largest out-of-school-time providers in the region, annually serving more than 7,500 children from Allegheny and Somerset counties with preschool, before and after school programs, summer camps, teen mentoring, workforce development, STEAM and sports programs, according to bgcwpa.org.

After pitching the idea to the Boys & Girls Club and North Catholic school officials, English managed event logistics and built the camp curriculum.

Fellow teammates from North Catholic stepped up to help English run the camp, he said.

Some campers arrived knowing little about soccer. But by the end, everyone knew the basics, such as dribbling, passing and shooting, English said. The day finished with scrimmages, including a campers vs. counselors match.

“I think the children had a great time. Most of them started out uninterested in even playing soccer, but almost all of them were laughing and having fun by the end,” he said.

They had to adjust to the extreme heat that week so a lot of breaks and water bottles were included.

Aside from adding direction and some supervision from North Catholic soccer coaches Anthony Beilstein and Scott Schlegel, the camp was mostly student-directed and student-led.

“I told him to just make it fun whatever it is. It’s 90 degrees so extra popsicle breaks. You may have a future soccer player here,” Beilstein said.

English said he is proud of his teammates.

“All of us high schoolers did a great job being role models to the kids and showing them how fun soccer can be. The campers knew all of our names by the end and didn’t want us to leave,” he said.

Dick’s Sporting Goods donated soccer balls, which were distributed to the children on the last day of camp.

English plans to major in business and is excited to begin the college application process.

Beilstein, who also is director of college and career readiness at North Catholic, said a few younger classmen already have reached out to continue the camp after English graduates.

To sum it up, though the high school students were exhausted by the camp’s end, the reward outweighed the effort.

“I believe my teammates experienced something similar, having the knowledge that they improved someone’s day. I’m incredibly grateful to all my teammates who helped volunteer because it literally would not be possible without them,” English said.

The feeling must have been mutual.

“It was clear to me that the kids didn’t want to go, and the high schoolers didn’t want them to leave,” English said.

Other volunteer counselors included the following high school soccer players: senior Alex Lopez Foubert; rising seniors Gabe Martins, Angelo Amelio, Brody Kennedy, Justin Garvey and Chris Ramaley; rising juniors Evan Laubenthal and Arthur Mendonca; rising sophomores, Mark Betters III and Jacob Birchok; and freshman Evan Sherer.