CIT Program

Champion Soccer School’s Counselor-In-Training programs are offered at our Belmont, Wayland and Wilmingtoon camps to allow former attendees the opportunity to continue their involvement at Champion Soccer School while developing valuable skills and working experience. Champion’s CIT program is most successful when both prospective CITs and their parents/guardians are fully aware of expectations, and are in agreement about participation.

CIT Program

THE PROGRAM:

We offer a CIT program at all 3 of our locations (Belmont, Wayland and Wilmington). The program is available for rising 9-10th graders in Belmont and Wayland, and 8-10th graders in Wilmington. After applying, we will organize a training week (cost is $150). If that week goes well, we can discuss having you help additional weeks.

Champion’s CIT program is a leadership program designed to help former campers transition to becoming coaching assistants once they turn 16.  CITs have an orientation the first day of camp, and have check-in meetings with a camp leader to support growth. While CITing can be fun and engaging, it’s imperative that all applicants have a desire to work with younger players, and have the right level of motivation and maturity to step into this role. 

TRAINING WEEK: 

For their training week, CITs will be placed in a specific group of campers that are at least 3 years apart in age/grade.  They will work alongside coaching assistants and with their lead coach. At the beginning, middle and end of each camp day, CIT’s will assume specific daily responsibilities.  Although some of the tasks at the beginning and end of each day will involve some equipment set-up and breakdown, the majority of the responsibilities CIT’s will have will involve working directly with campers.  While lead coaches plan and initiate games, CITs will have opportunities to execute portions of the daily soccer training sessions, provide coaching points, and ensure the campers are having fun. A CIT’s focus should be to mirror their own behavior after other CSS coaches, particularly the coaching assistants. Our CIT program is aimed at helping aspiring coaches learn the essential organizational, technical, tactical, and behavioral roles of coaching. If possible, CITs are asked to come slightly before camp (around 8:30 am).

EXPECTATIONS: 

Continuing in the program is earned not guaranteed: CITs who perform well in their training week will have the option of staying on for additional weeks free of charge and can also receive some small perks to recognize exceptional performance. 

CIT behavior standards are dramatically higher than they are for campers. While we will provide guidance to CITs to improve and correct behavior,  CITs who are continually not meeting expectations  (e.g., not interacting as expected with counselors/campers, not following instruction from senior coaches) will not be tolerated.  Parents will be contacted  to provide fair warning of possible dismissal; however, some behaviors can be grounds for immediate dismissal 

BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM:

High performing CITs who continue through grade 10 will be priority hires for when they turn 16 and will get a higher pay level than and priority hiring over new counselors who have not worked as CITs.

Sign Up Process: 

  • Register here, to let us know which weeks your child is available. You will only be able to join the waitlist. We will follow up with scheduling the weeks based on availability.
    • New CITs need to complete an application form, and then we will schedule a training week. That trial week will cost $150. If it goes well, we can schedule additional weeks at no additional cost.
    • Returning CITs will be invited back based on their performance their first year.