Washington soccer coach Jim Kozuch, some of his players and others have been teaming up to host the Optimist Club soccer camp for Beaufort County’s up-and-comers. The camp has attracted over 60 kids ages 4 to 12 and of varying skill levels.

The camp’s objective is to take a few days and teach soccer to kids. For the younger groups, that includes the fundamentals of passing and shooting for children that may have not known what a soccer ball was until this week. The older groups have been building on some of the skills they already had coming into it.

“So far, everything has been great. We’ve had a ton of help from our high school kids,” Kozuch said before the third day of the camp got underway on Wednesday. “It makes it a lot easier to maintain 60 kids.

“They’re coming from super different levels, so they’re all getting a good opportunity. Some of them are getting a look at what soccer is all about and some of them are taking their stuff to the next level.”

The younger campers are learning the basics and rules of the game. Kozuch said he’s gone out of his way to make sure to incorporate games that keep the kids interested and exciting about soccer. He said he also likes to use superheroes and cartoon characters as means of explaining different drills and activities.

Practice with the older group, ages 9 through 12, has been handled very much like a high school practice. They also got the chance to spend an hour working with Chowan coach Chris Whalley.

“We’re basically doing a little bit below what we do with the high schoolers,” Kozuch said. “Some fundamentals, but also sharpening them up — working with the ball, working off the ball, some shooting. We’re giving them a look at what it is.”

The camp is also working as a fundraiser for Washington soccer. In the past, money raised has gone to things like new soccer balls for the teams and new jerseys. Kozuch said he also got a new goalkeeper jersey for Kevin Avilla.

“It’s like the jersey the Turkish national goalie has been wearing in the Euro,” he said. “It’s hot pink. I gave him No. 99. I’ve never seen a soccer player wear 99, so I gave him ‘The Great One’ Wayne Gretzky.”

This year, Kozuch plans on using the funds to pay for big nets for the field at Kugler so that the balls don’t fly into the streets when they’re doing shooting drills.

The high school players working with Kozuch may be helping teach soccer, but they pick up some things along the way, too. There are plenty of takeaways, whether they gain an affinity for coaching or just learn how to do something better.

“I think some of them start to figure out, ‘Hey, I could actually be a coach,’” Kozuch said. “Also, sometimes by showing someone how to do something, you could teach yourself how to do it better.”

From campers to players to coaches, it seems all parties involved have something to gain from this week’s camp.