Where is the Berkshire Soccer Academy at Plunkett Lake?
The Academy is located at the Berkshire Sports Academy’s state-of-the-art athletic facility in the quaint New England town of Hinsdale, Massachusetts, approximately 2.5 hours by car from Boston and 3.5 hours from New York City. The property sits along the shores of 73-acre Plunkett Lake.

How does my child get to the Academy?

Most families drive or carpool. We do not provide transportation to or from our camp sessions. We do provide ground transportation for campers flying into Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, CT.

What are the athletic and program facilities like?
Athletic facilities include 2 Grass Soccer Fields (300′ x 200′), one of which is lit for night play. Both fields can be divided into 2 smaller fields. We also have use of a large, covered turf field at our nearby sister camp in Otis where we can play in inclement weather. 

Non-soccer facilities include:

• a regulation basketball court
• 4 Pickelball Courts
• 73 acre Plunkett Lake, with docks, swim area, and fleets of stand-up paddleboards and kayaks.
• 3,600 square foot tent with Gaga, Teqball, carpet ball and other fun games. It also has areas for reading, relaxing and playing games.
• Archery 
• Arts & Crafts Studio– an indoor air-conditioned room
• Campfire Area

What are the ages of the campers?  
Enrollment in Sessions 1 and 2 is open to girls who are rising 4th – 10th graders. Session 3 is open to girls who are rising 5th – 12th graders. Check the grade requirements on the Dates & Rates page and the Camper Application.

How many girls attend each session?
Enrollment is limited to approximately 112 girls per session.

What level of soccer players attend the Academy?
Registration is open to girls of all abilities who are passionate about soccer and excited to train for 4 hours/day and improve their level of play.

Can an athlete attend more than one session?
Yes! Athletes can enroll in multiple sessions. Bridge Sessions enable athletes to attend two one-week sessions. You can register for Bridge Programs on our Camper Application.

How do I register for the Academy?
To register, submit the online Camper Application. If you have any questions or would like to speak with our Executive Director, Katy Kreiner please click here to set up a time to chat.

What does the Academy do to make girls feel welcome?

Our “Away from Home Guide” and “Athlete Handbook” help athletes prepare for camp, and eases transition and separation issues. In late June, before the beginning of the camp session, we invite newly enrolled and prospective families to visit and tour the camp, meet staff and ask questions.

Upon arriving at camp, campers play fun ice-breaker games, meet cabin mates, cabin counselors, and residential life leaders and get settled into their cabins. The first day’s action-packed schedule, which includes a fun scrimmage, an all-camp evening activity and the opening campfire, adds to the warm welcome.

We understand that homesickness is natural and often occurs with both new and veteran campers. We prepare and train our staff to handle homesickness and have had great success helping many athletes navigate and overcome this feeling and enjoy a fantastic Berky experience.

Does the Academy use a unique soccer-specific training program? 
Yes!  The Academy provides consistent and individualized instruction that focuses on training the whole player. Athletes are grouped by age and skill level into training groups of 25 – 30 girls. The most important aspect of the soccer training is what the girls do when they’re not training. During those times, girls relax, try new things, and build their confidence off the field. The relaxed learning added confidence makes it far easier for athletes to take risks on the field, and their improvement generally exceeds all expectations.

What does “training the whole player” mean?
We prepare our athletes to be well-rounded and fully capable soccer players and girls. This includes mental skills training that is intentionally woven through the Academy experience.

How many hours of training are there in a day?
Each full day offers 4 hours of training. The two 2-hour training sessions are led by a Master Coach, Head Coach, and 2-4 Assistant Coaches. Training groups consist of 25 – 30 athletes.

Do goalkeepers receive specific training at the Academy?
The Academy offers a Goalkeeping Track. Athletes interested in goalkeeping sessions should indicate this on their Camper Application. Goalkeepers are pulled once daily by our goalkeeping coach who provides 45 minutes to 1 hour of daily specialized instruction. Goalkeepers are integrated with the field players during the rest of the sessions. As outlined below, goalkeepers can supplement their training with private goalkeeper instruction.

Are there extra opportunities for Individual Training?

