A training camp is one of the highlights of the year for many young football players and a great start to the new season. For coaches and staff, it also brings extra responsibility: besides training and logistics, you are responsible for supervising minors, putting together the right staff team and keeping parents informed.
In this guide, we show you what matters when organizing a youth football training camp and how to prepare well – based on more than 20 years of experience and numerous training camps with youth teams. The more clearly responsibilities and rules are agreed before departure, the more time you have on site for football and shared experiences.
Start organizing a youth training camp as early as possible, ideally several months before the planned date. If the camp is part of your pre-season preparation, it often falls during the school holidays. Parents need time to plan costs and family holidays, and staff need to keep the dates free. In our experience, it helps to share the date and costs in your very first information to parents.
Organizing a youth football training camp follows the same basic steps as planning and preparing a camp for adult teams, plus a few tasks that are specific to youth teams.
Key steps:
During the camp, parents hand over the supervision of their children to the club and its staff. How close the supervision needs to be depends on the players' age and the situation: an U11 team needs closer supervision than an U18 team.
Proven rules from practice:
The youth protection laws of your home country and of the host country provide guidance. Clubs and associations handle the details of supervision differently, so we recommend checking the requirements of your club or football association in advance.
There is no universally binding number. How many staff you need depends on the players' age, the group size and the conditions on site. In some countries, youth sports programmes or funding schemes set minimum requirements for qualified staff.
In our experience, these principles have proven themselves:
Many clubs also require coaches who work with minors to provide a criminal record check. Find out early which requirements apply to you.
Parents want to know where their child is, who is looking after them and how to reach someone in an emergency. A parents' evening or a detailed information letter has proven effective.
What to include:
What you need from parents before departure:
A clear daily schedule gives young players orientation and staff peace of mind. A training day could look like this:
| Time | Activity |
| 07:30 | Wake-up |
| 08:00 | Breakfast |
| 09:30-11:00 | First training session |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 13:00-15:00 | Rest and free time |
| 15:30-17:00 | Second training session |
| 18:30 | Dinner |
| 19:30 | Team evening, games or video analysis |
| 22:00 | Lights-out, earlier or later depending on age |
Our training camp tip: especially with younger players, stick to the midday rest and don't overload the schedule. How to prepare daily schedules is explained in our guide to training camp preparation.
For young players, a training camp is one of the few chances to spend several days in a row together as a team. This strengthens team spirit and helps the squad grow together for the coming season.
Team evenings with games or a quiz, groupings that mix up the usual friendship circles and a joint trip in the local area have proven successful. Alongside the sport, this leaves time for experiences the players will enjoy remembering. You can find more on this in our guide to training camp goals.
Before booking:
Before departure:
On site:
For youth teams, the overall package on site matters more than an exclusive destination: short distances, accommodation used to hosting youth groups, good value for money and things to do between sessions.
In summer, many of the youth teams we support deliberately stay close to home – in their own country or in a neighbouring one that can be reached by coach or car without a long journey. For a long weekend, a short journey is especially important, so that the day of arrival can still be used for training. For a full week, flight destinations such as Spain or Turkey are also worth considering, particularly for winter preparation.
You can find all destinations in our overview of football training camps, more tips in our article Training camps with youth teams: what really matters and proven options in our bestsellers for youth teams.
Common mistakes are informing parents too late, a staff team that is too small to cover absences and unclear rules for the time outside training. Missing consent forms and an overloaded schedule without recovery time are also typical. Many of these mistakes can be avoided through early and structured organization.
In most cases, youth coaches and staff organize the camp, often together with the club's youth department. But you don't have to do it alone: we support you from choosing youth-friendly accommodation and coordinating with the hotel and sports facility to questions about the schedule on site. With more than 300 locations across Europe, we'll find a destination that suits your team.
Click here for personal advice on your youth training camp.
Age matters less than how independent the players are and whether they are used to staying away from home without their parents. Many clubs start with multi-day camps from around U12 or U13. For younger age groups, a shorter format such as a long weekend with a short journey is a good option.
A long weekend of four days or a full week have both proven themselves. Four days are often enough for younger players and short journeys, while a full week is better suited to older age groups and destinations further away. You can find a detailed comparison in our article Training camp planning – which duration suits your team?
The costs depend mainly on the destination, duration, accommodation and travel. For youth teams, the club and parents usually share the costs. Grants from local authorities or sports associations, sponsors or joint fundraising such as a bake sale can reduce each player's contribution. You can find example prices and financing tips on our page about the training camp budget.
There is no universally binding number. In our experience, even small groups should have at least two staff members, so that someone can always stay with the team in an emergency. The younger the players, the more staff you should plan for.
That depends on the rules of your club, your association and your country. Many clubs require a criminal record certificate or background check from everyone who works with children and young people, including staff at training camps. Ask your club or association which document is required and how to apply for it.
Insurance rules differ from country to country. Check in advance what accident and health cover the players have through their own insurance, the club or the association. For trips abroad, find out whether treatment there is covered. Within Europe, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) can help, depending on where players are insured. For destinations where it does not apply, consider additional travel insurance.
Every player needs their own valid passport or ID card. Many countries also recommend a consent letter signed by the parents for minors travelling without them. You can find current entry requirements in the travel advice of your country's foreign ministry.
Pack football boots suitable for the pitch surface, shin guards, enough training kit and a rain jacket. Add swimwear, sun protection, a water bottle, slippers and a toiletry bag. Players should keep their passport or ID, health insurance card and personal medication to hand or give them to a staff member.
At most youth training camps, two sessions per day have proven effective. For younger players, sessions should be shorter and include more game-based exercises. Just as important are enough breaks and a fixed midday rest.
Fixed phone times work well, for example after lunch and in the evening. Many teams collect phones at lights-out. It's important to agree on the rules with players and parents in advance, so everyone knows when the children can be reached.
That depends on their age and what has been agreed with the parents. For older age groups, going out in small groups with a fixed return time has proven effective. Younger players are best accompanied by a staff member. The local youth protection rules of the host country also apply.
Homesickness is common, especially among younger players and on the first evening. A well-filled daily schedule, a fixed contact person in the staff team and short phone calls at set times all help. It often also helps when friends from the team share a room.
Before departure, look up emergency numbers, the nearest doctor and the nearest hospital at your destination. Keep all players' health information to hand and inform the parents immediately if a player is injured or falls ill. Only give medication after agreeing it with the parents beforehand.
Back to the overview in our guide to training camp organization.
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