Gordon Heins has been taking youth soccer and high school players to Ralph Lundy-led camps since 1991.
The seventh-year Catholic boys’ coach started taking travel teams to camps run by Lundy – in his 32nd year as men’s coach at College of Charleston and his 45th overall at the college level – and continued during his years with the Irish.
Heins considers Lundy a soccer guru, so he couldn’t be more pleased to help bring the Ralph Lundy Soccer Academy presented by 5Star Preps to Knoxville’s Sansom Sports for a day camp July 8-11 for boys and girls ages 9-16.
“I’ve been following (Lundy) and learning from him for a long time,” Heins said. “You will not find a more intense, player-oriented camp than what he does.”
Lundy stresses the Knoxville camp is for all talent levels.
“I’ve got an experienced staff,” Lundy said. “We’ll teach them all to be better players, no matter what level, and help them be great kids.”
Lundy’s camp in Knoxville is one of seven during a June-through-July tour with stops at the University of West Georgia in Carrolton, Ga., the Darlington School in Rome, Ga., the Camden County Soccer Club in St. Mary’s Ga., USC Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C., and two camps at College of Charleston Complex in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Lundy has 451 career victories in college and took three Erskine teams – where he coached from 1976 to ’86 — to the NAIA national tournament and took five College of Charleston teams to the NCAA tournament.
Heins’ son, Jacob, played on the Cougars’ 2004 team that reached the NCAA tournament’s second round.
Although a veteran college coach, Lundy has a passion for helping youth learn soccer during summers.
“I love teaching, and I love helping every kid get better,” Lundy said. “Every kid that comes to our camp means a lot to me.”
The camp is from 8:30 to noon each day. For information on the camp, go to www.ralphlundy.com.