Instructors in the Summer Soccer Explosion Day Camp must really love the Yukon.

In addition to holding weekly clinics in Whitehorse, coaches are travelling across the territory, teaching basic skills to youth in a number of Yukon communities, including Faro, Dawson City, Ross River, Carmacks, Pelly Crossing, Mayo, Teslin, Haines Junction and Watson Lake.

This week, a three day session was held in Faro, while next week clinic will be put on in Ross River from Monday to Friday.

"I think all the work we do in Whitehorse there's no reason why we can't do that same work in the communities," said Derric Lewis, creator of the day camp. "That is something that kind of drives me is to get out there and see these kids and give them the same chances and see where they want to go with it."

In previous years, the camp has been held for 10weeks, however this year, it's being put on for eight weeks.

Lewis remembers when Soccer Explosion was held for the first time approximately five years ago. At the time, Whitehorse Minor Soccer Association had a one week program, beginning at start of summer, but Lewis said he decided to take a chance and run a full slate of summer camps for 10 weeks.

The clinics were open to a variety of ages, each one lasting one week from Monday to Friday.

The group didn't have a building to work out of and were at the mercy of the weather throughout the entire 10 weeks, Lewis said. However, it still managed to draw about 100 kids.

This year, the Summer Soccer Explosion rented its own location in Riverdale and is playing at two different schools, including Christ the King and Vanier Catholic Secondary.

Approximately 160 kids will take part, Lewis said.

The work in Whitehorse goes from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ages range from kids in pre-school to 12 years old.

All participants are divided up into a specific age group, which this week was seven to nine, while next week will be 10 to 12.

There are four coaches, teaching in Whitehorse. Sessions begin with basic skills and then move on to a number of other aspects, promoting creativity and ball touches, Lewis said.

Then depending on where the group and individual players are, they would introduce a little bit more advanced skill, trying to stimulate their imagination, which is a big part of the game, he added.

A lot of the game play scenarios include smaller numbers, such as three-on-three or two-on-two, giving kids going to get more opportunities to participate in the play.

There is also a little bit of goaltender work, but bulk of the drills are footwork and working with the ball.

There was at least 14 kids participating in Faro, while Haines Junction had 17 kids in the seven to nine-year-old category. Dawson drew 35 youth.

"It really varies between community to community, but it is slowly growing, so that is nice," Lewis said, adding it's encouraging the number of youth that participate in the

communities.

"Our goal is to come back to the communities two, three, four times a year, depending on what we can secure for funding and then be able to support the local people here. So that we are helping their program grow."

The Yukon is a hot bed of athletics, whether it's cross-country skiing, swimming, soccer, softball. It's so exciting to be here."

In other soccer news, the Yukon's Canada Summer Games boys' soccer squad is travelling to Blaine, Minnesota today for the USA Cup. The group will play in each a weekend and week-long tournament, starting tonight in a game against a team from Minnesota.

"It's a pretty neat opportunity for our young guys to play there and represent the territory," said team coach Jake Hanson.

The USA Cup is advertised as the "Largest youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere," and has something like 1,000 teams attend, Hanson said.

This is the first time the Yukon boys' Canada Summer Games team has attended, but in 2000 and 2001, the territory was represented by the girls' Summer Games squad.

Hanson attended that year in a supporting role and said it was a beneficial experience for the Yukon girls.

"It became a real bonding experience for the team to be away for that period of time and in such an incredible soccer atmosphere," he said. "I think it really did help that team."

The Yukon boys will compete in the top division on the weekend, before moving down to the gold division for the week-long. The team is guaranteed at least seven games between the two tournaments.

The 2009 Canada Summer Games are being held in P.E.I. during the final two weeks of August.

The Yukon boys' soccer team will kick-off the tournament against Quebec.