We offer 1-hour Private Training sessions, for an additional fee of $150 per session. A Head Coach leads all Private Trainings and take place in the morning before breakfast so as not to conflict with regularly scheduled soccer and elective sessions. Athletes, with input from their parents, can specify their training topics. Enrolled campers may add a Private Training Session when they register. Space is limited, and sessions are often full by mid-April.

Do you provide soccer-specific feedback on individual athletes?

All players receive individualized feedback at the end of their session(s).  The Head Coach from each athlete’s training group completes an assessment of that athlete’s strengths, areas in which she most improved, and opportunities for improvement. The assessment is e-mailed to parents within a few days of the session’s completion.

Do you gather feedback from campers and parents?

We adhere closely to management expert Ken Blanchard’s adage, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions. “

Feedback from Campers
At the end of each session, we ask campers a short series of questions about their experience. This helps us gauge whether training, electives, special events, coaches, counselors, and meals are being well received. When there’s a shortfall, we respond and adjust.

Feedback from Parents

After campers depart, we send parents an online survey. During the summer, we respond to comments that require immediate action. At summer’s end, we examine and analyze all parent survey responses and determine how to improve for the following summer. Although we receive lots of praise, we value feedback about areas where we can improve.

Where Can I see more about Camper & Parent Surveys
We produce annual blog posts that share the meaningful feedback that our camp families provide and how we plan to respond. Previous blog posts, news articles, and social media ratings from past campers and parents can be found on our News and Reviews page.

What is the Academy’s daily schedule?
While every day at the Berkshire Soccer Academy is unique and full of surprises, the days do follow a common structure. On a typical day, girls participate in two soccer-specific periods, two elective periods, and one evening activity. We bring variety to each session with special programming that includes surprise events and guest appearances.

What happens if it rains?
Soccer sessions and most other activities carry on outside in light rain. On rainy days, athletes move to an indoor training schedule and athletes participate in rainy-day electives.  We travel 30 minutes to the large Covered Turf Facility at our sister camp in Otis, Massachusetts, where the training continues. 

What happens if there is a heat wave?
In the event of severe heat, we alter the schedule, moving training sessions to early morning and evening and adding an extra swim session. All camper cabins are air-conditioned, and high-capacity fans cool our dining hall.

Who is responsible for my child’s well-being at the Academy? 

Ainslee Mellon and Isa Zanzini oversee the Academy’s daily operations, ensuring that each athlete receives personal attention in her cabin and on the fields.

Isa joined the Berkshire Soccer Academy as an Assistant Coach in 2018 and spent the following summer as a head coach. Since 2021, she has served as Soccer Coordinator overseeing all soccer programming. Isa, who is Brazilian, played collegiate soccer at Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri, where she later served as a student coach. She currently serves as a Graduate Assistant Coach at Smith College in Massachusetts. She is also a certified sports performance specialist. 

Ainslie Mellon joined the Academy’s staff in 2017 as a cabin counselor and lifeguard. Since then, she has been a Residential Life Leader, guiding, mentoring, and assisting cabin counselors. She has also overseen special events, communicated with parents, worked closely with the health team, and addressed interpersonal issues. 

Ainslie and Isa work closely with Katy Kreiner and Paul Titley, longtime Directors of the Berkshire Soccer Academy in Otis, to create a safe, inclusive environment for each girl to develop as a player, make friends, and have fun.

Who makes up the Academy’s program staff? 

Program Directors Isa Zanzini and Ainslie Mellon oversee a team of highly qualified Soccer Staff and Elective Staff who work together to create a warm and cohesive community, both on and off the soccer field.

What is the Soccer Staff like?

Program Director, Isa Zanzini leads our dedicated Soccer Staff, which consists of 4 Master Coaches, 4 Head Coaches, and 8-9 Assistant Coaches.  Master Coaches are licensed professionals who have dedicated their careers to youth soccer instruction. Assistant Coaches are former and current NCAA athletes who are interested in a career in coaching, teaching, sports psychology, or sports administration. Every coach is deeply interested in being a teacher and role model to our athletes. Head Coaches have previously served as Assistant Coaches or are pursuing a career in soccer coaching, and have proven themselves to be outstanding soccer instructors. Coaches come to the Academy from across the nation and the world to coach in our unique environment.

What is the Elective Staff like?

From the waterfront to the archery range, each member of our Elective Staff possesses expertise and passion in their activity. Following the American Camp Association standards, we require that certain elective staff have required licensing as well as American Red Cross certifications.

What are the Cabin Counselors like?
All Assistant Soccer Coaches and Elective Staff serve as Cabin Counselors. They live in the cabins with the athletes and promote friendships and fun during cabin times and meal times. Our qualified Residential Life Team trains and manages the Cabin Counselors to ensure that every athlete enjoys her cabin and gets the most out of her experience.

How does the Academy ensure a high-quality staff?
Staff members are carefully selected to reflect the Academy’s mission and values. We interview each candidate and only hire those with excellent references, impressive experience working with children, and a willingness to dedicate themselves to caring for and supervising our athletes.

Before camp opens, we offer six full days of staff training that cover all aspects of youth development and group cohesion. The training, which is developed with the assistance of child development and camp industry experts, prepares our staff to instill in our girls mutual respect, individual responsibility, sportsmanship, and kindness. Pre-camp training also addresses safety issues, emergency procedures, and program preparation.

Are Berkshire athletes supervised both on and off the field?
During the day, the girls are engaged in soccer and elective activities where coaches and specialists are always present. During free time and evenings, Cabin Counselors always supervise and care for each camper. We teach our staff to never leave campers alone and insist that a staff member accompany campers traveling between activities.

Who will care for my daughter’s health?

The Academy’s top priority is the safety, health and well-being of every camper. Our Health Care Staff consists of a full-time Registered Nurse or Nurse Practitioner and an Athletic Trainer. We also have a pediatric physician practice on-call. Before each session, the nurse reviews every athlete’s health history and medication needs. The nurse distributes medication at mealtimes or bedtime. The Athletic Trainer is on the field during every soccer session and provides pre and post-training treatments in the Athletic Training area at the fields.

What happens if my daughter is injured?

The healthcare team works together to respond quickly and professionally to injuries or illnesses. The Nurse lives in the health center and cares for campers who sleep there. The recently renovated Health Center provides comfortable semi-private housing where campers can rest and sleep. In the event of a serious illness or injury, we transport campers to the physician’s office or to a nearby hospital emergency room.   

When will parents be notified of health issues?

Parents will be contacted if our medical staff has any questions, if a serious injury or illness occurs if a camper is taken to a doctor, or if a camper spends the night in the Health Center.

What kind of food does the Academy serve?

We pride ourselves on providing healthy food options that give our growing athletes the energy and nutrition they need. Our Head Chef and crew prepare a well-balanced menu of camp favorites that include tasty protein-based entrees and a variety of side dishes served in our dining hall or the adjacent, outdoor picnic area. Fruit and salad bars are featured at lunch and dinner, and we offer toast, fruit, and cereal at breakfast. We offer morning, afternoon, and evening snacks, which include occasional indulgences like ice cream, homemade desserts, and s’mores, of course!

Where do the campers live?

Athletes live in air-conditioned cabins, which are clustered around the main soccer field. The cabins house 8-12 girls and 2-3 cabin counselors. All cabins have bathrooms with showers, windows, comfortable beds, and individual storage areas. Campers bring their own bedding and towels.

Is laundry service provided at the Academy?

We provide laundry service for athletes attending multiple sessions. We do not provide any other laundry service.

Can my daughter request to live with a friend? 

The Cabin Request Form, which becomes available to enrolled athletes in the spring, allows athletes to request two cabin mates. We do our best to accommodate every request. However, we do not permit groups of campers to form their own cabin groups, and we encourage girls who come with others to take advantage of this opportunity to meet new friends.

How do I stay connected with my daughter while she’s at the Academy?

To send messages to your camper and to view and share all the daily media updates, download the Campanion app to your mobile device and log in using your existing Berky login credentials. Please refer to the Campanion FAQ for any questions or technical support inquiries.

How do I get more information about the Berkshire Soccer Academy for Girls?

Executive Directors Katy and Paul are available full-time, year-round to answer questions and provide information and references. Please feel free to contact us at any time.